musings | in the halls and beyond the walls

The halls of the American Museum of Natural History have long honored and heralded the work of some of the world's leading natural scientists. For the past three years, though, the outstanding work of another group of scientists has also been recognized. These people don't hold Ph.D.s or professorships. In fact, they don't even have high school diplomas... yet. They are the recipients of the Museum's Young Naturalist Awards. This annual scientific essay contest for seventh through twelfth grade students is judged by Museum scientists, and is made possible by a generous grant from the Chase Manhattan Foundation.

David, a 1999 Award Winner, at the Gowanda Shale outcrops on the shore of Lake Erie.
© AMNH

For these awards, students are encouraged to conduct independent research and to present their findings in one of three formats: a narrative essay, a museum exhibition, or an essay with a focus on field journal entries. All the entries are rigorously reviewed, and Museum curators and educators make the final selections. The 12 winners received cash prizes, as well as publication of their essays in a nationally distributed winners' catalogue, in Natural History magazine, and on the Museum's Web site. They also receive a trip for two to New York City to receive their awards and meet Museum scientists and educators. The Museum recognizes 36 finalists and 300 semifinalists: The finalists each receive a $50 cash award and a certificate of recognition, and the semifinalists receive a non-cash award and a certificate of recognition. In addition, the teachers whose students received the top 12 awards receive a collection of books for their school.

A page from the field journal of Gaurav, a 2000 Award Winner, illustrating his plan for weighing fiddler crabs. The project aims to monitor fiddler crab populations over time in Virginia.
© AMNH

The work of these young naturalists - the caliber of their research and the pure interest in science their work demonstrates - is inspiring. The students, too, found the process extremely rewarding. The encouragement of their teachers, parents, mentors, and even their peers is invaluable. Their pride at the awards ceremony is palpable. The Young Naturalist Awards are special because they attract students who might not think of themselves as real scientists. The focus on writing and original artwork provides a creative outlet for students, and the interdisciplinary nature of the projects reaches teachers across the curriculum.

One seventh-grade recipient of Young Naturalist Awards 2000, Andrew, wrote a paper on the status of Mars research at the millennium. He says, "I learned so much about researching... about searching the Web... about going through newspaper articles... It's just really valuable to learn about skills that you can keep." Other students found themselves learning not only about research tools, but also about the scientific history of their own communities. Most importantly, they realized that kids can do real science and have their work taken seriously by the pros.

Past competitions have revolved around themes upon which the Museum was focusing, including the opening of major new exhibitions: biodiversity, new developments in the fields of Earth sciences and astrophysics, and reflections on the past and speculations about the future of science at the millennium. Each year, students found ways to focus their inquiries on places or subjects that were of great personal interest.

The theme for the Young Naturalist Awards 2001 is: Look Around You - Find Your Own Place in the World. Students are encouraged to begin by choosing a focus - perhaps a species or a phenomenon, a place to explore, or a topic in biology, Earth science or astrophysics - that fascinates them.

Samples of winning essays can be found online at the Museum's Young Naturalist Awards Web site. A Tips and Resources section is also provided there. Submissions for this year must be postmarked by January 2, 2001. For more specific rule information on the 2001 Awards, visit the Web site or send a request.