Four win science fair offered by MDC

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) congratulates the following schools and students on winning its 2016 Discover Nature Schools Science Fair:

• Hurley Elementary School First Grade for "Plant Growth and Soils" in the Primary Category;
• Matthew Cook of Lincoln R2 Elementary for "Testing Two Types of Traps" in the Elementary Category;
• Amaya Marion of St. James the Greater for "Problematically Polluted Plants" in the Middle School Category; and
• Oakville High School for "Tanglevine Trail Resource Management Plan" in the High School Category.

MDC received 13 entries from nine schools with 108 students participating.

The winning project by Hurley Elementary first grade class of 19 students focused on which type of gardening soil would grow plants the best.

The winning project by third-grader Matthew Cook focused on whether a leg-hold trap or a dog-proof trap would catch more furbearers. (Matthew caught an equal number of opossums and raccoons in each.)

The winning project by Amaya Marion focused on how radish seeds grew with different levels of water acidity and pollutants.

The winning project by the Oakville High School Ecology Class focused on creating a resource management plan for the Tanglevine Trail, an area of conservation concern at MDC's Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center.

For more on Discover Nature Schools and the annual science fair, visit MDC online at mdc.mo.gov/education/discover-nature-schools.