| Biography |
|---|
| Varsha Jayasankar is a grade 8 student at Power Glen Public School in St. Catharines, Ontario. She was born in the US, before moving to Canada in 2002. She is a proud CIA (Canadian-Indian-American). Her major interest is our environment, the central theme of her science fair projects since grade 6. Varsha’s efforts helped her win the Elementary Age Environmentalist award in the Niagara region in 2009. She is in numerous philanthropic activities such as the Vow of Silence 2009, We Day 2009 and fund-raising to facilitate eye surgeries to the less-fortunate in India. This year, Varsha won gold at the NRSEF enabling her for the CWSF. In 2008, she was a finalist for the St.Catharines Standard’s “Great Kids” Award. Varsha has been playing the piano, winning multiple awards at the St. Catharines Kiwanis Music Festival. She is an avid swimmer, preparing to be a lifeguard, recently earning her Bronze Cross. Varsha maintains a straight-A report card, while being part of the robotics, Science Olympics and flag rugby teams among others. Her hobbies include painting, drawing, graphic design and music editing. |
| Varsha Jayasankar
Holy Cali, Got Metal?
| Division: | Life Sciences | | Category: | Junior | | Region: | Niagara | | City: | St. Catharines, ON | | School: | Power Glen E.S. | | Abstract: | This project explored whether common garden plants can accumulate plants from soils. Three plants were used (Tomato, Petunia, and Calibrachoa) and observed if they could accumulate lead, mercury and arsenic. Out of the three plants, Calibrachoa accumulated high concentrations of lead to qualify as a hyperaccumulator and moderate concentrations of mercury. It is one of the first non-transgenic terrestrial plants to accumulate mercury. |
| Awards | Value | The University of Western Ontario Scholarship
Bronze Medallist - $1000 Entrance Scholarship
Sponsor: University of Western Ontario | $1 000.00 | Bronze Medal - Life Sciences
Junior
Sponsor: Pfizer Canada | $300.00 | | Total | $1 300.00 | |
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