Ernie Crossland Young Conservationist Award

Anne Bowman is a Grade 8 student who has been participating in the Simcoe County Regional Science Fair for the past 4 years. Each year she has focused on an earth and environmental science project. In 2024, she submitted a project on the use of activated charcoal to filter phosphorus from our lakes. The project was called “The Battle for Our Lakes: phosphorus vs. activated charcoal” and she proposed that activated charcoal will adsorb phosphorus out of water, and thus be able to take excess phosphorus out of lakes, rivers and ponds. This would be especially important as many lakes face elevated phosphorus levels due to agricultural fertilizer runoff entering the waterways, and too much phosphorus disrupts the lake ecosystem and leads to eutrophication, algae blooms and the death of fish. Anne proposed that this type of filtration could be part of the future Holland Marsh water treatment plant.

Through her exploration, she had a tour of a University of Toronto science laboratory with a professor and had a meeting with the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority’s Lake Doctor, Dr. Brian Ginn to talk about the challenges in Lake Simcoe. She won several awards at the Regional Fair, and was invited to attend the Canada Wide Science Fair as the County’s youngest delegate (grade 7, which is the minimum age to attend). Her project, revised and presented at the Canada Wide Science Fair earned her a silver medal and a scholarship award for Western University Science.

In 2025, Anne submitted a project on the use of graphene nanoparticles to increase the thermal conductivity of concrete in roadways. This project was called “The Road to a Greener Future: using graphene to increase the thermal conductivity of concrete” and she proposed that by creating an efficient heated roadway, road salt for winter maintenance would not be required. This would be especially important for roads like the Bradford Bypass that will go through the environmentally sensitive Holland Marsh. Her proposed solution could support both the economy and the environment. Anne won several awards at the Regional Fair and was again invited to attend the Canada Wide Science Fair.

Young people like Anne, are our future, and it’s incredibly inspiring to see someone so dedicated to finding solutions that protect our watershed.