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Christine is involved in the Science Club, the 4-H Club, her school bands, the California Gymkhana Association and the Mill Creek Riders. Christine says, "I want to become a veterinarian, because it is rewarding to help sick or injured animals." Her mentor is veterinarian Dr. True. When Christine's horse was diagnosed with dryland distemper, Dr. True taught her how serious the disease was and how to care for the horse's wounds, and she nursed the horse back to health.
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Although residents of Christine's town, Wonder Valley, CA, have serious mosquito problems, they refuse to use chemical deterrents for fear of harming their livestock. After hearing how local Native Americans used the natural poison in the buckeye plant for several different purposes, including catching fish, Christine decided to test the effects of buckeye poison on mosquito development.
Christine chose buckeye poison because it is native to Wonder Valley and the livestock tend to naturally avoid it. While blending buckeye blossoms with store-bought spring water, Christine mixed four different strengths of "buckeye poison." After placing one mosquito egg in each container, she observed and recorded mosquito development for six days. Christine concluded that all strengths of buckeye poison, even the weakest amount, had some negative effect on mosquito development. Therefore, any amount of buckeye poison in vernal pools could help Wonder Valley residents eliminate or reduce their mosquito problem.
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