BIO
Hi, I’m Ameenah Aljabry, I’m currently a junior at FIU. I’m an English major and have a love for animals and nature. After graduating from FIU, I plan on going to vet school and furthering my knowledge on animals as well as nature. And hopefully, in the future, I plan on combining my love for journalism, photography, and veterinary medicine to help continuously teach the world how we can be more aware of preserving the environment and helping the animals that are suffering due to our negligence.
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
GEOGRAPHY
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is located in Coral Gables in Miami Dade. This area of Miami Dade is mostly for the higher class individuals, which reflects why this garden was probably constructed in this area because many individuals who live here have the means to splurge on extracurriculars which allows this Garden to have many visitors. Even though this can be true people travel from all over Miami Dade to escape the city and immerse themselves in this Tropical Garden. It was opened in 1938. Not only does this garden consist of 83-acres of land, but it has buildings for research as well.
THEIR VISION
According to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, their mission is “to harness the power of plants for humankind and share the joy and beauty of tropical gardening with everyone.” They definitely go beyond their intended mission by allowing nature to speak on its own and be the center of their approach to art. They incorporate an intricate layout of an array of plant groups as well as water in the forms of ponds and lakes to really emphasize the beauty in the everyday scenery. They also have a butterfly garden in which they allow butterflies to roam free while people step inside their world. When categorizing what is considered art, many people tend to ironically put the definition of art in a box. They see art as pieces like paintings and photography or even clothing but forget that we all currently are living on a huge piece of artwork called Earth. Yes, theoretically mystical creatures do not exist and magic is part of a world of fantasy but if you look deep into nature and its mystery, it is so beautiful and unworldly. It sometimes makes you wonder how amazing our ecosystems and the world around us is and how it works all on its own miraculously. That is why I specifically chose Fairchild Botanic Garden for my See Miami project because they do such a good job at making people see the true beauty in nature while also learning its diversity.
HISTORY
According to FairchildGarden.org, the roots of this amazing botanic garden come from a plant explorer named Dr. David Fairchild. During his time exploring, he went all over the globe to dig deeper into plant life and to truly understand the differentiations between each plant and their usefulness in everyday life. That’s the basis behind this botanical garden, to celebrate the diversity of plant life by bringing together plants from South Florida and the Caribbean into one space. It also continues his legacy by housing research centers for students to continue making new discoveries when it comes to the field of agriculture science and botany. Col. Robert H. Montgomery founded this garden under his friend’s name to further honor his friend and his geniuses when it came to discovery and research. Robert collected plants himself and knew the true meaning and value behind plants.
ACCESS
Fairchild does not specifically offer any means of transportation to their guests but Metrorail services in Miami always come in handy when wanting to explore this wonderous city.
HOURS
The garden is open to the public from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm everyday. And has made special accommodations to aid in social distancing. They created special times for seniors and anyone who might be more at risk.
ADMISSION
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden has an array of admission prices that give students and seniors as well as others great deals. These admission prices include:
Daytime Tickets
- Fairchild Members – Free
- Non-Member Adults – $25
- Student (with valid school ID) – $16
- Seniors (65 and over) – $18
- Children 6-17 – $12
- Children 5 and under – Free
PROMOTIONS
Eco-Discount
If visitors use their bike or walk to Fairchild when visiting, they can get five dollars off the ticket price for adults and two dollars off tickets for children. It is great that they are encouraging people to help our environment in all ways possible. This incentive can make a huge impact.
They also offer first responder discounts and military discounts.
These prices include access to the entire garden as well as a guided tour. Or, you can stroll and enjoy the scenery on your own.
COLLECTIONS AND EXHIBITIONS
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden has an exhibition yearly to highlight their plants as well as a light show to go along with it during the month of January. They have special installations in which individuals can interact with not only the nature around them but other pieces of art work as well. They manipulate different mediums with a combination of different light sources to create interesting pieces of artwork. They even use the plant life as a background to shine light on. It’s an approach I’ve never seen in the art world before which is refreshing.
Fairchild Garden also has a beautiful butterfly garden in which you can interact with the butterflies roaming free. It is a greenhouse filled with a variety of different types of butterflies and plants.
SUMMARY
Fairchild Garden is a place to relax and bring your family as well as teach your loved ones about the world of botany. This garden encapsulates the true meaning of being one with nature. If you want a quick getaway at the same time as getting closer to your roots, this is the place to go. The use of nature in the form of art allows individuals to truly understand the diversity and beauty of our ecosystems.
Miami in Miami 