It’s called the ghost orchid. A group of South Florida students are on a mission to save a rare flower. Their teacher is hoping the project plants the seed for future careers in science. Heather Walker has their story in this 7Spotlight. Florida is home to more than 100 types of orchids. And th ese students are studying one of the rarest. Domenica Arias: “I think it’s important for us to preserve these orchids.” It’s called the ghost orchid. Students at Jose Marti MAST Academy are are on a mission to try and grow as many as they can. Hailey Marquez: “We know that they are highly endangered. It takes a lot of time, it takes a lot of patience and they don’t grow in a day.” These students are members of the school’s botany club. With the help of their teacher, Andrew Kearns, they’re learning all about orchids, especially the extremely rare ghost orchid. Andrew Kearns: “The ghost orchid is something which has been treasured by many people, too treasured by some who try to poach it. Our native orchids were largely removed from many of our urban areas and suburban areas by poaching and developments.” But there won’t be any poaching here! The students have planted and nurtured their own ghost orchids right in their own backyard. Hailey Marquez: “It’s nice to be able to support a community of ghost orchids here in our very own school.” The students received the orchid seeds from the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden as part of the garden’s “Million Orchid Project.” The project aims to save Florida’s native orchids by planting one million of them in urban areas. Hailey Marquez: “It’s definitely nice to be in it, and it gives me opportunities to research like this and to work with plants really hands-on.” Students first kept the seedlings inside a classroom to study their growth. After a few months, they were moved outside and attached to trees. The hope is that the orchids take root and eventually bloom. Andrew Kearns: “Now is that going to survive?” Student: “Maybe!” Andrew Kearns: “Maybe. I think that’s a great answer because we don’t know.” And in the process, the students are learning a valuable lesson about life. Domenica Arias: “Honestly just patience. Having to wait to be able to see what your work has made was the hardest part, honestly. Being able to take part in this amazing experiment has been able to make me see my interest in life sciences.” Their teacher hopes this conservation work inspires his students for the rest of their lives. Andrew Kearns: “That’s my hope, is that they will be successful in making a change so that our natural world will not suffer some of the difficulties that we’re suffering right now.” Perhaps their efforts in the classroom will bloom a new generation of scientists. Heather Walker, 7News. If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at [email protected]. ...read more read less