Senior Kaitlyn Arst as a senior and representative of Daniel Pearl Magnet attracted the interest of the Bulletin of the Southern California Paleontological Society with her science project about the erosion of soil.

“It is really cool,” 18, smiling Arst said. “This is my first time my work is published.”

The magazine, which is published by the Southern California Paleontological Society, called Arst interested in her experiment. On May 22, her work was published on the organization’s website and she felt proud of her accomplishment. This was the first time she gets her work published. She has received numerous science awards. Just this year, Arst received four awards at the Los Angeles County Science and Engineering Fair. In March 2017, she was First Runner-Up at National History Day and received the Earthwatch Student Fellowship Shark Conservation in Belize, which allowed her to dive with sharks last summer.

Arst’s project provides information on how the erosion of soil caused by water can be solved. She explains how it can be reduced by using “biodegradable berm” to stop harsh winds. Plants often don’t maintain the proper amount of nutrients, as a result of eroded soil. Her project showcases how her analysis could help plants successfully grow and survive in such situations.

“With this experiment, I was able to find a way for healthy plants to be able to grow in harsh conditions,” Arst said.