Miami Beach Botanical Garden Summer Event Schedule
- wgclients01
- Jul 4, 2023
- 11 min read
The Miami Beach Botanical Garden is excited to announce additional events including Reiki, Conscious Relationships & Dating, and Somatic Discovery & Conversations classes. Here is what awaits you at the garden in Miami Beach this Summer.
WEEKLY CLASS
Tai Chi in the Garden
Wednesdays • July 5, 12, 19, 26 • 10am-11am
Please join teacher Silvia Salinas, AP for a Tai Chi class at the Garden. The class will take place weekly from 10am-11am, in the Banyan room or on the lawn (weather permitting).
Designed for beginners, but also enjoyable for long-time practitioners, this class will focus 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.
Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes for this class. You may also want to bring water, and mask-wearing is optional. Don't wait to reserve your spot - class size is limited to 25.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Enchanged Garden: Yoga Flow & Sound Bath
Thursday • July 6 • 6:30pm–8pm
Join us for an evening class with Ewa Josefsson as we enjoy the colors, fragrance, and textures of a summer evening in the Garden.
Doors open at 6pm. Class will begin at 6:30pm (Garden gates close at 6:40pm) on the covered Banyan Terrace. In the case of heavy rain class will move into the Banyan Ballroom. There are a few mats available if needed.
Class will end with a flower wishing well - we provide the flowers and you provide the wishes.
Ewa Josefsson is a certified hypnotist, as well as a senior yoga and meditation teacher. She hosts workshops, programs, retreats and yoga teacher/meditation trainings. For the past decade, Ewa has been creating a safe space for self-knowledge, healing and change: "We create the life we believe we deserve. Small daily efforts become the foundation of big life success. Healing and positive change is not as mystical as we’re led to believe, it's actually much more common and conversational. It’s in the way you talk to yourself. It’s in the way you focus and find your flow."
Cost: Non-members $25, Members $22.50 (call for code) • Tickets
SECOND SATURDAY SEMINAR
Wild Miami: Exploring the Amazing Nature In and Around South Florida
Saturday • July 8 • 10am-noon
Authors TJ Morrell and Brian Diaz will discuss their recently published book, Wild Miami, including how it came to be and their goal of having residents and tourists alike enjoying the often-overlooked natural beauty Miami and South Florida has to offer. Equal parts natural history, field guide, and trip planner, Wild Miami reveals the incredible ecology of this tropical metropolis while giving the reader a glimpse into some beautiful hiking trails, beaches, wetlands, parks, and the species that inhabit them. With 25 outdoor field trips, 305 species, and more than a hundred conservation connections to local environmental organizations, this book is sure to be enjoyable for readers of all ages. A post-presentation tour of the garden by Brian and TJ will provide some intel into some of the species, emphasizing their overall importance and what we as humans can do to help preserve them.
TJ Morrell is the Science & Education Specialist for The Billfish Foundation in Fort Lauderdale, FL. As a cofounder of a local nonprofit MORAES in Miami, he has focused both his professional career and personal life on environmental advocacy, hoping to provide others with opportunities to follow their passions as well. From volunteering with marine mammal strandings through MARS, to acting as the lead safety instructor for NOAA, to even becoming a certified python wrangler, he continues to learn and gain experience in all aspects of environmental science.
Brian Diaz was born and raised in Hialeah to parents who emigrated from Cuba and he grew up with a deep appreciation, curiosity, and respect for the natural world. After graduating from Johns Hopkins University in 2016 with a degree in Natural Sciences, he returned to his Miami home to embark on a career in ecological conservation and restoration. He is currently a biologist with the Miami-Dade County Tree and Forest Resources Section and is also on the board for TREEmendous as well as the current President of the Dade Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Garden Reiki, Restorative Yoga & Sound Bath
Tuesday, July 11 • 6:30pm-8pm
Join us for a deeply relaxing and nourishing restorative yoga practice led by our resident yoga teacher, Franci Blanco, and personal Reiki tune-ups by Leah Barsher, and then end the evening with a soothing sound bath savasana.
We will move slowly through a series of restorative poses using bolsters to fully support your body in a comfortable and effortless way, as Leah comes around to offer personal reiki tune-ups throughout the practice. You will have time to relax deeply into each pose, promoting a profound sense of ease and letting go. Recalibrate to a higher vibration, open energy channels to reestablish flow, and reconnect to your essence, intuition, and spiritual nature. May this be your sacred time to slow down, release, and harmonize your mind, body, and spirit.
Doors will open at 6pm. Class begins at 6:30pm (Garden gates close at 6:40pm) on the Great Lawn where we'll begin by grounding and setting intentions (10 minutes), and then we'll move into the Banyan Ballroom for Reiki and Restorative yoga.
Cost: Non-members $40, Members $36 (call for code) • Tickets
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Somatic Discovery & Conversations
Thursday, July 13 • 6:30pm-8pm
Join community leaders in wellness and empowerment, Jodi Carey and Veronica Marquez, in the magical sanctuary of the Garden as they guide you through a journey of compassionate communication, somatic awareness, sound healing, and breath-centered yoga for a transformative evening of self-discovery.
You will learn a process that can help you get to the root of your triggers in conversations and how to use somatic techniques, movement, and self-regulation to create deeper safety within your body. We will have a sit down with sips and lite bites for an open conversation and intimate sharing to make for a well-rounded, integrated experience for all.
Doors open at 5:30pm. Class will begin at 6pm (Garden gates will close at 6:10pm). Class will take place on the covered Banyan Terrace. In the case of heavy rain class will move into the Banyan Ballroom.
Cost: Non-members $45, Members $40.50 (call for code) • Tickets
VOLUNTEER FIELD WORK DAYS
Beach Dune Restoration at Haulover Park
Saturday, July 15
Miami Beach Botanical Garden is looking for community members that are interested in learning more about our natural dune habitats growing along our beautiful beaches, and providing hands-on help keep them healthy and protected! We are teaming up with Frost Science Museum, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, and Miami-Dade County’s Natural Area Management Division (NAM) for a collaborative Museum Volunteers for the Environment (MUVE) Workday that will include pruning and removing the encroaching hardwoods and invasive species to maintain space for important plant diversity. Future events will include plantings of rare native plants to improve diversity in designated areas.
Registration is mandatory. If you are interested, please email riki@mbgarden.org for more information on how to register and get involved.
FOR KIDS
Wizards, Dragons and Books...Oh My!
Sunday • July 16 • 2:30pm–3:30pm
We're excited to welcome Fantasy Theatre Factory back to the Garden for this free show that kids of any age will enjoy.
Jojo, a great kid who loves to read...that is until some kids in the lunchroom start calling her names like "bookworm." To avoid the bullying, Jojo goes to Mendel's Magical Book Shop, hoping that she can sell his books and use the money to buy video games, so she'll fit in with the other kids. Once in the Magic Book Shop though, things take an unexpected turn as the stories in her books magically start to jump to life all around her! Now, all of the pages to Jojo's books are blank and the characters from her books are running wild in real life!
It's up to Jojo to retell the stories to get her old friends to go back on the page. While Jojo works to get his favorite characters from her books to go back on to the pages they belong in, she remembers why she loves to read some much in the first place; It's really FUN! Along the way Jojo starts to realize that all of his books have characters in them who are different, and that being different is what makes them special. This show artfully weaves its featured books into its thru-line to create a show that both encourages reading and celebrates diversity.
Free to attend. Please RSVP.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Conscious Relationships & Dating Workshop
Tuesday, July 18 • 7pm–9pm
Romantic relationships are a major part of our lives and an area where many of us have very little training--outside of the behaviors modeled by our families, social circles and the media. Join facilitator Michael Stasko as the class dives into some of the most empowering findings regarding relationships, including how to identify specific relationship dynamics, an overview of helpful spiritual teachings regarding partnership, and practical tools to deepen our connections, change behaviors and have a more mindful approach to dating. The workshop includes an interactive talk, followed by Q & A, and is excellent for partners or singles.
Doors open at 6:30pm. Class will begin at 7pm (Garden gates close at 7:10pm) and will take place on the covered Banyan Terrace. In the case of heavy rain the class will move into the Banyan Ballroom.
Michael Stasko was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He earned a master’s degree in aerospace engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology as NASA research fellow. Later, while working as an analyst in spacecraft control, Michael was deeply moved by a series of personal insights and spiritual experiences that prompted him to leave his career and spend the next 10 years living in South India. From 2010-2019, Michael lived in an ashram and dedicated his life to spirituality and deepening his practice of meditation, philosophy, breathwork and Sanskrit chanting. In 2019, he moved back to Miami where he offers coaching on spiritual growth, conscious relationships and integration, and teaches meditation and chanting (both in person and online).
Miami Beach Culture Crawl – July Summer Edition
Thursday, July 20 • 6pm–9pm
Join us for the July Summer Edition of Miami Beach Culture Crawl! We’ve got special guests offering some summer fun, and our Botanical Bar will be serving both cocktails and mocktails.
6pm – Tai Chi
Interested in Tai Chi and wondering if you can do the moves? Instructor Silvia Salinas will be teaching a class, providing information about its health benefits and history, and answering questions – perfect for beginners and the Tai Chi curious. Silvia is a National Board certified Acupuncture Physician and Doctor of Oriental Medicine, and the owner of Miami Beach Acupuncture Center.
7:15pm – Dance Thing
Come twirl with us at this class, designed for both beginners and the advanced, that will get you moving, connecting, and having fun with gravity. Inspired by contact improv, contemporary dance, and the pure joy of spinning, the group will learn and perform movements together with a focus on creating an authentic grounded connection to the earth, the Garden, and each other. The class will be led by Galen Treuer, a Miami Beach resident whose bio includes 30+ years of dance study and performance, and a PhD in climate change.
6pm-9pm – CBD Awareness
Learn more about CBD and its potential benefits from Yasmine Egozi. As the CEO/Head Canna-Goddess of Planta Rx/CBD + More, Yasmine is an expert of all things CBD. She is also a holisitic certified speech language pathologist, certified mental health professional, stress management consultant, and aromatherapy specialist.
Compost Hub at the Garden
Teach & Turn Volunteer Workday
Tuesday • July 25 • 9am–noon
We're looking for volunteers at the Garden's Compost Hub! Learn all about composting and help us turn our compost piles. Please bring a refillable water container and wear cool clothing that you can get dirty.
Please RSVP
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Garden Reiki, Restorative Yoga & Sound Bath
Tuesday, July 25 • 6:30pm-8pm
Join us for a deeply relaxing and nourishing restorative yoga practice led by our resident yoga teacher, Franci Blanco, and personal Reiki tune-ups by Leah Barsher, and then end the evening with a soothing sound bath savasana.
We will move slowly through a series of restorative poses using bolsters to fully support your body in a comfortable and effortless way, as Leah comes around to offer personal reiki tune-ups throughout the practice. You will have time to relax deeply into each pose, promoting a profound sense of ease and letting go. Recalibrate to a higher vibration, open energy channels to reestablish flow, and reconnect to your essence, intuition, and spiritual nature. May this be your sacred time to slow down, release, and harmonize your mind, body, and spirit.
Doors will open at 6pm. Class begins at 6:30pm (Garden gates close at 6:40pm) on the Great Lawn where we'll begin by grounding and setting intentions (10 minutes), and then we'll move into the Banyan Ballroom for Reiki and Restorative yoga.
Cost: Non-members $40, Members $36 (call for code) • Tickets
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND
Miami Beach Orchid Society – July Sip & Snip
Tuesday, July 25 • 6:30pm-8pm
Join us for our July meeting of the Miami Beach Orchid Society – our second Sip & Snip special event. Participants will learn how to divide orchids, share divisions amongst friends, repot, all while sipping on wine and socializing with other plant parents.
Here's what to bring: (1) Your orchids if you'd like to learn how to re-pot them. (2) Plant cuttings if you'd like to swap for new cuttings. (3) Your own snippers/clippers.
Donation $10 to cover the cost of supplies - will be collected at the door.
Please RSVP.
VOLUNTEER WORKDAY
Propagating Natives from the Garden
Friday, July 28 • 9:30am–11:30am
Part of our work at the garden is to produce plants in our nursery for various projects or purposes. We do this in different ways depending on the plant, purpose, and time. Come join garden staff and get hands-on to learn more about how to easily propagate some of our garden plants and the type of projects we are working on in the nursery.
COMPOSTING
North Beach Compost Hub Pick Up & Workshop
Saturday, July 29 • 8am–noon
Learn about native plants in the area with naturalist and educator Corrine Mariposa of Miami Seed Share. Remember to bring water and wear cool clothing. If you'd like to take home compost, bring a container.
Summer Art Classes for Kids (Free!)
Every Wednesday • June 21-August 16 • 10am-Noon
Miami Beach Botanical Garden and Sunflower Society present the return of free summer art classes for kids! Teachers Winsome Bolt and Denise Marlow will guide young artists as they create their masterpieces using objects from nature. Students will work with mixed media to create their colorful art.
DETAILS
• Classes are for kids ages 5–12
• Younger kids must be accompanied by parent/guardian
• Limited to 35 kids per class
• Class is free but but please register in advance to attend
• If anyone becomes ill we ask that you do not attend class
For more info, please email Winsome Bolt, winsomebolt@gmail.com.
* Donations accepted to help cover the costs of supplies
Free to attend • Please RSVP
IN THE BUTTERFLY GALLERY THROUGH JULY 17
In the Loving Swamp of Dry Autumn Leaves: The Art of Luján Candria
Luján Candria is a Miami-based Argentine artist who uses diverse media to create introspective works about memory and oblivion. She often uses the repetition of images with subtle light variations to create intimate narratives and poetics loaded with nostalgia. Exploring the natural landscape, she uses specific vegetation and foliage as the main subjects of her photo-based, mixed-media works. Candria’s premise is that the work will look familiar – not because we can visually recognize them – but because of the emotional response arises within us, appearing to be linked to landscapes that are significant in our memory. In the creative process, Candria intervenes the photographic images by juxtaposing, multiplying and fragmenting them. The sharpest images get mixed with the more diffuse ones until they turn into almost imperceptible forms or completely disappear to become a simple plain color. As happens with many of our memories that become blurry over time and then come back to us as incomplete narratives.
CREATIVE WORKSHOP
Painting in the Garden with David Sexton
Sunday, August 6 • 1pm–3pm
Join us for an afternoon of painting butterflies in the Butterfly Gallery! Local artist David Sexton will lead this fun art workshop as he guides students through a step-by-step process of creating a butterfly painting. The ticket price includes all your supplies – all you need to bring is your creativity. Limited class size so don’t wait, only 14 seats available.
Cost: Non-members $45 • Members $40.50 (call for code) • Tickets
Botanical Boutique
When you visit the Garden make sure to stop by the Botanical Boutique – we've got a fresh supply of honey and honeycomb from the Garden's apiary!
Summer Cafe at the Garden
Wednesdays • 11am-3pm
Introducing the newest addition to the Garden - enjoy a refreshing mid-week break with a rotating list of vendors serving their specialties. Keep an eye on our social media as we announce the vendors who will be joining us.