by Brian Orr
LA JUNTA- Future scientists from Walsenburg, La Veta and Gardner showed up and dominated the 13th Arkansas Valley Regional Science Fair last Friday and Saturday. A total of 84 students from ten school districts competed, but a full 51 of them were from Huerfano County.
When the awards were announced on Saturday afternoon, Huerfano students took ribbons and medals in first, second and third place in such areas as botany, chemistry, physics, engineering and zoology. Kids as young as first grade managed to beat the competition and bring home ribbons.
Some of the standout projects were Casey Campbell’s board discussing Phytoremediation of Coal Bed Methane Water, which won first place in environmental sciences and also came in as the top project in the junior division. Other big winners were Carlos Nunez and Devon Enke of La Veta taking first place in behavioral science and botany divisions.
In all, eight students- Ashton Rinker, Anne Rowland and Sarah Wilson of Gardner and Casey Campbell, Devon Enke, Carlos Nunez, Stephanie Sardello and Steven Garcia of La Veta qualified for taking their projects to the state science fair in Ft. Collins in April.
