WIXLIB

Miami Beach Botanical Garden2017-2018 Report to the Community

Message from thePresidentWe are proud to update the Miami Beach Botanical Garden’s members, friends and stakeholders with this2017-2018 Annual Report. We fulfill our primary role as a botanical garden by striving every day to increaseplant holdings, especially of new and rare species, and to emphasize Florida native plantings. In 2018 wecompleted the Pine Rockland Demonstration Garden, now a major element of the Native Garden, whichrecreates the habitat that existed in South Florida prior to extensive development.Hundreds of new species have been added in recent years and more than 500 permanent metal plantlabels have been installed so that visitors and students can learn both the common names and Latinnames of our subtropical flora and do further research on their own. The labeling project is 90 percentcomplete and remaining plants, excluding ground covers, will be labeled in 2019. Plans are underway tocatalog all botanical holdings in a searchable database.OUR MISSIONThe mission of the MiamiBeach Botanical Garden isto promote environmentalenjoyment, stewardshipand sustainability througheducation, the arts, andinteraction with thenatural world.Our garden is aunique, subtropical oasisof beauty and tranquilitywithin an urban setting—a community resourcethat refreshes, inspiresand engages our visitors.Of particular significance in 2018 is the renewal of the Garden’s management agreement with the City ofMiami Beach. This contract enables the Miami Beach Garden Conservancy to operate the Garden onbehalf of the City for up to nine years (a five-year extension with a four-year option).The Garden continues to receive tremendous coverage in major US publications including The New YorkTimes, The Washington Post and Conde Nast Traveler. We currently rank No. 27 of 124 “Things to Do inMiami Beach” on TripAdvisor and are proud that this top travel website helps to attract large numbers ofnational and international visitors to the Garden. Our self-guided audio tour has been expanded to includeboth Spanish and Portuguese language options.We are the only major Miami Beach attraction that is totally free and open to the public. We welcome35,000 national and international visitors a year through our gates and another 35,000 annually for specialevents, including Art Basel Miami Beach. With the much-anticipated opening of the new Miami BeachConvention Center now a reality, our visitor numbers will continue to grow.We hope to see you soon at one of our events – or just to enjoy the gorgeous flora and varied fauna.Marty MuellerPresident, Miami Beach Garden Conservancy

Message from theExecutive DirectorThe past year has been an exciting time at the Garden. We faced a natural disaster (Hurricane Irma)as well as man-made challenges head-on, which only strengthened our commitment to deliver aworld-class garden for all who visit. The lush vegetation and tree canopy returned quickly followingthe September 10, 2017 hurricane, restoring our habitat while attracting birds, butterflies and visitorsfrom all over the world.We anticipate new and greater opportunities now that the Convention Center expansion project hasbeen completed. For the past two years the Garden was engulfed by construction, and now itemerges as the crown jewel of the newly established Convention Center District.The Rockefeller Foundation has named Greater Miami and the Beaches one of 100 Resilient Cities,a project dedicated to helping cities around the world become more resilient to the physical, socialand economic challenges that are a growing part of the 21st century. This recognition is due in partto Miami Beach’s efforts to aggressively combat the risks of rising sea levels, coastal erosion andhurricanes.OUR WISH LISTPond fountainTwo sculpture benchesNursery/potting shedstructureSatin Leaf Tree(Chrysophyllum oliviform)Cabbage palm/Dwarf jata palm(Copernicia cowellii)100-gallon compost tumblerThe city’s resiliency plan includes raising the seawall along the Collins Canal, which runs along thenorthern border of the Garden. As part of this project, we have obtained from the city an additionalhalf-acre strip of land adjacent to the canal. This will enable us to expand the Garden to the water’sedge, providing new entrances to the Garden as well as restoring the continuous pedestrian walkway connecting Miami Beach’s major cultural centers.The expansion represents the third and final phase of the Garden’s top-to-bottom renovation begunby designer Raymond Jungles in 2010. We are thrilled to work with our friends at City Hall on thisproject, which is slated for completion by early 2019.The coming year offers growth opportunities that our staff is ready to embrace. Come visit!Sandy ShapiroExecutive DirectorMobile lecternwith speaker and mic1

Programs & EventsThe Garden is home to arts, cultural and community events throughout the year. The Garden co-presentsmany of these activities with grant funding from the City of Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County.EVENT SPOTLIGHTJapanese Spring FestivalKimono Fashion ShowJapanese fashion designerHiromi Asai presented herelegant kimono creations at awedding-themed runwayfashion show during the annualJapanese Spring Festival.The goal of strengthening theU.S.-Japan alliance and bringingJapanese experiences to thepeople of Florida was achievedwhen a capacity audience filledthe Banyan Ballroom to viewthe show. Many thanks to theConsulate-General of Japan inMiami for their sponsorship.Garden-Sponsored Special EventsBoo-tanical Ghosts in the GardenHalloween family day“Jingle and Mingle” Member Holiday SoireeBotanical BazaarAnnual Taste of the Garden benefitMiami Beach Garden TourMiami Beach Garden Club Flower ShowJapanese Spring FestivalMother Earth Day/film screening by Coral MorphologicFUNDarte exhibit and workshopWolfsonian Family DayOktoberfestO’Miami presentation of “pO,etry in Pajamas”Jungle BoogieGarden-Sponsored Ongoing ActivitiesToastmastersEvening Meditation and YogaFamily YogaGreen Book ClubSummer Art CampArt in the Park with MarieMiami Beach Garden Club meetingsEducational ActivitiesSecond Saturday Horticulture Series & WorkshopsCompost Corral Workshops with Fertile EarthHappy Family DaysCultural Presentations & EventsArt BaselGround Up and Rising TheatreSouth Beach Chamber EnsembleSEED Wine & Food FestivalMiami Short Film FestivalCinema Green in the GardenMiami Performance FestivalNature in Art/Art into Nature presented by PAXyArtist exhibits:Reflections on the Horizonby Frida BaranekBotanical Sculptures - Wildflowersby Trailer McQuilkinAbandoned Vehicles in the Evergladesby Matt StockCommunity ServiceElection Day polling placeCommunity public meetings2

HorticultureThe Garden’s plant collection spans theworld. Our subtropical climate supports awide array of exotic plants as well as floranative to South Florida. The collectionincludes flowering trees, palms, gingers,cycads, orchids, tillandsias, conifers andmore. We continually nurture and add to ourcollection for the enjoyment and curiosity oflocals and visitors alike. We strive for abalanced and resilient garden.We host many species of pollinators in ourgarden thanks to an integrated pest management system that allows no harsh pesticidesMarketing, Membership& DevelopmentSocial media and our website remain ourmost powerful and cost-effective audiencedevelopment tools. Facebook “Likes” continue to grow, spurred by targeted marketing.Consistent pre- and post-event communication, including sharing photos and videowithin 48 hours after an event, has been aneffective way to engage guests and grow theGarden’s network.OperationsNew hurricane impact windows were installedprior to Hurricane Irma, helping us avoid waterintrusion. The new glass also improves energyefficiency and reduces noise.Renovations and upgrades have improvedour rental offering. The evening ambiancehas been elevated with expanded pathwayand landscape lighting including lighting ofor herbicides, relying instead on organicfactors. We maintain a healthy bee populationand have up to 10 butterfly and moth species.Our new Pine Rockland demonstrationgarden, developed with a grant from the Cityof Miami Beach, highlights endemic andendangered plants of South Florida, attractingmany pollinators and birds. It raises community awareness and encourages conservation ofthe imperiled habitat and the wildlife thatdepends on it.The Garden serves as a hub for those whowant to connect with nature. Our publicoutreach in and out of the Garden keeps us“Botanical Buzz,” our monthly e-newsletter,features Garden news and events, BotanicalBoutique and Garden Center items forpurchase, gardening tips, volunteer opportunities and invitations to join and donate tothe Garden.Print advertising in tourist publications raisesawareness of the Garden among visitors,while local publications are used to promotespecial events such as Taste of the Garden,the annual Garden Tour & Flower Show andthe Japanese Spring Festival.connected to our community. We havepartnered with local schools to bring pollinatorgardens to their grounds and host field tripsfor all grades. Our Compost Hub invitesresidents to drop off their food scraps, whichwe process into fertile soil, minimizing our useof commercial fertilizer. We strive to be amodel of sustainability.We maintain beneficial relationships withother botanical gardens and membershipswith worldwide horticulture organizations andwe participate in an array of conferences. Asour garden footprint increases in the nearfuture, our plant specimens will, as well.New incentives and benefits have helped uscontinue to increase membership. FollowingHurricane Irma, generous donors providednecessary funding to speed the Garden’srecovery from the devastation.The storefront window at 727 Lincoln Road,generously provided by Terranova Corporation, promotes the Garden with an artisticdisplay, “A Glimpse in the Garden,” seen byhundreds of thousands of visitors to MiamiBeach’s iconic pedestrian shopping district.bog and water features. Outdoor electricalreceptacles were increased and the freeWi-Fi network received an upgrade.and liquor license. New interior and exteriorsignage has been installed in the Garden’ssignature colors.Our primary meeting space, the BanyanBallroom, is refreshed regularly. The ButterflyConference Room's carpet was replaced withtile for a fresh look and audio-visual capabilitieswere enhanced. New kitchen sinks and shelving comply with the Department of Health andRestaurants’ requirements for our new caféThe Botanical Boutique, stocked with fungifts for all ages, has grown in both footprintand inventory. The Garden Center is beingredesigned to increase workshops and plantsales now that Convention Center Drive hasbeen reopened.3

Income & ExpensesOctober 2017 - September 2018 100,000IncomeExpenses 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 AYJUNEJULYAUGUSTSEPTEMBERIncomeExpensesOctober 2017 - September 2018October 2017 - September 2018Rental41.30%City of Miami Beach Lease 20.36%Private Support13.53%Earned8.82%Government Support8.50%Events7.44%Sales Tax Discount.05%Interest.01%TOTAL 746,677.0047.77%Payroll17.94%HorticultureGeneral & Administrative 17.02%5.52%Direct - Earned Income3.41%Rental2.41%Direct - EventsMembership & Fundraising 2.35%1.81%Program1.78%Facility 667,622.78TOTAL4