Horticultural Survey Volunteer
Responsible for monitoring the condition of plants, including many rare specimens, and accession designation tags of various species throughout the gardens. This information is used by the Fairchild horticulture professionals to help determine plant specimens and garden areas that need particular attention.
David Fairchild (1869-1954) was one of the greatest plant explorers of all time. At the age of 22, he created the Section of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction of the United States Department of Agriculture, and for the next 37 years, he traveled the world in search of plants of potential use to the American people. His far-reaching travels brought into cultivation in the U.S. many important plants, including mangos, alfalfa, nectarines, dates, horseradish, bamboos and flowering cherries. Dr. Fairchild retired to Miami in 1935, sharing his vast knowledge and experience in tropical plants with Col. Robert H. Montgomery, who founded the botanical garden and named it to honor his friend. Many plants still growing in the Garden were collected and planted by Dr. Fairchild, including a giant African baobab tree not far from the entrance. In 1940 Dr. Fairchild embarked on the first official collecting expedition for FTBG, sailing from the Philippines to the Indonesian archipelago on a special oceangoing Chinese junk called the Cheng Ho. The voyage provided many of the early botanical specimens before the outbreak of World War II forced the explorers to return home.
Since the 1930s Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden has emphasized the expansion of plant knowledge through publications, education programs, and research in taxonomy, floristics, conservation biology and ethno-botany. In recent years, Fairchild botanical and environmental research programs have been funded by grants from the MacArthur Foundation, National Science Foundation, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and many others. Since 1938, FTBG has distributed plants and seeds both to fellow scientists and to members of the local community. Fairchild palms, cycads, ornamentals and fruit trees have been a source of new varieties for commercial growers and home gardeners alike. Fairchild education programs have also grown steadily, particularly in recent years. In early years, postgraduate research formed the largest educational component, but for the past two decades, additional programs have been offered to children and non-experts in plant science. Today, Fairchild is the region's leading source of environmental, horticultural and botanical education, with more than 150 courses offered annually, along with a wide range of community outreach programs. Accredited by the American Association of Museums since 1981, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is an active member of Botanic Gardens Conservation International, the Center for Plant Conservation, the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta, and many other botanical, horticultural and conservation organizations. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is also a leading regional cultural institution and favorite visitor destination for both tourists and local residents.
History text excerpt is from www.fairchildgarden.org
