If you strolled through Los Altos Hills’ Byrne Preserve this summer, you may have stumbled across Los Altos High School sophomore Farida Abdelhak at work alongside a trail. The Los Altos resident spent part of her break identifying invasive species for a research project studying the impact of walking trails in local preserves.
She told a roving reporter who passed by that volunteering in the preserve to remove invasive plants spurred her interest, particularly as she learned about visitors potentially introducing contaminants – like Sudden Oak Death – and foreign seeds on their shoes.
“With all the merits the trails bring us, we sometimes fail to look at their downfalls,” she said. “I hope my research can shine a light on the impact of the trails and possibly spark a push for less distributive trails and education on how we as a community can protect our preserves.”
Abdelhak added, “As a kid, I didn’t spend much time in nature since nature-related activities weren’t popular in Egypt, where I grew up. Despite this, I was always fascinated by nature, whether it was a flower in the park or the way the Nile river flowed when I went on boat rides.” She credited a school visit to Yosemite with catalyzing that interest once she moved here.
Did your household host a summer inquiry or creative project worth sharing? Email reporter Eliza Ridgeway with the details at [email protected].
