Each year JSWCD, with the support of a wonderful planning committee comprised of local partners, puts on the Southern Oregon Regional Envirothon (SORE). SORE is a one-day, hands-on, natural resources competition for regional high school students.

SORE tests students' knowledge and skills in the following areas:

• Aquatic Ecology
• Soils and Land Use
• Forest Ecology
• Wildlife Ecology
• Annual Current Topic

SORE strives to help students exercise their critical thinking skills, increase natural resource content knowledge and skills, learn about natural resource professions, and inspire a passion to learn more about and be stewards of the environment.

SORE is closely modeled after the statewide Oregon Envirothon Competition. As it is held in advance of the statewide competition, SORE helps students prepare to compete in Oregon's Envirothon; three of the teams that competed in SORE in 2022 went on to place in the top five teams at Oregon's Envirothon, out of 25 teams, and one of them became the state champion! Envirothons are also put on across states and provinces in the USA, Canada, and China and top-placing teams can eventually end up competing at the international NCF-Envirothon Competition. JSWCD has helped sponsor local Jackson County teams to travel to the state and international Envirothons.

The inaugural SORE was launched in 2021 by Jackson Soil and Water Conservation District, Crater Renaissance Academy, Logos Public Charter School, Southern Oregon Land Conservancy, Grayback Forestry, the Bureau of Land Management, and Rogue River Watershed Council. SORE continues to be supported by many local partners who help make the event happen!