Gayatri Sakharkar
2026 National Youth Climate Activism Video Entry
Gayatri is a 15 year old from Alberta.
Gayatri Sakharkar's passion for protecting the environment began at a young age through a love of nature documentaries. Fascinated by the natural world, she spent countless hours imagining herself as a scientist studying ecosystems, analyzing samples, and discovering new species. Those early experiences helped spark a lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship.
One of the most influential moments in Gayatri's environmental journey came during a trip to India when she was eight years old. Visiting during monsoon season, she witnessed severe flooding firsthand. While the experience was initially frightening, it also opened her eyes to the connections between environmental degradation, rapid urbanization, and climate change. The experience inspired her to learn more about the challenges facing our planet and how she could help make a difference.
Today, Gayatri channels that passion into environmental research, education, and community engagement. Through her science fair projects, she develops practical solutions to environmental challenges while encouraging others to become involved in sustainability efforts.
In 2024 and 2025, Gayatri developed an innovative water filtration system using wetland plants. Her project received numerous awards and earned her the opportunity to present at the Canada-Wide Science Fair, where she received a silver medal and several prestigious scholarships. Building on that success, she is now developing a novel biodegradable plastic designed for agricultural applications. Her work earned her an Ingenious+ Award and a $1,000 grant, which she is using to further develop and refine her prototypes. In 2026, she returned to the Canada-Wide Science Fair to present her latest research on the national stage.
Bye-Bye Blooms!
This project focuses on creating a low-cost solution to nutrient pollution in freshwater bodies. These excess nutrients cause algae to grow too fast, depleting the oxygen in the water and creating “dead zones” where fish and aquatic life cannot survive. Nutrient pollution also creates public health concerns, such as baby blue syndrome. The solution is a floating wetland system inspired by natural wetlands. It incorporates plants and activated charcoal to clean harmful nutrients before the damage. However, upfront, these systems can be costly. This project focuses on creating a floating wetland with low-cost input materials, potentially helping the problem of eutrophication.
View Gayatri’s full project board on Youth Science Canada
An affordable wetland system built as a simple, modular grid made from plastic waste, allowing plants to continuously absorb nutrients as they grow and reproduce.
Beyond scientific research, Gayatri is passionate about inspiring environmental action among her peers. In 2026, she organized a school-wide oil spill challenge in which students competed to design effective filtration systems using simple materials. The event helped raise both awareness of environmental issues and enthusiasm for science-based solutions within her school community.
Gayatri also serves on the Youth Advisory Council for the Food Discovery Foundation, where she is helping develop a sustainable food packaging curriculum for students. Through this work, she encourages young people to think critically about consumer choices and the environmental impacts of everyday products.
Follow Bhumii Initiatives on IG.
A major part of Gayatri's environmental journey is Bhumii Initiatives, a youth-led project she founded to connect environmental awareness with Indian arts and culture. In early 2026, she hosted her first Indian classical music concert, providing a platform for more than 20 performers while highlighting the connections between nature and artistic expression. After each performance, Gayatri shared how the music reflected elements of the natural world, from the beauty of the night sky to the strength of mountains. The event concluded with a community activity featuring simple environmental actions that participants could incorporate into their daily lives, reinforcing the idea that small actions can contribute to meaningful collective change.
Most recently, Gayatri was recognized as a finalist for the 2026 Youth of Distinction Awards in the Environment category. While she appreciates the recognition, she says her motivation comes from a deeper sense of responsibility to the natural world.
Video bookmarked at Gayatri’s award profile.
Bye-bye plastic mulch. CYSF award winners here.
Development of a biodegradable mulch film in order to reduce microplastic pollution in soil and replace current biodegradable films which have been deemed to be unsafe. View Gayatri’s full project board on CYSF HERE.
Biodegradable agricultural plastic
"Nature has given me and the rest of the world so many things, and I aim to give back to it as much as possible."
~ Gayatri Sakharkar
Through scientific innovation, environmental education, and creative community engagement, Gayatri is helping inspire the next generation of environmental leaders while demonstrating that meaningful change can begin with a single idea, project, or conversation.
As part of the submissions application we asked participants to answer these 3 questions in addition to their essay or video.
What future goals do you have around your environmental and climate work, and do you have any future projects in mind?
Recently, being selected as an Ingenious+ regional award winner, I have been given the opportunity to directly reinvest that money into my innovations. Through further research and development of my various prototypes, I aim to make school kits, making my environmental innovations accessible and informative to young children.
In addition, I will also continue work on Bhumii Initiatives. Through additional concerts, events, showcases, and upcoming Indian poetry and painting showcases, I aim to reach as many people as possible. My long-term goal with this initiative is to build a space where culture, arts, and the environment come together to make a meaningful impact. I want to inspire and raise awareness to make the world a more sustainable place.
Ultimately, I want to empower others, especially youth, to see themselves as “people of power.” We often believe that, as individuals, it is impossible to make a meaningful impact on society so we overlook ourselves. Whether it is inspiring younger students to conduct science fair projects of their own, or raising awareness through events under Bhumii Initiatives, I aim to change that perspective through inspiration and awareness.
If you could share one message of hope for your community, what would it be? Briefly explain why you would choose this message.
“Don’t limit yourself, you have more power than you expect.”
As someone who does science fairs and runs a youth-led initiative, I never thought it would be possible for “someone like me” to achieve what I have today.
For example, when I was trying to create a bioplastic for my project this year, I thought that I would not be able to do anything without access to a lab. Initially, this was disappointing. But, later, I figured out how I would be able to conduct all my experiments at home. Now, I am representing my city at the national science fair!
This just proves that, especially as youth, we need to take initiative and be resourceful. Even though it seems hard, with enough persistence it is possible to reach our goals and we don’t have to wait. We have the power to achieve great heights within us.
Who or what inspires you to work on climate change?
My inspiration for climate activism stems from my love for the environment. I have been passionate about nature since I was a young child, being heavily invested in environmental shows and documentaries. Later, I saw the devastating impact of climate change when I went to India at the age of eight. Seeing the impact of environmental strain firsthand transformed my curiosity into concern, and eventually into purpose.
Over time, that initial concern evolved into something more meaningful. Through my work in science fairs, including the opportunity to attend at the national level, I realized that the environment had not only inspired me but it had also opened doors to some of the most significant experiences of my life. I met mentors, built lasting friendships, and discovered how innovation can create real impact.
Furthermore, after I hosted my first environmental concert through Bhumii Initiaitves, it was so inspiring to see how the deep bond between Indian classical music and the environment allowed people to connect and learn.
Today, I am driven by a sense of responsibility: to give back to the same environment which gave me so much.