7 Area Students Win in State Science Fair

Lucas Baumbach knew that his award-winning field study would be greeted with skepticism: The Los Angeles River is a very important plant habitat? Really? “I’ve gotten a lot of reactions like that,” the Notre Dame High School junior said.

Skepticism notwithstanding, Lucas, 17, for eight months studied one of the two unpaved areas of the river--in the Sepulveda Basin at Balboa Lake--and found the habitat full of arroyo willow, a bamboo species, scarlet monkey flowers, water hyacinth, white sweet clover and the common sunflower.

More significantly, the Sherman Oaks resident found that the intricate willow root system is “a key to prevent erosion,” even though the Army Corps of Engineers is concerned that the uncemented parts of the river could erode during winter rain torrents.

For his research, Lucas took home a first-place award in the high school plant biology category of the California State Science Fair, a medal and a $500 check.

The research came naturally to Lucas, who said his life aspiration as a child was to become the queen’s gardener. “Plants are really interesting to me,” he said. “My family is Dust Bowl immigrants, rural people with lush gardens. Plants are a big part of my life.”

Lucas was one of seven students from Valley schools who won first- or second-place honors at the fair Monday and Tuesday. Sponsored by the California Museum of Science and Industry, some 906 state students competed for awards and a total of $40,000 in prize money.

Other Valley high school winners were Chaminade College Preparatory School’s James Wedewer and Brent Shockley; and North Hollywood High School’s Kevin Shapiro.

Middle school winners were Chamlian Armenian School’s Hrach Simonian; Oakwood Secondary School’s Jessica Schwartzberg, and Chaminade Middle School’s Taylor Ettema.