August Happenings at Miami Beach Botanical Garden
Explore what's happening at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, a nonprofit subtropical oasis in the heart of Miami Beach. The garden is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with free admission! Miami Beach Botanical Garden is located at 2000 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach.
Pollinator Pathway Project at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden
Our dedicated gardeners are busy sourcing hard-to-find native plants and installing our new Pollinator Pathway around the Koi Pond and Great Lawn. Thanks to a grant from the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust, our team is embarking on this exciting initiative. The new plantings will showcase how South Florida and Caribbean natives can be artfully integrated into a curated garden setting.
As we replace non-native and monotypic understory species—while preserving existing specimen trees and palms—new native plants will create vital resources for pollinators and other wildlife. The Pollinator Pathway won’t be a traditional trail with paved pathways or stepping stones; rather, it will represent a conceptual route that native species, such as the Atala and zebra longwing butterflies, can follow as they seek refuge and food throughout the Garden.
We’ll be utilizing a diverse array of species tailored to a variety of site conditions. Look for water-loving germander in our new rain garden, along with cacti and other heat- and drought-resistant plants in the sun-drenched areas of the Garden. In Stage II of the Pollinator Pathway project, we’ll be installing interactive signage to educate visitors about the unique plants featured and highlight why native species are best suited for our local conditions.
We’re thrilled about the vibrancy and life that the Pollinator Pathway will bring to the Garden. Please join us as a volunteer in the making of this beautiful project!
WORKSHOP
Coastal Conservation Education Workshop
Saturday | August 3 | 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Join the Institute for Regional Conservation and the Miami Beach Botanical Garden's head of horticulture for an introduction to Florida's unique coastal ecosystems. Come learn about native plants and how to start your own beach dune seeds and cuttings.
Free to attend. Register here to reserve a spot.
COMMUNITY
Back to School Resource Fair
Saturday | August 3 | 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
The Miami Beach Office of Housing and Community Services invites Miami Beach families to attend the city's Back to School Resource Fair at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden on Saturday, August 3rd from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm. Free backpacks will be available (while supplies last) for Miami Beach students. Enjoy light snacks, beverages, games, and more!
Free to attend.
FOR KIDS & FAMILIES
'A Colorful Summer' Art Exhibit
Tuesday | August 6 | 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
The Sunflower Society of Miami Beach and the Miami Beach Botanical Garden invite you to an end-of-summer art exhibit! Works by the children who participated in the Sunflower Society's free weekly summer art camp at the Garden will be on display in the Banyan Room. Come mingle with the community, meet the wonderful team behind the Sunflower Society, and experience art in the tranquil garden setting that inspired the children's artistic output. Featuring entertainment by storyteller Bryant Capley and light refreshments.
Free to attend.
ART CLASS
Painting En Plein Air with Alex Quintanilla
Saturday | August 10 | 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Join Alex Quintanilla of Paint the Party for an afternoon session of en plein air painting in the shade of the Garden’s much-loved rainbow eucalyptus tree! Alex will provide instruction and coaching on how to capture this stunning specimen on canvas. Enjoy the Garden, learn or practice your painting skills, and take home your own rendition of this incredible tree. All class materials provided; event to be moved indoors in case of inclement weather.
Non-members $45, Members $40 (call for promo code)
Limited class size, reserve your seat • Tickets
WORKSHOP
Honey Processing Workshop with Daniel Calzadilla
Saturday | August 24 | 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Resident beekeeper Daniel from Bee Wranglers will lead this interactive workshop, which will cover the steps from harvesting honey from the hives to filling a jar! He'll be able to answer questions about pollinators and his journey as a beekeeper. Attendees will get to take home a small jar of honey.
Everything you need to start, including the basic tools and protective gear, will be displayed and explained.
Daniel is a native Floridan with a particular affinity and commitment to studying ecosystems to preserve and give back to the communities through research, outreach, and engagement. He graduated from FIU in 2018 with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Sustainability and a certificate in Agroecology, and also became a certified beekeeper. In 2023 he graduated from the University of Florida with a Master of Science in Agronomy and a concentration in Agroecology. Daniel has assisted in many colony rescues and swarm relocations and launched the company Bee Wranglers in 2020. His work as a beekeeper goes beyond the apiary; he uses the platform to advocate for all pollinators and discuss ways to build habitats and support biodiversity.
Cost $10 • Tickets
HEALTH & WELLNESS WITH FRANCI
Sound Bath Meditation
Sundays | August 4, 11, 18, 25 | 9:30 am - 10:15 am
This all-levels practice will guide you to find and connect with a sense of calm that will allow you to feel more resilient to stressors and will help you respond instead of react to your challenges. We will use crystal sound bowls to begin to slow down the revolutions of the mind and support your journey inward. Each class begins with a short introduction to the technique and we practice for 15-20 minutes. There are chairs and a few mats you can borrow for the practice or bring your own yoga mat. It is not necessary to sit cross-legged, you are more than welcome to use a mat and lay down for the practice. Styles of meditation: pure sound, breathing exercises, breath awareness (anapana), mindfulness (insight), loving kindness meditation (metta), or body scanning.
Non-members $20 • Members $18 (call for promo code) • Tickets
Vinyasa Yoga
Sundays | August 4, 11, 18, 25 | 10:30 am - 11:30 am
Prepare for the week ahead with a Vinyasa/Hatha style Yoga class. Ground down in the Garden's tropical oasis as the backdrop. Relieve stress by connecting your breath to your movements. The class can be modified for beginners, but is filled with deep stretches, twists, balancing poses and incorporates breath work that will assist in feeling resilient to stress throughout your week.
Non-members $20 • Members $18 (call for promo code) • Tickets
FITNESS
Tai Chi at the Garden
Wednesdays | August 7, 14, 21, 28 | 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Please join teacher Silvia Salinas, AP for Tai Chi at the Garden. The class takes place weekly from 10:00 - 11:00 am in the Banyan Room or on the patio/lawn (weather permitting).
Designed for beginners, but also enjoyable for long-time practitioners, this class focuses on the foundation of the movements. The health benefits of Tai Chi include improved flexibility, strength, and balance. Through its fluid movements Tai Chi stimulates deep breathing and blood circulation, without straining the heart and other muscles, making it safe for all physical levels.
COMMUNITY COMPOST PROGRAM
Don't forget: new food waste drop-off location at Garden's main gate
Due to construction next door, the South Beach Community Compost Hub has relocated its food waste drop-off location to the plaza area just inside the Garden's main gate (located at the SE corner of 19th Street and Convention Center Drive).
The food waste drop-off area along the Garden's rear drive is no longer safe to access; the new drop-off location is accessible during operating hours (Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm), and is situated next to existing trash and recycling bins. Garden staff will place the food waste drop-off bin outside the main gate from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm on Mondays while the Garden is closed to the public.
It is our hope that in moving the food waste drop-off to a more accessible and visible location in the Garden, more people learn about the program and are able to participate! For all who participate, we thank you for your efforts to divert a significant waste stream from landfills and support the environment.
Our finished compost is used as a valuable soil amendment in many of our garden beds and its use significantly reduces the need for chemical fertilizers. Come by our Botanical Boutique to pick up a free bag of compost (as available) for your own use!
New at the Botanical Boutique
To coincide with the start of the fall migration season on August 1, our Botanical Boutique has Follow the Flyway: The Marvel of Bird Migration in stock!
Follow twelve different baby bird species as they learn to fly and embark on the first of many journeys down south! Perfect for readers ages 3 – 9, this book also features illustrated endnotes with facts on bird migration, the species highlighted in the book, and the four flyways of North America.
Next month: MindTravel Live-to-Headphones 'Silent' Piano Experience
Saturday, September 14 | 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Join us for an extraordinary musical experience! MindTravel Live-to-Headphones 'Silent' Piano Journey returns to the Garden for a unique evening combining the beauty of nature with the magic of live piano music.
Reserve your tickets in advance!