Dade Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society

2007 George N. Avery Award

for
Senior High and Middle School
Soutth Florida Science & Engineering Fair Projects

The Dade Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society (DCFNPS) is pleased to announce the 2007 George N. Avery Award for qualifying student projects presented at the 53rd South Florida Science & Engineering Fair in the winter of 2007. 

The award, given in honor of George N. Avery, a self-taught native plant expert who was a mentor and friend to many local enthusiasts, consists of a $50 bookstore gift certificate and a one year subscription to the monthly DCFNPS Newsletter, Tillandsia.

The Avery prize is awarded to one or more Senior High and Middle School students annually for outstanding projects that enhance the student’s understanding of Florida’s native plants or plant communities.

In order to qualify for the Avery award, projects should be scientifically sound and appropriate for the student’s grade level. 

Further information on DCFNPS is available at the chapter’s web site, http://www.fnps.org/chapters/dade.

For questions or further information regarding the 2007 DCFNPS George N. Avery Award, please call 305-255-6404, or contact Allyn Golub (allyng@gate.net) or Lynka Woodbury (lwoodbury @fairchildgarden.org).

Past Avery Awardees:

1984: Jennifer Hoffman (South Dade High, Senior).  Relative habitat value of mangrove fringes and sea grass beds for a species of commercial shrimp.

1985: Alissa Grand (Highland Oak Junior High, 9^th Grade).  Effects of environmental. conditions on microfauna in the soil.

1986: Michael Fleming (Southwood Junior High).  Allelopathy in South Florida exotics.

1987:  none awarded

1988:  Michael Liberman.  Castellow Hammock - a 50-year study.

1989:  Jeff Tompkins.  Effects of tropical and subtropical climates on plants (part 1 of a 2-year study).

1990: (1) Michael Brooks.  Saltwater intrusion effect on freshwater plants.
         (2) Jeff Tompkins.  Effects of tropical and subtropical climates on plants (part 2 of 2-year study).

1991: none awarded

1992: (1) Virginia Dunn (Palmetto Middle School).  Do mangrove shoreline restorations enhance water clarity in shallow bays?
        (2) Emilio Travieso (Pinewood Acres).  Does the near-endangered Florida silver palm absorb water from sea spray through the undersides of its leaves?

1993: (1) Joshua Rosen (Glades Middle School).  For the birds - recreating a backyard biome.
         (2) Genie Oppenheimer (Carver Middle School).  Trees   that survived Hurricane Andrew.

1994: none awarded.

1995: James Hutson.  Survival of South Florida Slash Pine seedlings.

1996:  none awarded.

1997: Arielle Castillo (Carver Middle School).  Natural pesticides from native plants.

1998:Rebecca Panko (Coral Reef Senior High).  Pineland thousand hour fuels: How accurate are computer models?

1999:  (1) Kelley Lee.  (Coral Reef Senior High, 10^th Grade).  Salinity effects of salt water stress and UVB radiation on the flotation angle of the Red Mangrove propagule.
         (2) Lashunda Lynch (Miami Edison Middle School, 7^th Grade).  Stomatal adaptations in xeriphytic plants in the sand pine and scrub communities.

2000:  Marilyn Lindsley (Westminster Christian School, 11^th Grade).  Do temperature effects prevent turtle grass colonization?

2001: (1) Nicholas Detrio (Hammocks Middle School, 7^th Grade).  Differences in host plants for the giant swallowtail butterfly larvae.
        (2) Michael Garcia, Vartan Pogharian, Eduardo Saverin (Gulliver Preparatory School, Seniors).  Evaluation of the biodiversity present within the lichen community of the Florida Everglades ecosystem. 

2002:  none awarded

2003: Carli Koshal, Lucia Goyen (Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School, 12^th Grade).  Discriminant Analysis of Mitigated vs. Unmitigated Red Mangroves: The Effect of Turbidity on Growth Rates.

2004:  none awarded

2005: (1) Sarah Bartleson, Evan Downs (South Miami Middle School, 8^th Grade).  The Genetic Diversity of Red Mangrove, Rhizophora mangle, in Southern Florida.
         (2) Ethan Addicot (Highland Oaks Middle School, 7^th Grade).  Do Beaches Need Veggies Too?

2006: none awarded