Middle School - Challenge 3 - Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

GRADES 6 to 8 | 2025-2026

Challenge 3: Native Plant Network – Pollinator Garden

IMPORTANT NOTE: Registration for this Challenge is now closed and no more schools will be accepted to participate in this Challenge for this school year (there is always next year though!) If you have any questions or concerns regarding this, please email challenge@fairchildgarden.org.

YOUR CHALLENGE:

Join Fairchild’s Native Plant Network – the local citizen science program that mobilizes South Florida residents and students to preserve and restore South Florida’s native ecosystems! This year, give your schoolyard an ecological boost by planting native pollinator plants that increase biodiversity, support plant reproduction, and provide essential food and habitat for vital pollinators at your school. Those that participated in last year’s middle school garden challenge can add these plants into their existing garden or can plant them in a different location.

Fairchild will provide you with bags of mulch and a set of medium-sized native plants to care for throughout the school year while you research the ecological benefits of local native pollinator plants. You will receive nectar plants to feed pollinators and host plants for butterflies to lay their eggs. Take what you learn while tending these plants and put together a student-led guided tour that shares your experience and explain why pollinator plants are important additions to the schoolyards of South Florida. Then, in Spring 2026, Fairchild staff will visit your school to tour your native pollinator plant garden and hear what you’ve learned through your guided tour.

Download information as one page with lesson plan

✓ Submission Requirements:
	Optional Virtual Teacher Workshop (highly recommended) with Fairchild’s Native Plant Network facilitators on September 17, 2025 from 5:30-6:30pm
	Plant and material pick up week – October 11-12, 2025
	On-site student presentation describing your experience planting and maintaining your pollinator garden. Your students’ presentation should also describe the long term and short term ecological, economic, and social benefits of adding these pollinator plants to your school.
	Mandatory Digital Entry Form. The Fairchild Challenge team will reach out only to teachers who have completed this form to set up their school’s judging visit.
	One submission per school.
	On-time entry form submission. Late submissions will NOT be accepted due to scheduling needs for judging.

CHALLENGE RESOURCES:

Important Dates

Register to participate in this Challenge by: September 12, 2025

Optional Virtual Teacher Workshop: September 17, 2025 from 5:30-6:30pm

Plant and Mulch pick up at Fairchild:
Saturday and Sunday, October 11-12, 2025 *Plants will be 12-36″ in size at pickup and you will receive 3 bags of mulch (please plan accordingly)

Schedule your Garden’s Judging Visit by submitting Digital Entry Form by: January 30, 2026

Native Plant Garden Judging:
March 2-13, 2026