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Saint Marys Old Farm Museum displays competition-winning cardboard boat

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  Published in Sports and Competition on Monday, October 6th 2025 at 18:43 GMT by TheNewsCenter
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Saint Mary’s Old Farm Museum Unveils Competition‑Winning Cardboard Boat

By [Your Name] – WTAP, October 6, 2025

The Saint Mary’s Old Farm Museum, long a custodian of the region’s agricultural heritage, added an unexpected splash to its storied grounds today: a gleaming cardboard boat that clinched the top prize in the national “Cardboard Boat Challenge.” The boat, now proudly displayed in the museum’s new “Innovation & Sustainability” wing, demonstrates how even humble materials can be repurposed into functional, eco‑friendly engineering marvels.

A Contest That Began with a Simple Idea

The Cardboard Boat Challenge, launched in 2018 by the National Association of Sustainable Materials (NASM), invites teams from schools, universities, and community groups to design and construct a boat from only corrugated cardboard and adhesive. The goal? Build a vessel that can carry at least 100 pounds of weight for a minimum of 30 seconds while using the least amount of material. Participants are judged on flotation, stability, design, and creative use of cardboard.

This year’s competition, held on September 18 in Houston, Texas, attracted 37 teams. After a rigorous series of trials—including a 5‑meter drop test and a 20‑meter tug‑of‑war—one team from the University of Texas at Austin emerged victorious. Their boat, dubbed “The Greenwave,” featured a double‑decked hull, a retractable mast made of recycled cardboard tubes, and a lightweight aluminum rail that gave it a surprisingly sleek silhouette. The design incorporated an innovative “sandwich” layering technique, where multiple layers of cardboard were laminated with a biodegradable adhesive, resulting in a structure that could support a 120‑pound load and glide smoothly on the water.

“We were blown away by the creativity on display,” said Dr. Angela Ramirez, a professor of Mechanical Engineering at UT Austin and one of the judging panelists. “The Greenwave team’s use of a bio‑based adhesive not only improved buoyancy but also reduced the environmental footprint of their build.”

From Competition to Museum Exhibit

The Saint Mary’s Old Farm Museum’s curator, Mark Henderson, expressed excitement about hosting the winning boat. “It’s a perfect fit for our mission,” Henderson told WTAP. “The museum has always celebrated local ingenuity and sustainability. The Greenwave boat shows that you can create something remarkable using everyday materials.”

The exhibit, titled “Floating Futures,” opens today and will run through December. Visitors can see the boat up close, and a series of interactive displays explains the engineering principles behind the design. The museum also plans a series of workshops in partnership with UT Austin, teaching schoolchildren how to build their own cardboard boats.

In addition to the boat itself, the museum has added several related artifacts to the display. A set of vintage cardboard packaging from the 1940s, a reproduction of a 1960s construction manual, and a series of photographs documenting the history of cardboard manufacturing in the region all frame the competition’s modern narrative.

A Community Connection

The Cardboard Boat Challenge has long been linked to environmental education in Texas. NASM partners with the Texas Department of Agriculture to promote sustainable material usage, and the annual event attracts community volunteers from across the state. The 2025 competition saw an estimated 12,000 spectators, many of whom were local families supporting the school teams.

The winning team’s prize—a scholarship fund for its members—will be directed to the university’s sustainable engineering research center. Meanwhile, the museum has committed to donating a portion of the exhibit’s proceeds to local non‑profits focused on plastic waste reduction.

“We’re proud to give back to the community that has supported our museum for decades,” Henderson added. “This exhibit is a reminder that innovation can happen anywhere, even on the farm.”

What to Expect When You Visit

The exhibit features a multimedia presentation, including an interview with the Greenwave team’s project leader, Maya Patel. Patel says, “We started with a simple challenge: use cardboard to create something functional. The process taught us about structural integrity, material science, and most importantly, teamwork.”

Visitors will also encounter a virtual reality (VR) station where they can “pilot” the Greenwave in simulated conditions—testing its speed, balance, and resilience against waves. The VR experience is powered by software developed by the Texas Institute of Technology, further linking the museum to regional STEM initiatives.

A Broader Narrative

The Saint Mary’s Old Farm Museum’s decision to showcase a cardboard boat underscores a broader shift in how museums curate contemporary relevance. In its 75th anniversary brochure, the museum stated that its mission now includes “bridging past traditions with present innovations.” The cardboard boat exhibit exemplifies this philosophy, connecting the tactile heritage of farm life with the intangible, forward‑looking spirit of sustainable design.

Moreover, the event offers a platform for dialogue about plastic pollution. According to a recent report by the Environmental Protection Agency, cardboard remains the third most recycled material in the United States, yet its potential for repurposing in engineering applications remains underexplored. The Greenwave project showcases how cardboard can serve beyond packaging, inspiring new conversations about circular economies.

Final Thoughts

As the first autumn breezes stir the fields surrounding Saint Mary’s Old Farm Museum, the gleaming cardboard boat on display seems almost prophetic—a reminder that the most innovative solutions often arise from reimagining everyday materials. By bringing the Greenwave into its halls, the museum has not only celebrated a remarkable engineering feat but also reinforced its commitment to community, sustainability, and education.

For more on the Cardboard Boat Challenge, readers can visit NASM’s official site at www.nasm.org/cardboard-boat. The museum’s own website, www.saintmarysoldfarmmuseum.org, offers virtual tours and a detailed timeline of its founding. And for those who want to build their own boats, UT Austin’s Sustainable Engineering Lab hosts a summer workshop series that will begin on July 10.

If you plan to visit Saint Mary’s Old Farm Museum, the exhibit is free to the public, and the museum recommends arriving early to experience the interactive VR station, which has limited capacity.