2014 Winning Essays main content.

2014 Winning Essays

Part of the Young Naturalist Awards Curriculum Collection.

The Young Naturalist Awards essays, written by students in grades 7 through 12, ranged from an investigation of ways to reduce water evaporation from soil using organic wheat straw, to the effects of urbanization on the diets of northern diamondback terrapins, to the discovery of ancient cedars in Ohio.

Article Removal of Copper (II) Ions from Contaminated Water by Encapsulation of Peppermint Tea Leaves in Alginate Beads This young naturalist found a way to remove copper—a serious threat to aquatic ecosystems—using low-cost biological materials. Article Occupancy Modeling of Bird Species in a Subalpine Lake Ecosystem A young naturalist (and avid birder) looks at how has human development impacted the diversity of bird species at Ryker Lake. Article Using Agricultural Waste for Remediation of Chemical Contaminants in Water This young naturalist researched how to prevent Arizona's drinking wells from being contaminated by agricultural runoff.