SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The discipline of earth sciences is in vital need of new blood to keep the geological engineering field afloat, according to Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada president Scott Jobin-Bevans and the association is using a contest to help get young people interested in joining the field.

Carson Asmundson, 11, in his backyard on Finlayson Drive North holds his jar full of pennies which is his inspiration for his project "Pennies:Copper in your pocket," on June 9. - Heather Lange/NNSL photo

Carson Asmundson, 11, definitely shows promise. Asmundson won $750 for the best research award in the age nine to 11 group during the third annual WHERE Challenge for his project titled "Pennies: Copper in your pocket."

The WHERE Challenge is endorsed by the Canadian Earth sciences community and sponsored by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists and the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada.

The challenge raises awareness about the importance of non-renewable resources and encourages young people to consider a career in earth sciences.

Asmundson found out last year about the challenge from Diane Baldwin, an employee at the NWT geoscience office and jumped right in, winning the regional challenge last year for his project on gold in iPods and then followed up with his winning copper project this year, a topic, he said he came upon by accident.

"I was looking in my room and notice a big penny jar and thought, 'Why not pennies?'" said Asmundson.

The eleven-year-old said he's considering heading into the earth sciences field when he grows up.

"It's interesting learning about the different substances in everyday materials," said Asmundson.

Asmundson is planning on using the $750 to buy an iPad because his brother has one and he has always wanted one.

Laura Clinton, manager of financial affairs at Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada, said there were 1,600 kids across Canada who entered the WHERE contest this year.

"We are thrilled with the results and there has been a great deal of interest in promoting the geological earth sciences," said Clinton.

Carson Asmundson was one of the regional challenge winners to qualify for the national best research award. Leif Blake, from Whitehorse, was the other regional winner for his entry about cars.

Joe Heimbach, a geologist at the Ekati Diamond Mine, was a judge for the WHERE contest. Heimbach learned some new things about copper himself from Asmundson's project.

"As a judge, I looked for technical content and interesting facts. It was so interesting I couldn't wait to read the next line. Even being a geologist who has worked in the copper field, I didn't know some of those facts. It was an excellent project, bottom line," said Heimbach.

Heimbach also echoed Jobin-Bevans sentiments about the difficulty in finding geological engineers in Canada, especially in the North.

"The geological engineer field is in a critical state right now and getting qualified people to work in the North is almost impossible," said Heimbach.

He said part of the problem is because of improved technology, there has been new fields created in geotechnical engineering.

"Geotechnical engineering was unheard of 20 years ago and now that they exist, they are in very high demand," said Heimbach.

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