FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 3, 2008
Arlington, Va.--With the help of questionnaires, a geographic information system and statistical analysis, 12th-grader Deborah Mack of Irvington, N.Y., has brought New York coyotes into better focus. Her project captured first place in the 2008 Thacher Scholars Award competition.
Joining Mack as recipients of this year's award -- given to secondary school students demonstrating the best use of geospatial technologies or data to study Earth -- are Scott Elder of Chino Hills, Calif., and Arielle Alpert of Livingston, N.J.
The Thacher Scholars Award is given annually by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) as part of its effort to engage and inspire the next generation of Earth scientists.
"Through the Thacher Scholars competition, IGES is motivating and rewarding students' enthusiasm for learning about the Earth," said Theresa Schwerin, IGES associate director for education. "The contest is also furthering their ability to design and communicate creative approaches to environmental issues using 21st century technologies. Deborah, Scott and Arielle all did an outstanding job on their projects and I'm very proud of their work."
Mack's project, "Mapping Coyote Habitat Suitability in Suburban Westchester County, New York Using Surveys," is particularly relevant in light of the state's growing coyote population and more frequent run-ins between coyotes and people across the country.
Mack distributed questionnaires to elementary, middle and high school students in southern Westchester County, asking for reports of coyote sightings within the last three years. The response data, from more than 1,500 participants, was imported into a geographic information system (GIS) to determine distances between coyote sightings and significant geographic features.
A statistical analysis then showed the distances to forests and grasslands as the best predictors of where to find a coyote, and the distances to high- and medium-intensity developments as the best predictors of where not to find a coyote. The results of the study are intended to help with management of the coyote population and to reduce potential conflicts between people and coyotes.
Mack receives a cash award of $2,000.
"I learned about the complexity of developing a study and gathering the necessary data in order to test the hypothesis. It was fascinating to uncover the significance of the data using GIS," said Mack, who plans to attend Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, starting this fall. "I'm hoping to continue science research and major in biology."
Elder, an 11th-grader at Chino Hills High School, captured second place for the second year in a row, this time with his study titled, "Impact of Urbanization on Creek Ecology and Pollution." Elder used NASA and IKONOS satellite imagery to examine the influence of urbanization on the size, flow and vegetation of creeks in the Chino hills watershed, and to identify locations from which to collect water samples. Water sample analysis showed the effects of pollution on water quality, clarity and velocity.
Elder receives a cash award of $1,000.
"It's amazing how we can locate environmental problems from space and then have the ability to analyze the data to solve environmental problems on Earth,Ó said Elder. "This means we can more efficiently locate and clean polluted areas É and also prevent pollution in the future."
Elder will begin his freshman year this fall at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where he plans to major in environmental biology.
Alpert, a 12th-grader at Livingston High School, took third place with her paper, "Impact of El Niño on Hurricane Development through Barotropic Flow: Utilization of Geopotential Height Fields." Using satellite observations of hurricanes and other historical environmental data, Alpert concluded that El Niño inhibits hurricane formation in the Atlantic Ocean by altering wind patterns about 18,000 feet high in the atmosphere.
Alpert plans to pursue a degree in environmental Earth sciences at Johns Hopkins University starting this fall. "There are many more discoveries to be made, and I feel I can contribute to the scientific community because of my fascination in learning about the environment," said Alpert, who receives a cash award of $500.
Each of the winning students' teachers will be recognized with $200 gift cards from Amazon.com.
The Thacher Scholars Award was founded in honor of former IGES board member Peter S. Thacher, an internationally recognized leader in promoting the use of satellite remote sensing. During a distinguished career, he served as deputy director of the U.N. Environment Program, as an advisor to NASA and, at the time of his death in 1999, as president of the Earth Council Foundation-U.S.
Geospatial technologies and data have numerous uses in science research, ranging from climate prediction to archaeology. They can be used to improve our understanding of the Earth system, including interactions among the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere. They can also be used to improve the quality of our lives by supporting weather prediction, natural hazards monitoring, agriculture, land-use planning, coastal management, transportation, public health, emergency response and other fields.
For more information on the Thacher Scholars Award, please visit http://www.strategies.org/ThacherScholars.
CONTACT
Dan Stillman
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
(703) 312-7138 (Phone)
(703) 312-8657 (FAX)
Email: dan_stillman@strategies.org