Ben Blanchard, son of Barbara and Wayne Blanchard and an eighth grade student at Indian Valley Middle School, has won the 1994 Calvert Prize. This annual award recognizes the best insect-related science project entered in the Delaware Valley Science Fairs which were held this year at the Philadelphia Civic Center on April 20. The award is sponsored by The American Entomological Society, an organization based in Philadelphia.

Throughout the past year Ben Blanchard monitored the water quality at several sites in local streams by measuring the diversity and abundance of aquatic insects and other macro invertebrates. Using his knowledge of insect life cycles, preferred habitats, and pollution tolerance of these organisms, he concluded that the pollution had actually decreased since a 1967 study by Lehigh University.

Professor Harold White from the University of Delaware and Dr. Jon Gelhaus from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia judged the science projects for the American Entomological Society. Professor White said, "It is remarkable that an eighth grade student should walk away with the Calvert Prize considering that all students through senior high school were eligible. It really shows how outstanding this project was." Dr. Gelhaus also was impressed. "Ben's knowledge and interest in his project goes way beyond that of most students. It is not often we see a student who works through the summer and in the middle of winter on a project like this." The judges also noted that Ben was awarded an honorable mention for a related project in last year's competition.

Ben Blanchard received his award and displayed his project at the April 27 membership meeting of the American Entomological Society held at the Academy of Natural Sciences. Also present were his father and his sponsoring teacher, Mr. Richard Close. The Calvert Award included memberships in The American Entomological Society and the Young Entomologists' Society as well as a check for $50.

The Calvert Award honors Dr. Philip P. Calvert who joined the American Entomological Society as a teenager, later became its president, and was a member for 74 years until his death in 1961. He played an important role in stimulating interest in insects among young people through the Society, the Academy of Natural Sciences, and the University of Pennsylvania where he was a professor of biology. It is particularly appropriate that Ben Blanchard receive the Calvert Award this year because among the stream insects he studied were dragonflies, the group of insects Calvert studied most.