Two students at Midvale Middle are part of a group that has received the regional President’s Environmental Youth Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Trojans Abigail Slama-Catron and and Eric Snaufer, along with two others from the Beehive Science and Technology Academy, earned the prestigious award for their “Bionic Scarecrow” device, which was created with the aim of keeping birds away from nesting in the wetlands around the Salt Lake International Airport. 

Last Thursday, Acting Deputy Regional Administrator Suzanne Bohan visited the middle school to present the award to Midvale Middle’s Slama-Catron and Snaufer and Timothy Holt and Allison Drennan, who previously attended Sunrise Elementary and now attend Beehive Academy. The group of sixth-graders also demonstrated the award-winning project and answered questions from other students about their research and methods.

Superintendent Dr. Jim Briscoe also attended the award presentation and congratulated the students on their ingenuity and dedication.

“These student winners are exemplary leaders, committed to strong environmental stewardship and problem solving,” EPA Acting Deputy Regional Administrator Suzanne Bohan said. “Environmental education cultivates our next generation of leaders by teaching them to apply creativity and innovation to the environmental challenges we face as a nation. I have no doubt that students like these will someday solve some of our most complex and important issues.”

The Environmental Youth Award recognizes outstanding environmental education and stewardship projects from sixth- through 12th-grade students. Students from all 50 states and U.S. territories submit life-changing innovative projects to the EPA for consideration.

The region includes Utah, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming. Abigail also produced a winning Canyons District Film Festival film on the project.

See the students’ appearance on ABC4 “Good Morning Utah” during which they talked about the proejct.