On April 23 in Tartu, the final round of the national student research competition organized by the Estonian Research Council recognized the best research projects by young scientists in Estonia. The student projects supervised by Oliver Kalda and Krista Takkise are a good example of how meaningful guidance and dedicated research lead to high-level results and support young people’s interest in science.
Säde Kalda, supervised by Oliver Kalda, a Junior Research Fellow in Biodiversity and Ecological Sustainability at the Landscape Biodiversity Workgroup, participated in the competition with her research project “Mammals in the Saarde Wind Farm.” The project won the national second-place prize for the primary school level, a certificate of appreciation from the Estonian Academy of Sciences, and a special award from the Estonian Young Academy of Sciences. Among other things, the jury highlighted Säde Kalda’s impressively thorough research, for which the author reviewed 879 trail camera video recordings, identified species and their behavior, and linked the results of her fieldwork with clear analysis and practical conclusions that are valuable from both a natural science and a nature conservation perspective.
In the research competition, among the 300 submitted works, the project by Kääpa School student Marta Ruthe, titled “The Suitability of Traditional Habitats for Baltic Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza baltica) Populations,” supervised by Researcher of Restoration Ecology Krista Takkis, also reached the final round.
This study also demonstrates the significant contribution of supervisors affiliated with the University of Tartu to the development of young scientists and the promotion of science education.
You can read the summaries of all the competition entries here (in Estonian).
Congratulations!
