Organization: FAIRCHILD TROPICAL BOTANIC GARDEN
Mission: WE HARNESS THE POWER OF PLANTS FOR HUMANKIND AND SHARE THE JOY AND BEAUTY OF TROPICAL GARDENING WITH EVERYONE. FAIRCHILD TROPICAL BOTANIC GARDEN IS A MUSEUM OF TROPICAL PLANTS WITHIN A WORLD FAMOUS, 83-ACRE DESIGNED LANDSCAPE. IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1936 TO HONOR THE LEGACY OF DR. DAVID FAIRCHILD, THE NATION'S FOREMOST BOTANICAL EXPLORER. THE GARDEN'S FOUNDERS ENVISIONED AN INSTITUTION THAT WOULD FOSTER SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY WHILE INCREASING AWARENESS OF THE BEAUTY AND PLANT DIVERSITY FOUND IN THE TROPICS. TODAY, FAIRCHILD IS THE BEST PLACE IN THE CONTINENTAL USA TO SEE AND STUDY TROPICAL PLANTS. IT IS A CRITICAL EDUCATIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC RESOURCE FOR THE NATION AND THE WORLD. FAIRCHILD IS THE LARGEST BOTANICAL INSTITUTION IN THE MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA METROPOLITAN AREA AND AN ATTRACTION FOR VISITORS FROM ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD. IT ADVANCES, BRINGS AWARENESS TO, AND ENGAGES THE PUBLIC IN THE FIELD OF BOTANY, WHICH AIMS TO (1) UNDERSTAND PLANTS AND HOW THEY WORK, (2) MAXIMIZE THE VALUE OF P
Activities: PLANT INTRODUCTION AND HORTICULTURE- THE SOUTHEASTERN TIP OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA HAS A TROPICAL MONSOONAL CLIMATE UNLIKE ANY OTHER IN THE USA. WITH YEAR-ROUND WARMTH AND RAINY SUMMERS, FAIRCHILD CAN GROW MANY OF THE WORLD'S MOST IMPORTANT, BEAUTIFUL, UNUSUAL, AND ENDANGERED TROPICAL PLANTS. THE GARDEN INCLUDES A RAINFOREST, DESERT GARDENS, PONDS AND LAKES, RARE PLANT CONSERVATORIES, A GARDEN FOR NATIVE BUTTERFLIES, A CONSERVATORY FOR EXOTIC BUTTERFLIES, A NATURE TRAIL, AND SPECIAL SECTIONS EXHIBITING PALMS, VINES, AND TROPICAL TREES. SEPARATE FROM ITS MAIN CAMPUS, FAIRCHILD OPERATES A PLANT NURSERY AND A 20-ACRE TROPICAL FRUIT FARM. KEY COLLECTIONS INCLUDE PALMS, CYCADS, TROPICAL FRUIT TREES, AND ORCHIDS. BEGINNING WITH EXPEDITIONS LED BY DR. DAVID FAIRCHILD IN THE 1930S AND 1940S, THE GARDEN'S SCIENTISTS HAVE ACQUIRED NEW SPECIES OF TROPICAL PLANTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. THE BEST OF THESE PLANTS EARN A PERMANENT SPOT IN FAIRCHILD'S LIVING COLLECTION AND ARE SHARED WITH LOCAL GARDENERS AND THE BROADER HORTICULTURAL COMMUNITY. TODAY, FAIRCHILD WORKS WITH ORGANIZATIONS AND NATIONS WORLDWIDE TO EXCHANGE SPECIMENS AND BRING NEW PLANTS INTO CULTIVATION. RECENT ACQUISITIONS INCLUDE PLANTS FROM THE CARIBBEAN REGION AND SOUTHEAST ASIA, ALONG WITH ORCHIDS FROM ALL PARTS OF THE TROPICS. DURING 2020, FAIRCHILD HAD A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON BUILDING ITS COLLECTION OF RARE RAINFOREST PLANTS. SINCE 1940, FAIRCHILD HAS OFFERED SPECIAL DISTRIBUTIONS OF RARE PLANTS TO ITS MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC AS A WAY TO IMPROVE TROPICAL HORTICULTURE. TRADITIONALLY OPERATED AS IN-PERSON PLANT SALE EVENTS DURING A FEW DAYS EACH YEAR, IN 2020 FAIRCHILD'S PLANT DISTRIBUTIONS WERE MIGRATED TO AN ONLINE SALES PLATFORM THAT NOW OPERATES YEAR ROUND.
SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION- FAIRCHILD'S LIVING COLLECTION, HERBARIUM, LIBRARY, AND LABORATORIES SUPPORT A UNIQUE SET OF RESEARCH PROJECTS THAT ADVANCE KNOWLEDGE OF TROPICAL PLANTS AND HELP SAVE RARE PLANTS AND ECOSYSTEMS. A DIVERSE TEAM OF STAFF, STUDENTS, AND VOLUNTEERS COLLABORATE ON FIELD BIOLOGY, MOLECULAR RESEARCH, MICROPROPAGATION, AND BIODIVERSITY STUDIES. FAIRCHILD'S TEAM IS CONSTANTLY TEACHING AND LEARNING FROM VISITORS, MEMBERS, STUDENTS, VOLUNTEERS AND THE COMMUNITY OF SCIENTISTS WORLDWIDE. CURRENT SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION PROJECTS INCLUDE STUDIES OF ORCHID ECOLOGY AND RESTORATION, THE EVOLUTION AND CLASSIFICATION OF PALMS, RESTORATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA AND CARIBBEAN ECOSYSTEMS, THE EVOLUTION OF PLANTS ON TROPICAL ISLANDS, AND INTERACTIONS AMONG BIRDS, INSECTS, AND TROPICAL PLANTS. FAIRCHILD STANDS OUT AMONG THE WORLD'S BOTANICAL INSTITUTIONS IN ITS HIGH LEVEL OF CITIZEN SCIENCE, HAVING SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT ENGAGE THE BROADER COMMUNITY IN ADDRESSING IMPORTANT QUESTIONS IN PLANT BIOLOGY. FAIRCHILD HAS THREE LARGE CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAMS: (1) CONNECT TO PROTECT, DISTRIBUTING RARE SOUTH FLORIDA NATIVE PLANTS TO LOCAL RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, AND SCHOOLS TO INCREASE THE REPRESENTATION OF NATIVE FLORA IN URBAN LANDSCAPES AND STUDY BROADER ECOSYSTEM BENEFITS; (2) MILLION ORCHID PROJECT, WORKING WITH STUDENTS, EDUCATORS, VOLUNTEERS, AND SCIENTISTS, TO STUDY STRATEGIES FOR BRINGING SOUTH FLORIDA'S NATIVE ORCHIDS BACK FROM THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION; AND (3) GROWING BEYOND EARTH, FAIRCHILD'S PARTNERSHIP WITH NASA THAT ENGAGES HUNDREDS OF SCHOOL CLASSROOMS NATIONWIDE IN RESEARCH TO IMPROVE PLANT GROWTH AND FOOD PRODUCTION IN SPACE.
EDUCATION: CONTINUING EDUCATION, SCHOOL PROGRAMS, INTERPRETATION & PUBLICATIONS, VOLUNTEER & VISITOR SERVICES PROGRAMS- FAIRCHILD IS THE REGION'S LEADING SOURCE OF BOTANICAL EDUCATION, CONNECTING THE BROADER COMMUNITY WITH THE WORLD OF PLANTS AND RELATED TOPICS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH (STEM).THE GARDEN OFFERS A DIVERSITY OF AWARD-WINNING PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOL-AGE STUDENTS, CREDIT AND NON-CREDIT COURSES FOR UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATES AND GRADUATES, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR EDUCATORS, AND CONTINUING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADULTS. THE AWARD WINNING, INTERDISCIPLINARY, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE COMPETITION, THE FAIRCHILD CHALLENGE, IS DESIGNED TO ENGAGE STUDENTS OF DIVERSE INTERESTS, ABILITIES, TALENTS, AND BACKGROUNDS TO EXPLORE THE WORLD OF PLANTS. REACHING OVER 125,000 STUDENTS ANNUALLY, THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A BENCHMARK FOR EXCEPTIONAL STEM EDUCATION AND FOR EMPOWERING PREK-12TH GRADE STUDENTS TO BECOME THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS AND ADVOCATES FOR PLANTS. THE FAIRCHILD CHALLENGE HAS BECOME A MODEL BEYOND SOUTH FLORIDA, INFLUENCING PROGRAMS NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY. FAIRCHILD'S FIELD TRIP PROGRAMS ENGAGE THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS FROM HUNDREDS OF SCHOOLS EACH YEAR. THE PROGRAMS IMMERSE YOUNG PEOPLE IN HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES AS THEY EXPERIENCE THE SCIENCE AND BEAUTY OF FAIRCHILD. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2020, FAIRCHILD BEGAN OFFERING VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS ONLINE TO LOCAL SCHOOLS AS WELL AS SCHOOLS FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE NATION AND WORLD. MORE THAN 2,000 PARTICIPANTS ATTEND FAIRCHILD'S CONTINUING EDUCATION CLASSES EACH YEAR. WITH A PORTFOLIO OF OVER 50 DIFFERENT CLASSES, TOPICS INCLUDE TROPICAL GARDENING, COOKING, ART, AND WELLNESS. DURING 2020, THE MAJORITY OF THESE CLASSES WERE HELD ONLINE FOR REMOTE AUDIENCES. SINCE 2014, FAIRCHILD HAS HOSTED BIOTECH @ RICHMOND 9-12, A PUBLIC MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL THAT ALLOWS STUDENTS TO SPECIALIZE IN BOTANY. THE ONLY PROGRAM OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD, THE SCHOOL USES FAIRCHILD AS A VENUE FOR HANDS-ON LEARNING AND INDEPENDENT RESEARCH.
NTEE category: Environment
Secondary category: Science & Technology