A science fair project that began with a problem as old as the fruit bowl—how to keep fresh food from spoiling—has earned three local high school students a new regional honor.
Britha Abunga, Anna Platek and Evan St. George, students at Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School, are the inaugural recipients of the Plant Science and Sustainability Award from New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill.
The award debuted this year as part of the Worcester Regional Science and Engineering Fair and recognizes student research that uses plant science to explore issues involving ecosystems, agriculture, climate resilience and the sustainable use of land and resources.
The students’ project, “Cracking the Code: Enhancing Fruit Life by Identifying the Enemies of Freshness,” investigated alternative methods of preserving fresh fruits and vegetables. Through experimentation, the students studied whether applications of a specific bacterium, combined with refrigeration, could slow decomposition and potentially contribute to efforts to reduce food waste and address hunger.
The project earned the students the first award of its kind from the Boylston-based botanic garden.
“We offer our enthusiastic congratulations to the winners,” Marissa Gallant, director of education at New England Botanic Garden, said in the announcement. “We were impressed by all of this year’s entries and are inspired to see our region’s students applying themselves to the sciences in ways that improve our collective world.”
Representatives of the Garden judged projects based on the strength of their plant- or nature-based research questions, research methods, presentation and connections to real-world environmental or community needs, according to the announcement.
The three students were recognized June 25 at New England Botanic Garden during the 185th annual meeting of the Worcester County Horticultural Society, which owns and operates the Garden. Each received a one-year family membership to the Garden along with gardening gear.
The student award was among several honors presented during the annual meeting recognizing people and organizations whose work advances horticulture and strengthens communities through plants and gardening.
The new award extends the Garden’s educational mission into one of the region’s longstanding showcases of student scientific research. By creating a category specifically focused on plant science and sustainability, the Garden is seeking to encourage students to connect scientific inquiry with problems affecting food systems, natural resources and the environment.
For Abunga, Platek and St. George, that connection centered on a familiar but far-reaching problem: extending the life of fresh food before it goes to waste.
