LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., July 23, 2008 – More than 265 teenagers from 44 U.S. states and nine Canadian provinces will meet at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ariz., from July 28th - August 3rd, to participate as finalists in North America's largest high school environmental education competition - the 2008 Canon Envirothon.

Throughout the competition, teams will be tested on their knowledge of soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife and a current environmental issue. This year's current issue topic for the competition is Recreational Impacts on Natural Resources. Students will analyze long-term and short-term environmental, social and economic factors relative to recreational impacts upon natural resources and their management.

As they continue to learn about environmental issues affecting natural resources, participants will have the opportunity to compete for a share of more than $125,000 in educational scholarships, as well as Canon products. The competition is organized by the National Association of Conservation Districts in the U.S., the United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A) Forest Service and the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service.

"Canon is guided by the philosophy of Kyosei – all people, regardless of race, religion, or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future. Embracing this philosophy, Canon U.S.A. believes environmental education is the key to conserving and preserving the planet's limited resources for future generations," said Emily Reynolds, vice president and general manager, Corporate Communications, Canon U.S.A, a leader in digital imaging technologies. "It is our hope that by providing students with this experience, we may help inspire them to pursue careers in science and conservation, as well as conduct research critical to the preservation of the environment."

Since 1997, Canon U.S.A. has been a sponsor of this annual competition. The Canon Envirothon is one of North America's largest high school environmental education competitions, in which more than 500,000 teenagers are involved in a year-long learning process that combines in-class curricula with hands-on field experiences. Five-member teams from schools and organizations compete for the distinction of representing their state, Canadian province or territory in the Canon Envirothon by first competing in local competitions organized by environmental agencies. Under the supervision of foresters, soil scientists and wildlife specialists, teams participate in a series of field-oriented tests. Students also prepare and deliver oral presentations to panels of judges who evaluate each team on their problem-solving capabilities, oral presentation skills and recommendations to help solve the specific environmental challenge presented during the competition.

In addition to the Canon Envirothon, Canon U.S.A. supports a wide range of environmental education and youth programs including, the PBS Nature series; programs at Yellowstone National Park; and many additional local programs. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com/environment.

A list of the U.S. and Canadian schools/organizations participating in the 2008 Canon Envirothon appears below.