The Berlin InvenTeam presented their solution for a Cave Monitoring System at Demo Day X, hosted by Project Invent in New York City. They designed the system to monitor the health and population of bats in caves and specifically to detect the presence of white nose syndrome.
After their presentation on Friday, May 31st, the team received the Explorer Award, which highlights a group that prioritized learning throughout the design process, and a monetary award of $500.00.
Berlin InvenTeam members: Owen Lowery, Curtis Hurd, Tamaz Devine, Dederick Bolt, Markell Popov, Nate Mace, and Kaylee Ferrain, advised by their Coach BMHS Technology teacher, Mrs. Dawn Wetmore, created the cave monitoring system to aid in the research of bats in the local Bentley Cave of Berlin, NY.
White nose syndrome was devastating to the bats in the Bentley Cave in recent years, and since 2006 is estimated to have killed millions of bats in eastern North America, and is capable of killing an entire colony of bats during hibernation.
The students’ design was inspired by a visit from Mr. Jonah Spivak, Bentleys Cave Preserve Co-Manager, arranged by BMHS Art teacher Mrs. Shannon DeCelle, last school year. Read more about Mr. Spivak’s visit here:
According to the Project Invent’s website, “Demo Day X is a milestone event in every Project Invent student’s journey. These events, hosted every Spring, provide students with an opportunity to showcase their creativity, receive feedback from experts, and potentially win funding to expand the impact of their inventions.”
The InvenTeam did an excellent job presenting their solution at the Project Invent competition. They competed against nine high school teams from around the country and received one of the four awards issued.
Congratulations to this year’s Berlin InvenTeam for their hard work and innovative community oriented design.
Demo Day X Photos: Anna Kuzmina, Project Invent
Berlin Lab Photos: BCSD Communications