by Brandon Kreusch

Three freshmen at Woodbridge High School are taking Smokey the Bear seriously.

For freshmen Samantha Sypniewski, Joshua Trivino, and Noah Wiggins, it all began with the eCYBERMISSION, an initiative offered by the Army Educational Outreach Program, or AEOP, to give students the opportunity to discover science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, also known as STEM programs.

The trio, who are in Ms. Clarke’s science research class, found a way to help reduce the chances of forest fires. Sypniewski came up with the idea and the others enthusiastically agreed. Ms. Clarke then dubbed the trio Smoke Signal, “Commonly interpreted as a warning sign of a fire, the name seemed to fit with our project perfectly,” explained Sypniewski.

Smoke Signal took two beakers filled with an equal amount of fertile soil then saturated each with 50 milliliters of water. One beaker had 50 milliliters of hydrogel crystals on top, an extremely absorbent gel that can hold over 90% water.

Both beakers were exposed to temperatures at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for several minutes. Afterwards, it was discovered that the experimental beaker with hydrogel had a higher soil saturation and a lower surface temperature when compared to the control beaker, meaning that the hydrogel kept the soil cooler and wetter, just as Smoke Signal had hypothesized.

Smoke Signal won first place in New Jersey in the eCYBERMISSION for their experiment. “We didn’t expect it,” Trivino said. “This was our first year trying [the eCYBERMISSION], so it was unexpected. It was remarkable. It was just amazing overall.”

Ms. Clarke, however, was confident in her students from the beginning. “I had very high expectations of my students. I knew that their hypothesis and their research that they had done was very sound… I knew that they would be successful.”

All three members of Smoke Signal expressed interest in continuing their experiments with hydrogel and soil. Sypniewski said, “Essentially we plan to improve and perfect our methodology so that one day, our testing will prove to be an effective defense against wildfires across the nation.”

In addition to continuing their research with hydrogel, the three victors will also begin new projects. Samantha Sypniewski wants to find a way to use the surface tension of water to power boats. Joshua Trivino plans on looking into the effects that subliminal messages have on the mind. Finally, Noah Wiggins will be using yeast and its properties for experiments.

Now that the experiment is over, Wiggins said, “I really enjoyed working with Sam and Josh. It was a real pleasure. It was a good experience.” As long as this trio is on the case, Smokey will be able to rest a little easier.