NewRoFoundation

The relationship between soil and climate change intrigues New Rochelle High School senior Nina Peña, who visited seven state parks between Ithaca and Hyde Park to collect and analyze 28 soil samples. She created a novel statistical model to predict soil pH and determine the significance of each characteristic, understanding that soil acidity/basicity affects soil temperature, plant growth and ecosystems.

“My research showed that using statistical models is very helpful in highlighting specific soil factors’ roles in determining pH, which is information we can use to get closer to solving climate change,” explained Peña. She also found that the soil samples between the sites were more similar than she had expected.

Her mentor for the research project was 2020 NRHS alum Jacob Egelberg, who had participated in the District’s Science Research Program while in high school and currently attends Northeastern University.

While this is Peña’s fourth year in the program, it is the first time she has conducted hands-on research. “It was a very rewarding experience,” she explained, one that may lead her to study environmental science in college. “Being exposed to all of this information was really interesting.”