by Lucy Patterson, Education and Publicity Committee
Allan Leveille (left) and Shamus McCoy are this year’s winners of the OFNC award for their science projects
From creating bioplastics using potatoes to developing a concentration method for trace elements in water samples, the Ottawa Regional Science Fair is full of surprises! Since 1961, this volunteer-run event has encouraged students from grades 7 to 12 in the Ottawa-Carleton region to design, develop, and present research projects in science and engineering. The students with the best projects are then invited to participate in a Canada-Wide Science Fair. This year, the Ottawa Regional Science Fair was held on March 27 and 28 at Carleton University’s “Field House.”
Every year, the OFNC presents awards to two or three creators of outstanding projects that “demonstrate a knowledge of some aspect of natural history, field ecology, or wildlife conservation.” This year, the projects were judged by me and Kathy Conlan, a research scientist and the section head of zoology at the Canadian Museum of Nature.
The OFNC special awards went to Shamus McCoy of Immaculata High School, for his project on the indicator species of Passamaquoddy Bay (below),
and to Allan Leveille of the St-Laurent Academy Elementary and Junior High, for his project entitled “How does Climate Change Affect our Macoun Marsh?” (below).
Each student received a $150 prize. Congratulations to both Allan and Shamus for their exceptional projects!
