Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

GROWING BEYOND EARTH SCIENCE ACTIVATION FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS

FAIRCHILD TROPICAL BOTANIC GARDEN,FAIRCHILD IS PROPOSING TO DEVELOP, PILOT AND IMPLEMENT THE GROWING BEYOND EARTH CHALLENGE STEM EDUCATION PROGRAM,GB

FAIRCHILD TROPICAL BOTANIC GARDEN IS PROPOSING TO DEVELOP THE GROWING BEYOND EARTH (GBE) INNOVATION STUDIO A STEM EDUCATION MAKERSPACE TO ADDRESS NASAS CURRENT SPACE EXPLORATION OBJECTIVES CONCERNING FOOD PRODUCTION ABOARD SPACECRAFT. THE PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO LEVERAGE FAIRCHILD'S FORMAL PARTNERSHIP WITH NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (KSC) AND BUILD UPON THE GBE CHALLENGE NASA-FUNDED PROJECT NNX16AM32G. THE GBE INNOVATION STUDIO WILL FOCUS ON NASA TECHNICAL CONTENT AREA SPACE EXPLORATION AND NRA THEME/PRIORITY HUMAN EXPLORATION BEYOND LOW-EARTH ORBIT. AS NASA LOOKS TOWARD A LONG-TERM HUMAN PRESENCE BEYOND EARTH ORBIT THERE ARE SPECIFIC SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING AND MATH CHALLENGES RELATED TO FOOD PRODUCTION IN SPACE. WE PROPOSE TO HARNESS THE CREATIVITY AND TALENT WITHIN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY AND THROUGHOUT A NATIONAL NETWORK OF MAKERSPACES TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT MOONLIGHTER MAKERSPACE AND THE NATION OF MAKERS THE GBE INNOVATION STUDIO WILL ENGAGE BOTH REGIONAL AND NATIONAL AUDIENCES. PARTICIPANTS WILL INCLUDE STUDENTS FAMILIES AND CASUAL VISITORS WHO WILL MEET SOCIALIZE AND COLLABORATE ON PLANT SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS. TO GREATLY EXPAND THE REACH WE WILL INTEGRATE THE NATION OF MAKERSS NATIONAL NETWORK TO ENGAGE THE OPEN SOURCE MAKER COMMUNITY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DESIGN ENGINEERING AND PROGRAMMING OF EQUIPMENT. TOGETHER PARTICIPANTS WILL ADDRESS KEY CHALLENGES RELEVANT TO CURRENT NASA RESEARCH. THE KEY CHALLENGES IDENTIFIED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH KSC RESEARCHERS INCLUDE: (1) HOW TO EFFICIENTLY USE THREE DIMENSIONAL GROWING SPACE ABOARD SPACECRAFT; (2) HOW TO MAINTAIN PLANTS WITHOUT HUMAN INTERVENTION; AND (3) HOW TO DESIGN A ROBOTIC PLANTING AND HARVESTING SYSTEM. PROGRAMS WILL INCLUDE: (1) ENCOURAGING INNOVATION THROUGH STEM-BASED FIELD TRIP PROGRAMS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT COINCIDE WITH THE KEY CHALLENGES; (2) INSPIRING CREATIVITY BY PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS TO DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATE SOLUTIONS TO THE ANNUAL CHALLENGES (3) ENGAGING OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH OPEN SESSIONS IN THE STUDIO FOR GARDEN VISITORS TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES; (4) EXPANDING OUR REACH BY DISSEMINATING THE ANNUAL CHALLENGES THROUGH THE NATION OF MAKERS NATIONAL NETWORK OF MAKERSPACES; (5) DEVELOPING A NETWORK BY SPONSORING A SESSION AT THE ANNUAL NATION OF MAKERS CONFERENCE WHERE PARTICIPANTS CAN SHOWCASE THEIR SOLUTIONS TO THE ANNUAL CHALLENGE AND (6) COMMUNICATING IDEAS: BY HAVING PARTICIPANTS SHARE THEIR DESIGNS QUESTIONS AND DISCOVERIES THROUGH GOOGLE SCIENCE JOURNAL. THE PROJECT GOALS INCLUDE : (1) CREATING AN INNOVATIVE AND ACCESSIBLE RESEARCH FACILITY THAT WILL PROVIDE THE TOOLS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY TO ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTE TO ONGOING FOOD PRODUCTION AND BOTANICAL RESEARCH; (2) PROVIDING STEM FOCUSED EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO EXPERIMENT WITH SCIENTIFICALLY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AND CONTRIBUTE TO REAL-WORLD RESEARCH; (3) DEVELOPING A NATIONAL NETWORK OF PROFESSIONAL AND NON-PROFESSIONALS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DESIGN OF A GROWTH SYSTEM FOR USE ABOARD SPACECRAFT AND OTHER PLANETS. WITH FUNDING WE EXPECT THE FOLLOWING OUTCOMES: (1) PARTICIPANTS WILL UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR GROWING PLANTS IN SPACE BECOME AWARE OF ONGOING NASA PLANT SCIENCE RESEARCH AND BE INSPIRED TO PARTICIPATE; (2) CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WILL BECOME MORE INTERESTED IN STEM ACTIVITIES AND MORE CONFIDENCE IN CONDUCTING RESEARCH; (3) STUDENTS WILL STRENGTHEN RESEARCH SKILLS INCREASE BOTANY KNOWLEDGE AND IMPROVED APTITUDE TOWARDS STEM DISCIPLINES; (4) NASA RESEARCHERS WILL HAVE ACCESS TO ADDITIONAL USEFUL DATA AND DESIGNS TO SUPPORT THEIR RESEARCH EFFORTS.

THE FAIRCHILD TROPICAL BOTANIC GARDEN WILL CONDUCT THE MILLION ORCHID PROJECT AUTHENTIC STEM INITIATIVE TO PROVIDE INCLUSIVE AND ACCESSIBLE STEM LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR APPROXIMATELY 1,800 STUDENTS ANNUALLY FROM THE MOST DIVERSE AND UNDER-RESOURCED MIDDLE AND K-8 SCHOOLS IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY. THE INITIATIVE WILL USE THE FAIRCHILD'S STEMLAB - A MOBILE PLANT PROPAGATION LAB DESIGNED ESPECIALLY FOR SCHOOLCHILDREN ? TO BRING THE MUSEUM?S SPECIALIZED SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH TO YOUNG LEARNERS IN SOUTH FLORIDA NEIGHBORHOODS. STUDENTS AND TEACHERS WILL COLLECT AND ANALYZE SCIENTIFIC DATA, DEVISE RESEARCH QUESTIONS, AND TEST HYPOTHESES THAT WILL ADVANCE LOCAL CONSERVATION AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROPAGATION OF ENDANGERED ORCHIDS. STUDENTS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE STEM CAREERS THROUGH INTERACTIONS WITH FAIRCHILD BOTANISTS.

THE FAIRCHILD TROPICAL BOTANIC GARDEN WILL LEVERAGE ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER TO DESIGN, EQUIP, AND OPERATE AN INCLUSIVE AND INTERACTIVE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH WORKSPACE. THE NEW MAKERSPACE WILL PROVIDE VISITORS OF ALL AGES AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTRIBUTE TO IDENTIFYING SOLUTIONS TO FOOD PRODUCTION ISSUES. PREPARATION OF THE GROWING BEYOND EARTH INNOVATION STUDIO WILL INVOLVE EQUIPPING THE SPACE WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART TOOLS AND MATERIALS FOR DESIGNING AND MONITORING GROWING EXPERIMENTS, INSTALLING PLANT GROWING EQUIPMENT, AND FURNISHING THE SPACE TO MAXIMIZE EXPERIMENTATION, COLLABORATION, AND LEARNING. THE GARDEN WILL INVITE K-12 STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND CASUAL VISITORS TO COLLABORATE ON PLANT SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS, ALLOWING THEM TO ADDRESS QUESTIONS RELEVANT TO CURRENT NASA RESEARCH ON FOOD PRODUCTION ABOARD SPACECRAFT, AND WITHIN HABITATS ON THE SURFACE OF MARS.

THE FAIRCHILD TROPICAL BOTANIC GARDEN WILL IMPROVE THE DESIGN AND OUTCOMES OF ITS PROGRAMS BY DEVELOPING AN INSTITUTION-WIDE APPROACH TO EVALUATION. PROJECT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE CREATING AN EVALUATION STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH WILL IDENTIFY SHARED OUTCOMES; STAFF TRAININGS; AND DEVELOPING A RESOURCE LIBRARY WITH EVALUATION TOOLS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND VISITOR ATTITUDES AND DISPOSITIONS. TRAININGS, WHICH WILL BE CO-DEVELOPED BY STAFF AND A CONSULTANT, WILL GIVE STAFF THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TO CONDUCT EVALUATIONS THAT ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THE AGES, DIVERSITY, AND EXPERIENCES OF VISITORS. THE PROJECT WILL INCREASE THE STAFF’S ABILITY TO DESIGN EVALUATION PLANS, IMPLEMENT STUDIES, ANALYZE DATA, AND UTILIZE THOSE FINDINGS TO CONTINUALLY IMPROVE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE.

REINTRODUCING LISTED PLANTS TO PRIVATELY-OWNED PINE ROCKLANDS IN SOUTH FLORIDA

THE KEY OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO (1) IMPROVE STEM INSTRUCTION IN REMOTE-LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

21ST CENTURY MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS PROGRAM

FUNDS UNDER THIS AWARD ARE TO BE USED TO ADVANCE THE RECOVERY OF BEACH JACQUEMONTIA BY CONDUCTING HABITAT RESTORATION, POPULATION AUGMENTATION, AND MONITORING ACTIONS AS IDENTIFIED IN THE SPECIES RECOVERY PLAN. BE SUBSTANTIALLY INVOLVED IN OVERALL PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AS NECESSARY INCLUDING ALL PHASES OF PLAN DEVELOPMENT BY PROVIDING TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, CONSERVATION PLANNING GUIDANCE, AND PROJECT REVIEW AT CRITICAL MILESTONES. PARTICIPATE IN, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT POSSIBLE, ALL ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THIS PROJECT. MONITOR AND DOCUMENT PROJECT PROGRESS THROUGH PERIODIC MEETING ATTENDANCE AND/OR RECIPIENT PROGRESS REPORTING.

ENDANGERED SPECIES RECOVERY SUPPORT

DEVELOPING PROPAGATION PROTCOLS AND SEED BANK FOR SIERRA BERMEJA PLANTS: ARISTIDA CHASEAE, ARISTIDA PORTORICENSIS, LYONIA TRUNCATA VAR. PROTORI, AND

POST HURRICANE IRMA STATUS SURVEY OF GARBERS SPURGE AND CAPE SABLE THOROUGHWORT

POPULATION ASSESSMENTS OF THREE AT-RISK PLANT SPECIES USING HABITAT SUITABILITY MODELING ACROSS THE BIG CYPRESS NATIONAL PRESERVE

THESE EFFORTS WILL ENHANCE AND RESTORE AN INITIAL 4 ACRES OF ROCKLAND HAMMOCK THAT WAS RECENTLY IDENTIFIED AS HOLDING THE SECOND LARGEST FLORIDA BRISTLE FERN POPULATION IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FAIRCHILD TROPICAL BOTANIC GARDEN, ADDITIONAL LANDS AND PRIVATE LANDOWNERS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR RESTORATION EFFORTS. RESTORATION EFFORTS WILL INCLUDE THE REMOVAL OF INVASIVE SPECIES (I.E., SYNGONIUM PODOPHYLLUM, SCHEFFLERA ACTINOPHYLLA, ALSTONIA MACROPHYLLA) THROUGH HAND REMOVAL, MECHANICAL AND HERBICIDE TREATMENTS.

KEY TREE-CACTUS MONITORING, PROPAGATION AND REINTRODUCTION

FLORIDA BRISTLE FERN (FBF TRICHOMANES PUNCTATUM SSP. FLORIDANUM) IS FEDERALLY ENDANGERED AND KNOWN ONLY FROM MIAMI-DADE COUNTY (MDC) AND SUMTER COUNTY. THE RANGE OF THIS SMALL FERN HAS BEEN REDUCED BY 80% AND IS ESTIMATED TO ONLY COVER 12 M2 (130 FT2). FROM 2021-2023, A PHASE I PROJECT REFINED TRANSLOCATION METHODS, CLARIFIED POPULATION GENETICS, AND ADDED TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE TAXONS MICROHABITAT REQUIREMENTS. THIS PHASE II PROJECT INCLUDES CONTINUED MONITORING OF WILD MDC POPULATIONS AND ESTABLISHMENT AND MONITORING OF TRANSLOCATED POPULATIONS AT TWO MDC PRESERVES.

PROJECT TITLE: CESU SOFL- CONSERVATION OF THE ENDANGERED SARGENT PALM ON ELLIOTT KEYAWARD PURPOSE: THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO PROTECT AND CONSERVE THE STATE-ENDANGERED SARGENT PALM, WHOSE ENTIRE WILD POPULATION WITHIN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES IS LIMITED TO ELLIOTT KEY WITHIN BISCAYNE NATIONAL PARK.ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED:1) COMPLETE AN ISLAND-WIDE MAPPING SURVEY EFFORT TO LOCATE NEW INDIVIDUALS AND COLLECT DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, AND 2) AUGMENT THE WILD POPULATION BY OUTPLANTING SOME OF THE 100 NURSERY-REARED SPECIMENS OF ELLIOTT KEY PROVENANCE CURRENTLY IN THE FTBG NURSERY. FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF THE AGREEMENT, 20 TO 30 PLANTS WOULD BE TRANSPLANTED AND MONITORED, THEN THE PROCESS COULD BE REPEATED (WITH ADJUSTMENTS AS NEEDED, BASED ON MONITORING OF OUTPLANTS) IN THE SECOND YEAR.DELIVERABLES AND OR EXPECTED OUTCOMES: OUTCOMES EXPECTED TO BE ACHIEVED ARE THE COMPLETION OF AN ISLAND-WIDE SURVEY TO LOCATE AND MAP NEWLY DISCOVERED PLANTS AND THE OUTPLANTING OF AT LEAST 20 NURSERY-REARED SPECIES ONTO ELLIOTT KEY. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES IF KNOWN: N A

CONSERVATION ECOLOGIST; MONITORING CRABGRASS; EVERGLADES

MONITORING OF LONG TERM HAMMOCK VEGETATION PLOTS IN LONG PINE KEY, EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK

KEY TREE-CACTUS MONITORING, PROPAGATION, AND REINTRODUCTION OF THE SITE ANALYSIS

PINELAND CROTON SURVEY OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

REINTRODUCING ENDANGERED FLORIDA BRISTLE FERN TO APPROPRIATE MIAMI-DADE HABITAT, PHASE I

PROTECT AND RESTORE A WILD POPULATION OF AN ENDANGERED CACTUS SPECIES

15.945: COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND TRAINING PROGRAMS - RESOURCES OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM PROGRAMMING SUPPORTS A COMPREHENSIVE NETWORK OF COOPERATIVE STUDY UNITS THAT PROVIDE FULL GEOGRAPHIC AND TOPICAL COVERAGE FOR RESEARCH, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE RESOURCES WITHIN UNITS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM AND THEIR LARGER REGIONS THE STUDY UNITS FACILITATE MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCE AND INTEGRATED INFORMATION PRODUCTS ACROSS MULTIPLE GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM. THIS PROJECT PROVIDES A REPORT, SPATIAL DATA, AND PUBLISHED MANUSCRIPT FOR THE NPS ABOUT THE NEWLY DISCOVERED DOLLAR ORCHID AND ITS COOCCURRING MYCORRHIZAL ASSOCIATIONS WITHIN BIG CYPRESS NATIONAL PRESERVE (BICY). THIS PROJECT WILL DETERMINE THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE NEWLY DISCOVERED ORCHID, ALONG WITH UNDERSTANDING THE COMPARATIVE ECOLOGY BETWEEN BICY AND EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK.BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED INDIAN TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS, PUBLIC PRIVATE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, NONPROFIT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE OF THE FAIRCHILD ARCHIVES

NPS CESU MASTER COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT P18AC01420