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
| ✓ Submission Requirements: |
| | Mandatory In-person Teacher Workshop on September 14, 2024 from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. **If you cannot make it to the mandatory in-person workshop but would still like to participate in this Challenge, please reach out to the Challenge team at challenge@fairchildgarden.org |
| | Original hand-drawn or digital infographic. Your infographic should contain some brief background information contextualizing the infographic (no more than 2 – 3 sentences), depict the shift in regional temperature and must contain at least two images (can be photos taken by students, public domain images, clip art, and/or icons), one graph and a title. Graphic design software can be used but please do not use AI generation. |
| | The infographic must be no larger than 8.5” by 11”. |
| | Infographic must include the students’ first names, last initials, grade(s) and school name on the bottom right corner.
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| | Optional data sheet (for 50 bonus points if the data sheet is completed by March 14, 2024) |
| | Digital Entry Form. - Your infographic should be uploaded as a PDF file in this form.
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| | Two submissions per school. |
| | On-time submission. Late submissions will be accepted with a reduction in points. |
CHALLENGE RESOURCES:
