Young scientists honoured after fair

More than 130 students from Grades 4 through 12 represented their schools this weekend at the 2010 Northwestern Ontario Regional Science Fair, which wrapped up Sunday with an awards ceremony honouring the competition's best young scientists.

Jordan Wentzell, 15, who studies through correspondence from the Seton Academy in Virginia, was this year's big winner in the senior category, taking home the best in fair award for his project titled Carbon Conquered Through Sea, Salt, and Sun.

Wentzell's design is used to take carbon dioxide out of the air. He says he stumbled upon the idea just over a year ago and has been working on the project ever since.

Wentzell's design uses solar energy to break up seawater, which in turn creates lye that can be used to take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere through reaction with the air.

Wentzell is now headed to the Canada-wide competition in Peterborough next month, along with Michael Yuan of St. Ignatius and Churchill's Paul Chen.

Grant Hughes of Pope John Paul the Second took home top spot among the juniors. Churchill's Sandra Dusolt won the Intermediate Competition.