Polk County Public Schools
Reagan Lee, a Winter Haven resident who will be a senior at Bartow International Baccalaureate in August, earned a first place award in the agriscience competition at the 2007-2008 State FFA Convention held from June 9 to 13 in Orlando.
Reagan’s first place award in the botany division of the agriscience competition qualifies him to compete with his project at the National FFA Convention to be held in Indianapolis in October.
His project measured transpiration rates of plants in varying conditions.
He was also among five students recognized at the state convention as a finalist for 2007-2008 Florida FFA Agriscience Student of the Year. A student from Volusia County eventually won the award.
David Futch, the 2008 valedictorian at Winter Haven High, was named one of 13 winners nationally of the American Museum of Natural History’s Young Naturalist Award. The award is a research-based essay contest for students in grades seven to 12 to promote participation and communication in science. He received the award at the Museum of Natural History in New York City on May 30.
David’s essay entry was based on his award winning science and engineering fair project, “Providing Habitat for Threatened Drymarchon corais couperi Utilizing Gopherus polyphemus Burrows.”
The drymarchon corais is a threatened snake species found in the southeastern United States, southern Texas and Mexico. David’s recent research on the species examines the use of gopher burrows as a protective habitat for the snake. David has researched the drymarchon for the last four years primarily at the Historic Bok Sanctuary located in Lake Wales.
The public can visit the Young Naturalist Awards Web site at www.amnh.org/youngnaturalistawards to view winning essays. Judges from the museum’s scientific, educational, and editorial staff used the following criteria to evaluate the essays: originality, demonstration of the ability to conduct research, thoughtfulness in analyzing and interpreting findings and creativity and clarity in written and visual presentation.
David’s research related to the species also earned him a Best of Show award in both the 2007 and 2008 Regional Science Fair and awards at both the 2007 and 2008 State Science Fairs. He also won an American Veterinary Association award for his study of the species at the 2007 Intel International Science And Engineering Fair held in Albuquerque, N.M.
David is a Winter Haven resident and will attend the University of Florida and plans to study chemical engineering.