A high school student from Guelph, Ontario, is set to compete in 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 her Grade 10 project has taken her on.
Kira will join 400 other students in Edmonton at the Canada-Wide Science Fair later this month. Her experiment involved studying how squirrels react to different colors in a controlled backyard setting. The project stemmed from her family’s fondness for squirrels, which grew after they moved to Canada from Serbia in 2014.
Curious about how squirrels perceive the world, Kira discovered that these animals have dichromatic vision, similar to dogs. While dogs can distinguish between blue and yellow but struggle with red and green, squirrels seem to be more attracted to red and yellow hues based on Kira’s findings. This challenged her initial assumption and could have practical implications in wildlife rehabilitation centers.
Transforming her backyard into a testing ground, Kira set up pots of various colors, monitored squirrel interactions with a GoPro camera, and analyzed their preferences across multiple trials. The experiment revealed that squirrels favored red and yellow over other colors, contrary to Kira’s original hypothesis.
Kira’s dedication to her project earned her a spot in the national science fair after excelling at her school’s fair and the regional competition. Beyond her scientific pursuits, Kira is actively involved in charitable initiatives and extracurricular activities at her school. She expressed her growing interest in STEM fields and her aspirations for a future career in engineering or medicine.
Looking ahead to the Canada-Wide Science Fair, Kira is eager to showcase her research and explore new opportunities outside of Ontario. Despite the scientific rigor of her study, Kira remains enamored by the charm of squirrels, emphasizing that they are “adorable creatures” that continue to captivate her.