American Museum Of Natural History Announces 2012 Young Naturalist Awards, 6/1

Can pumpkin waste clean polluted waters? What native species returned after the Arizona wildfires of last year? Are non-native fish endangering brook trout in Lake Champlain? These are some of the questions that 13 student scientists explored through the American Museum of Natural History's 15th Annual Young Naturalist Awards, a nationwide science-based research competition for kids in grades 7 through 12 supported by Alcoa Foundation.

This year's winners included students from Arizona, California, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia who were recognized today at an awards ceremony and luncheon at the Museum and spent the day at behind-the-scenes tours at the Museum. Each winner also received a cash award of up to $2,500.

"The Young Naturalist Awards are a superb example of students using the scientific process to engage in creative and original investigations of the world around them," said Ellen V. Futter, President of the American Museum of Natural History. "We are proud to help foster a love of science and nature in all the participants and especially in the outstanding winners, who are to be congratulated for their exceptional work."

The 2012 winners are:
Grade 7
· Tiffany Logan, Mayfair Middle School, Bellflower, California
o Investigated the feeding preferences of a pet parrotlet
· Alexander Fletcher, Holy Trinity Episcopal Day School, Laurel, Maryland
o Tested the water quality around the Sandy Hill landfill

Grade 8
· Justin Myhre, Woodcrest Christian Middle School, Riverside, California
o Analyzed whether gRay Foxes are more likely to mark their territory in the presence of healthy rivals
· Sterling Fisher, Pi Beta Phi Elementary School, Sevierville, Tennessee
o Found that the highest elevation streams in Great Smoky Mountain State Park were not necessarily healthier than low elevation streams

Grade 9
· Kalia Firester, Hunter College High School, New York, New York
o Determined that filters based on living plants effectively removed household pollutants from waste water
· Meagan Bethel, Tuscan High Magnet School, Tuscon, Arizona
o Researched the effects of the Arizona wildfires of 2011 on actual wildlife species populations

Grade 10
· Rachel Rounds, Evart High School, Evart, Michigan
o Researched dung beetles and the role they play in reducing methane emissions from cattle dung
· Meghana Rao, Jesuit High School, Beaverton, Oregon
o Found that the benefits of biochar for carbon sequestration depend on the manipulation of particle size and feedstock.
· Alan Booth, Hampton High School, Hampton, Virginia
o Investigated the effects of oil dispersants on the health of the Eastern oyster

Grade 11
· Lauren Hodge, Dallastown Area High School, Dallastown, Pennsylvania
o Determined that prepared pumpkin waste could remove chromium and lead from polluted water
· Markie Palermo, Essex High School, South Hero, Vermont
o Found that the eggs of native brook trout populations in the Lake Champlain basin were being fertilized by non-native brown trout producing tiger trout, infertile hybrids

Grade 12
· Danielle P. Ethington, San Clemente High School, San Clemente, California
o Collected and tagged more than 700 monarch butterflies to study the spread of an invasive protozoan parasite
· Rebecca Policello, Ossining High School, Ossining, New York
o Studied Eastern Redback salamanders in several New York area locations to reveal environmental conditions contributing to the decline of certain amphibians

Judges from the Museum's scientific, educational, and editorial staff used the following criteria to evaluate student essays: originality; demonstration of the ability to gather data; thoughtfulness in analyzing and interpreting findings; and creativity and clarity in written and visual presentation. The winning entries will be published on the Museum's website at amnh.org/yna.
"Alcoa Foundation is proud to sponsor the 2012 Young Naturalists Awards and honored to recognize such exceptional students for their outstanding work, enthusiasm and commitment to the environment," said Paula Davis, President, Alcoa Foundation. "To address the challenges posed by population growth, urbanization and climate change, now more than ever, we must prepare young people for careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)."
The Young Naturalist Awards is a program of the National Center for Science Literacy, Education, and Technology (NCSLET), part of the Museum's Department of Education. Founded in 1997, NCSLET taps the Museum's unparalleled scientific resources-a vast physical collection, cutting-edge research, and dynamic and engaging exhibitions-and makes them available to a global audience. The Young Naturalist Awards program was developed by the Museum to promote young people's active participation in the sciences and to recognize excellence in biology, ecology, Earth science, and astronomy.

"The winners of the Young Naturalist Awards demonstrate a true passion for science research and communication," said Rosamond Kinzler, director of NCSLET. "Whether these young people studied the spread of a protozoan parasite in local Monarch butterflies or investigated the effects of oil and detergents on Eastern oysters, their essays reveal the same dedication to the practice of science as our Museum scientists. The Museum is committed to inspiring and supporting young people like this year's winners in their quest to use the scientific process to learn more about the world around them."

The awards ceremony featured remarks by Dr. Kinzler; Mr. Peter Hong, vice president and treasurer of Alcoa Corporation; and Christopher Raxworthy, associate curator in the Department of Herpetology and associate dean of science for Education and Exhibitions. Dr. Raxworthy spoke to the 13 young winners about his own journey to become a scientist and about the parallels between their fieldwork and original research conducted at the Museum.