A high school student from Guelph, Ontario, has qualified for a national science fair after conducting an experiment inspired by her family’s love for squirrels. Kira Egete, a 15-year-old student at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic High School, expressed her excitement about the unexpected journey that began as a Grade 10 assignment.
Kira will join 400 students at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Edmonton later this month, where participants have the opportunity to win scholarships and interact with peers who share their passion for science. Her fascination with squirrels started when her family moved to Canada in 2014, where they developed a deep appreciation for the animals.
Driven by her curiosity about how squirrels perceive the world, Kira’s experiment focused on studying squirrel vision and their response to different colors. She discovered that squirrels, like dogs, have dichromatic vision but may be more attracted to warmer colors such as red and yellow, contrary to her initial hypothesis based on dog vision studies.
Setting up a controlled experiment in her backyard, Kira placed pots of different colors, monitored squirrel interactions using a GoPro camera, and analyzed their preferences across multiple trials. Surprisingly, squirrels showed a preference for red and yellow colors over cooler tones like blue and green.
Kira believes her findings could have practical applications, such as using specific colors to encourage squirrel engagement or deter them from certain areas. Her project, which she later entered into her school’s science fair, earned her a spot at the regional competition and eventually led to her qualification for the national event in Edmonton.
Praised for her dedication and initiative, Kira’s project has not only showcased her scientific prowess but also highlighted her involvement in charitable activities and extracurricular pursuits at school. Despite her success in the competition circuit, Kira remains humble and continues to be fascinated by the adorable creatures that sparked her scientific exploration.
Looking ahead, Kira’s experience with the squirrel study has deepened her interest in STEM fields, possibly paving the way for a future in engineering, medicine, or entrepreneurship. As she prepares for the national science fair, Kira remains captivated by the charm of squirrels and the endless possibilities that science offers.
