IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to the need for materials given by Fairchild and a significant commitment toward this scientific venture, only registered schools that had at least one teacher attend the MOP workshop or have express written permission from the Challenge Team may participate in this Challenge. Registration is now closed and no more schools will be accepted for this school year (there is always next year though!). If you have any questions or concerns regarding this, please email challenge@fairchildgarden.org.

Participating schools — You received 5 Encyclia tampensis (the orchid with the thin, long leaves that is native to South Florida) and 5 Myrmechophila (the orchid with the rounder, shorter leaves that is native to the Caribbean). Care sheets and a video on how to attach an orchid to a tree are found in the resources below.

YOUR CHALLENGE:

Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released new information related to Miami’s progressively warmer winters of the last decade. According to their research, the types of plants that thrive in Miami may have changed, and plants adapted to warmer temperatures may now be able to grow in South Florida.

To study this, you will join Fairchild’s Million Orchid Project –  a massive student driven conservation experiment that addresses important questions related to the propagation and repopulation of native orchids in the environment. 

For your challenge, you will investigate how these changes may be affecting orchid growth by comparing the growth of South Florida’s native orchids and Caribbean orchids found in warmer latitudes. You will follow research protocols to experiment with orchids from both regions, then create an infographic easily understood by a public audience that highlights one of your findings. The winning entry will be displayed at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden to educate its visitors. Schools that complete their school’s data sheet by the deadline with be awarded a bonus 50 points. Download PDF for this info on one page

CHALLENGE RESOURCES:

• • Mandatory In-person Teacher Workshop – September 14, 2024 from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. 
  • Demonstration on how to attach an orchid to a tree
  • Orchid Care Sheets
  • 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map | USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
  • The Million Orchid Project website 
  • STEM Literacy through Infographics
  • How to create an infographic 
  • How to create an infographic 2