California student wins animal welfare award for solar-powered bird monitoring project
Pooja Verma developed bird boxes that use infrared cameras to photograph nesting birds every three minutes.
Pooja Verma, a student from Fremont, California, has secured a first-place award in the 36th annual ‘A Voice for Animals’ contest, according to the Times of India.
The competition was organised by the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and the Humane Education Network. Verma launched a nonprofit called Eco Innovate to create bird boxes equipped with LED infrared cameras and solar-powered microprocessors.
These devices take photos of nesting birds, such as tree swallows, at three-minute intervals. The project aims to gather data on mating, nesting, and migratory patterns to assist in tracking bird populations.
Verma has already brought the project to 10 local schools, where Eco Innovate distributed the boxes and held workshops to teach students about designing and programming the technology. The organisation intends to expand the initiative across California and the rest of the country.
The contest received over 500 entries from students globally. Regina Terlau-Benford, the AWI Humane Education Program director and contest co-manager, said the winners provided actionable insights to address animal-related problems.
Verma was one of seven first-place winners. Other top honourees included Charlotte He from New York, Esma Mine Ersoy from Turkey, Naz Gul Ali Madad from Canada, Renari Frazier from Maryland, Aaryan Ghorpade from North Carolina, and Joveena Marian from Bengaluru.