Saving Birds with a Science Fair Project February 18, 2009

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There are some people out there that make you sit up and take notice of what they're doing. Charlie Sobcov from Ottawa, Ontario, is one of those people. At just 13-years-old, Charlie is already making a big difference in the lives of others—specifically in the lives of birds. We're giving him a "Compassionate Creation" award—check out my Q & A with him below to find out why.

Why did you decide that you wanted your Science Fair project to help birds?
I decided that I would like to do a science fair project on something that interests me, and I am fascinated with birds. However, there are many bird species with their general population in a decline, and so for my project, I wanted to do something about it. When I found out that window strikes account for such an enormous number of bird deaths, I thought that if I could create something to help the birds see the windows, that every person who would use my decal would be helping to contribute in a positive way to reducing bird deaths.

How does your decal work? Does it differ from other products out there?
How it works is, I painted a sort of electrostatic vinyl (called transflexcast) with an invisible UV paint. The paint looks invisible to humans, but it is visible to birds, because they have quadchromatic vision. This means that they can see four spectrums of light, while we see only three (called trichromatic). I have been field testing my product with many volunteers over the past month with very positive results. I have been making improvements to the decals as a result of information gathered by my research participants.

Are there any other animal-related issues that are important to you (like not testing personal care items on animals, not wearing fur, etc.)?
Last year, I had to do an interest talk on something that mattered to me, and I chose to do my talk on shark finning, and how it is really wrong. I was inspired by the movie Sharkwater, which is a documentary that exposes the horrendous reality of this issue. Poachers are using longlines to bait sharks, then they cut off their fins and toss them back into the ocean to perish. This is an extremely lucrative business due to the popularity of shark fin soup. I was selected to present my speech to the entire senior school. Most people were unfamiliar with this issue and many people were as horrified as I was. I would never wear fur, or wear products that are tested on animals. I love nature, and being outdoors, and I am an avid kayaker/canoeist. From my father, who is a chef, I have learned a lot about eating locally and responsibly. My previous science fair projects have included: oil spills effect on birds, improving algae growth rates (for biodiesel), and the stupidity behind the vast number of water bottles filling up landfills, when most people can't tell the difference between bottled and tap water.

Is there any advice you have for other students your age who don't necessarily believe yet that one person can make a difference?
If you don't try to make a difference, nothing will ever happen. Try to do something on a topic that you love, and start small. Most people have been so helpful and positive towards my project. It is amazing how many great people there are out there.

Isn't Charlie great?

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