Broward Attractions and Museums Month (BAMM)

DISCOVER CULTURAL TREASURES IN YOUR BACKYARD!

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla- September is Broward Attractions and Museums Month (BAMM), which encourages visitors to experience the diversity of cultural treasures throughout Broward County. During September, visitors may buy one admission and get a second admission for free to 13 participating museums and attractions in Broward County, while eight additional museums offer free admission, as part of the BAMM promotion.

Adventures await you right outside your door! Discover new artists or ancient artifacts, ride on a riverboat or an airboat, explore a botanical garden and historic house or feed a flamingo…and so much more.

Participating attractions and museums include:

  • Art and Culture Center/ Hollywood (BOGO admission)
  • Bonnet House Museum & Gardens (BOGO admission *self-guided tours only)
  • Butterfly World (BOGO admission)
  • Coral Springs Museum of Art (Free admission)
  • Flamingo Gardens (BOGO admission)
  • The Frank Art Gallery (Free admission)
  • Historic Stranahan House (BOGO admission *online reservation encouraged)
  • History Fort Lauderdale (BOGO admission)
  • International Swimming Hall of Fame Museum (Free admission *partially open)
  • Island SPACE Caribbean Museum (BOGO admission)
  • Jungle Queen Riverboats (BOGO *90-minute cruises only *online reservation required)
  • Museum of Discovery and Science (BOGO *Tuesdays excluded. Adult purchase required)
  • NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale (BOGO admission)
  • Old Davie School Historical Museum (BOGO admission *online reservation required)
  • Plantation Historical Museum (Free admission)
  • Pompano Beach Historical Society (Free admission *reservation required)
  • Sawgrass Recreation Park (BOGO admission *online reservation required)
  • Stonewall National Museum & Archives (Free admission)
  • Studio 18 Art Complex (Free admission)
  • World AIDS Museum (Free admission)
  • Young At Art Museum (BOGO admission)

Visitors just need to mention “BAMM” or inquire about the offer at the facility’s ticket booth to purchase one regular price admission and get a second admission of equal or lesser value for free. (Some organizations may offer the discount online using BAMM as the promotional code.)

Participating organizations may have additional restrictions or blackout dates that apply, as well as additional discounted offers available. No other offers, discounts or coupons may apply. Visitors should check each attraction’s website or call for details, hours of operation, and other updates before visiting.

Broward Attractions and Museums Month is September 1-30, 2023. Visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BAMMsfl for additional information.

Eco-teers – Tree Tops Park Invasive Species Removal

EcoTeers had their third project of the month! They participated in an invasive species removal where we dug up snake plants and removed them from Tree Tops Park. During this project they managed to remove 400.1 pounds of Dracaena Trifasciata (snake plants) by the roots in under three hours. These plants were double bagged into 5 separate garbage bags and disposed of away from the park. 

Special Sunday Yoga

Special Raw Essences Flow (Yoga and Aromatherapy)

Join us Sunday, May 28th at 8:30 AM for a special Raw Essences Flow with Cintia Wess. Reset your body, mind, and soul with a combination of yoga and aromatherapy that will help keep you in harmony with nature.

“Feel Good” Flow with Sarah Freemyer will return on Sunday, June 4th. 

To Register Click Here

The South Florida Adventure Pass Is Back for the Eighth Year!

4 Broward Attractions for One Low Price Equals a Summer Full of Savings and Family Fun!

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (April 27, 2023) — Butterfly World, Flamingo Gardens, Museum of Discovery and Science and Sawgrass Recreation Park will be offering the ‘South Florida Adventure Pass’ for the eighth year. The Pass will give pass holders unlimited admission to all four attractions throughout the summer!

Explore aviaries filled with 20,000 exotic butterflies and tropical birds at Butterfly World; see live animals, from alligators to panthers at Flamingo Gardens; take an airboat ride at Sawgrass Recreation Park; and experience the roar of dinosaurs at the Museum of Discovery and Science…all for one low price!

The South Florida Adventure Pass will be available for purchase at each of the
participating parks beginning on May 15, 2023, and will be valid for admission to each of the attractions until September 30, 2023. Butterfly World, Flamingo Gardens, Museum of Discovery and Science and Sawgrass Recreation Park will also have the passes for sale online at their respective websites.

At $55 plus tax, per adult ages 13+ and $45 plus tax, per child (ages 3-12), this pass grants unlimited admission to each attraction. Existing annual pass holders/members at participating attractions can upgrade to the South Florida Adventure Pass, at the venue of their membership, for $45 plus tax, per adult, and $35 plus tax, per child. For more information on the South Florida
Adventure Pass, please visit southfloridaadventurepass.com.

About Butterfly World
Experience Butterfly World, where Discovery and Wonder take Flight at the World’s Largest Butterfly and Bird Park! It features “open air” aviaries with a breath-taking display of 20,000 exotic butterflies and tropical birds from all around the world. Explore and interact with rare and delicate butterflies in the South Florida Tropical Rain Forest. Discover metamorphosis in our Research Facility where you will see all stages of the butterfly life cycle in a display that changes daily. Other highlights include Vine Maze, Butterfly Museum and Insectarium, and more! This is the perfect adventure for the whole family! Tradewinds Park weekend/holiday gate fee may be in effect. Located at 3600 W. Sample Road, Coconut Creek, FL 33073. For more information, please visit butterflyworld.com or call 954.977.4400.

About Museum of Discovery and Science
Discover a full day of Inspiring Science and Family Fun! Fly into MODS for more than 150,000 square feet of mind-blowing boredom-busting interactive exhibits, Florida’s only aviation-themed Makerspace, wildlife habitats, and an outdoor Science Park. Families can enjoy super STEM science shows, demonstrations, wildlife encounters, and more. Catch a thrilling documentary film on our AutoNation IMAX 3D Theater GIANT screen, large enough to show a whale life-size! Located at 401 SW Second Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312. For more information, please visit mods.org or call 954.713.0930.

About Sawgrass Recreation Park
Discover the Florida Everglades on a thrilling 40-minute airboat adventure! Glide over the sawgrass and cattails and let your spirit soar as you hear the stories of this unique environment. In our exhibit areas meet our adopted and rescued reptiles and even pet a baby alligator! Open 7 days reservations required at this time, try The Gator Grill offering unique flavors of Florida! Please call to make reservations for your visit. 1006 N. Highway 27, Weston, FL 33327. For more information, please visit evergladestours.com or call 954.389.0202.

The Need For Pollinators

Butterflies have long been admired for their beauty and grace, but often fail to receive the appreciation they so earnestly deserve for their role in plant pollination. Pollinators, such as bees, bats, hummingbirds, and butterflies, are responsible for one out of every three bites of food you eat! Unfortunately, many pollinator populations are at risk. Decades of stressors, including loss of habitats, improper use of pesticides and herbicides, disease, predation, and even rising temperatures due to climate change, have all hurt pollinator populations.

An estimated 87.5% of all flowering plants on the earth need help with pollination—they need pollinators. Pollinators provide pollination to over 180,000 different plant species and more than 1,200 crops. Without pollination, most crops would simply fail to bear fruit and eventually become extinct—as would the animals that rely on them for sustenance.

Pollinators are vital economically, adding $217 billion dollars to the global economy. In the United States, honeybees alone are responsible for between $1.2 and $5.4 billion dollars in agricultural productivity. Pollinators support healthy ecosystems that clean the air, stabilize soils, protect from severe weather, and support other wildlife.

Tragically, a host of environmental imbalances are decimating many Florida pollinator populations. For example, Florida monarch butterfly populations have dropped an alarming 80% since 2005!

The monarch butterfly has recently been added to the endangered species list by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service placed the imperiled butterfly on the waiting list for the Endangered Species Act protections and will propose listing it in 2024.

Researchers believe that shrinking populations of native milkweed (the monarch’s host plant), due in part to a boost in the use of the herbicide glyphosate (lethal to milkweed), is responsible for its population decline. Less milkweed means less habitat, and less habitat means less monarch butterflies, an essential food source for birds and mice. These chain effects inevitably undermine the entire ecosystem.

Bees are facing the danger of a phenomenon called colony collapse disorder (CCD). A paper from Oregon State University explains CCD: “CCD most likely stems from a combination of problems associated with agricultural beekeeping, including pathogens, nutritional deficiencies and lack of a varied diet, exposure to neonicotinoid insecticides and other pesticides, lack of genetic diversity, habitat loss, and transportation stress. Pesticides, stress, and lack of diversity can actually exacerbate the vulnerability of bees to pathogens.”

 

Four species of hummingbirds in North America are at risk because of the rising temperatures due to climate change: Allen’s Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Calliope Hummingbird, and Rufous Hummingbird.

The increasing warmer temperatures are forcing these four species to abandon their native areas for cooler and more stable environments. Intense heat is incredibly dangerous for hummingbirds as it forces them to find shade to cool off rather than feed on nectar, which can result in starvation since their high metabolism demands that they constantly need to eat.

Bats are another species of a pollinator affected by rising temperatures. The warmer weather impacts their hibernation cycles and their prey availability, which directly affect how successfully a mother bat can give birth and raise her young. According to a National Geographic article, climate change is also impacting their ultrasonic hearing:

“Bats living in temperate zones were more likely to lose prey detection volume, while in tropic zones, many bat species will actually be able to detect more prey. Bats calling at lower pitches generally gained prey detection space” because humidity and temperature directly impact how effectively bats can detect their prey.

MEETING THE NEED

Protecting pollinators requires both conservation and education. That’s why Flamingo Gardens is partnering with the Smithsonian to bring their traveling exhibit, “Pollination Investigation,” to the Gardens to help educate visitors about pollinators. That’s also why we have established the bee sanctuary so that honeybees may be safely relocated rather than destroyed, and opening the new Butterfly Conservatory so that we may rear native butterflies to help re-establish local populations.

Educating individuals about pollinator life cycles, migration patterns, and ecological roles cultivates an appreciation for these animals and encourages people of all walks of life to invest in and protect native butterfly and pollinator habitats, promoting their survival and ensuring their crucial role in the ecosystem continues.

HOW YOU CAN HELP POLLINATORS
  • Plant a variety of pollinator friendly flowers and plants that are native to your climate.
  • Stop or limit the use of pesticides on your property – pesticides are toxic to pollinators.
  • Create a habitat that is friendly to bees. This means either placing beehives on your property, leaving dead logs around that bees can nest in, and simply ensuring bees have plenty of bee-friendly plants to feed from in your yard.
  • Provide nectar for hummingbirds on your property. You can do this by buying a feeder for hummingbirds and filling it with sugar water.
  • Place a bat house on your property. This will provide bats a safe place to sleep during the day.
  • Plant milkweed plants. Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on the leaves and feed on the nectar of the flowers.

March of Museums

Florida Secretary of State Announces Sixth Annual “March of Museums”

Flamingo Gardens has partnered with Florida Department of State on statewide initiative.

TALLAHASSEE – Florida Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee and the Florida Department of State announced the fifth annual “March of Museums” celebrating the variety and versatility of museums in Florida and the important services those museums provide to their communities. The initiative includes partner museums and cultural institutions throughout Florida that showcase the vast and diverse array of museums that populate the Sunshine State.

“As Florida’s Chief Cultural Officer, I’m proud highlight the important role that museums play in preserving Florida’s history and resources”, said Florida Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee. “With institutions focused on history, art, nature, and more, the diversity of participants in March of Museums illustrates the many aspects of Florida’s unique cultural landscape.”

The department is hosting MarchofMuseums.com, which offers a listing and map of museums by region, including Flamingo Gardens and other statewide partner museums. The website also highlights the mission, collections, and/or events of each institution during the month of March. The department encourages visitors and Floridians to take advantage of March of Museums initiative to spend some time at one of their favorite museums, or to discover a new museum, and to share their pictures on social media using #MarchOfMuseums. 

Genevieve Marcello, Director of Special Programs for Flamingo Gardens said, “March of Museums is an exciting opportunity to experience museums in our community. Be sure to check out our exciting March exhibits “Pollinator Investigation” and “Portrait of a Pollinator”.

Flamingo Gardens has partnered with the Florida Department of State to encourage Floridians and visitors to Florida to experience the many ways that museums serve the community. Visit MarchOfMuseums.com for more information.

Access Program for Low-Income Families

Flamingo Gardens Announces Access Program for Low-Income Families Museums for All to increase accessibility of high-quality museum learning resources!

Today Flamingo Gardens announced that it has joined Museums for All, a signature access program of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), administered by the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM), to encourage people of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum-going habits. The program supports those receiving food assistance (SNAP) benefits visiting Flamingo Gardens for a minimal fee of $3 per person (Adults and Children), up to four people, with the presentation of a SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. Similar free and reduced admission is available to eligible members of the public at more than 850 museums across the country. Museums for All is part of the Flamingo Gardens’ broad commitment to seek, include, and welcome all audiences.

 Museums for All helps expand access to museums and also raise public awareness about how museums in the U.S. are reaching their entire communities. More than 850 institutions participate in the initiative, including art museums, children’s museums, science centers, botanical gardens, zoos, history museums, and more. Participating museums are located nationwide, representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Virgin Islands.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) 

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. Our mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Our grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. 

About Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) 

The Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) champions children’s museums worldwide. With more than 460 members in 50 states and 16 countries, ACM leverages the collective knowledge of children’s museums through convening, sharing, and dissemination. Learn more at www.childrensmuseums.org.

The Climate Crisis 2022: Part 2- Climate Change Impacts

Last month, Flamingo Garden’s Eco-teer Tiffany Engel discussed The Greenhouse Gas Effect in Part 1 of the “Climate Change 101” as presented by the Eco-teers as part of their November 2022 Climate Fair. This month Eco-teer Ines Rosales discusses Climate Change Impacts affecting the world and Florida specifically.

Earth’s global average surface temperature in 2020 tied with 2016 as the warmest year on record, according to an analysis by NASA.

NASA uses the unique vantage point of space to better understand Earth as an interconnected system. The agency also uses airborne and ground-based measurements and develops new ways to observe and study Earth with long-term data records and computer analysis tools to better see how our planet is changing.

Continuing the planet’s long-term warming trend, the year’s globally averaged temperature was 1.84 degrees Fahrenheit (1.02 degrees Celsius) warmer than the baseline 1951-1980 mean, according to scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York. 2020 edged out 2016 by a very small amount, within the margin of error of the analysis, making the years effectively tied for the warmest year on record.

According to independent analyses by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Earth’s global surface temperatures in 2019 were the second warmest since modern recordkeeping began in 1880.

Globally, 2019 temperatures were second only to those of 2016 (now tied with 2020) and continued the planet’s long-term warming trend: the past six years have been the warmest of the last 140 years.

Using climate models and statistical analysis of global temperature data, scientists have concluded that this increase mostly has been driven by increased emissions into the atmosphere of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced by human activities.

Rising temperatures in the atmosphere and ocean are contributing to the continued mass loss from Greenland and Antarctica and to increases in some extreme events, such as heat waves, wildfires, intense precipitation.

NASA shares this knowledge with the global community and works with institutions in the United States and around the world that contribute to understanding and protecting our home planet. You can see the NASA video Global Warming from 1880 to 2020 at: https://climate.nasa.gov/climate_resources/139/video-global-warming-from-1880-to-2020/

Ice serves like the Earth’s natural air conditioning system. Large land-based ice formations naturally retreat each summer, but unusually warm temperatures have led to greater-than-average melting.

The Arctic Ocean is expected to become essentially ice free in summer before mid-century.

There is a difference between land ice and sea ice melting. The two main impacts of ice melt is:

  • Land ice includes ice sheets and glaciers. When it melts, it eventually finds its way into the nearest body of water because of gravity. Therefore, land ice melting directly adds to the volume of water in the ocean, increasing sea level. ( Land ice melting causes sea level rise)
  • Sea ice includes frozen seawater and icebergs. When it melts, it does not directly add to sea level rise because it’s already in the sea. (the volume is already accounted for) BUT it exposes more dark ocean, allowing the ocean surface to absorb more heat, and further encourage the melting of ice. (This is a positive feedback loop: an initial effect causes a secondary effect that perpetuates the initial effect.)

SOURCE:

https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/

https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4435

The past decade has seen unprecedented glacier retreat. Observations from 11 satellite missions monitoring the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have revealed that the regions are losing ice six times faster than they were in the 1990s. This video shows how, in the past 10 years, this glacier has retreated more than it had in the previous 100 years. You can see the video at: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/greenland-antarctica-melting-six-times-faster-than-in-the-1990s

threat of intense storms and the increasing threats of sea level rise, ocean chemistry, heatwaves, and water deficit.

* Jenny Staletovich, “Florida Leads Nation in Property at Risk from Climate Change,” Miami Herald, July 27, 2015. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article29029159.html

Hurricanes are expected to become larger and stronger, with more rainfall and larger storm surges, moving slower, and with rapid intensification. The criterion for rapid intensification is an increase in wind speeds of 35mph in 24 hours. Hurricane Ian jumped 35mph in just 4 hours!

In South Florida, we can expect at least 2 feet of sea level rise by 2050. Even more, by 2100, a rise of as much or more than 8 to 10 feet cannot be rules out.

The coastline of the United States is highly populated.  Approximately 25 million people live in an area vulnerable to coastal flooding. Coastal and ocean activities, such as marine transportation of goods, offshore energy drilling, resource extraction, fish cultivation, recreation, and tourism are integral to the nation’s economy, generating 58% of the national gross domestic product (GDP).

Coastal areas are also home to species and habitats that provide many benefits to society and natural ecosystems.

In South Florida drinking water is already experiencing saltwater intrusion.

Biscayne Bay Aquifer is the only source of drinking water for about 3 million people in Miami and Dade County. The highly permeable limestone provides fresh drinking water. but also allows easy saltwater intrusion. Rising sea levels cause saltwater to “intrude” further landward into the freshwater Biscayne Aquifer, increasing the vulnerability of the region’s drinking water to saltwater intrusion. 

Additionally, rising sea levels push salt water further into the Everglades, potentially causing loss of wetland plants and habitat. With saltwater intrusion, Miami’s drinking water will be more expensive and will impact marginalized communities disproportionately

About the Author: Ines Rosales is a Senior at ­­­­Cypress Bay High School and volunteer member of Flamingo Gardens’ Eco-teers. Her blog The Climate Change Impacts is Part 2 of the “Climate Change 101” presentation by the Eco-teers as part of their November 2022 Climate Fair. Look for Part 3, Climate Change Impacts to Marginalized Communities, to follow next month.

Your Guide To Unique Holiday Gift Giving

As the holidays approach, we hear more and more about the experience-based and personalized gifts trends- the gifts that keep giving. Flamingo Gardens has these types of unique options of gift giving to thrill everyone on your list.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving – A Gift of Membership is a gift of a year filled with experiences. Flamingo Gardens’ doors are open to your gift recipient every day (except Thanksgiving and Christmas) a year at no cost. They can enjoy a leisurely day at the gardens, ride the narrated tram to our back acreage, have close up visits with 550+ wildlife, stroll through lush, natural gardens, and take a tour of the Historic Wray Home and The Gallery to see the latest exhibit.

Your gift membership recipient will be able to attend our spectacular daytime events as well with their member pass, including Flamingo Fest, Harvest Festival, Concerts in the Gardens Series, Flamingo Gardens Orchid Society Show, Exotic Plant Festival, and our summer exhibit in the gardens.

Members receive 20% discount on tickets for accompanying guests, free or discounted entry at reciprocal gardens and attractions, and 10% discounts on purchases at our Gift Shop and Food Services. Members receive an additional 10% off at Gift Shop and Food Services during the month of December.

Pick Up Something Special in our Gift Shop! Browse Flamingo Gardens’ Gift Shop for other unique gift ideas like puzzles, books, toys, stuffed animals, jewelry, home goods, and ornaments. Open daily 9:30am to 5pm.

Learn more and purchase Gift Memberships at https://flamingogardens.org/membership/.  

Need help? Contact [email protected] or call 954-473-2955.

Tribute Gift Tree Plaques make thoughtful gifts to celebrate the lives of those who have held a special place in their hearts for Flamingo Gardens. Make a tribute donation to honor a loved one, pay tribute to a friend, or simply mark a special occasion. Tree plaques are available with a minimum $500 donation. It typically takes 4-6 weeks for plaques to be installed. The gift of a Tribute Plaque includes a 1-Year Membership (up to Family Level).

For more information or to order your plaque, visit https://flamingogardens.org/donate-flamingo-gardens and go to the “Tribute Gifts” section.

Please note that Champion trees and other distinctive trees are not available at the $500 price. To find out what trees are available, please email [email protected] or call 954-473-2955.

Food & Wine Benefit Tickets are a perfect gift for those on your list who like to step out in style. Our 10th Annual Benefit, A Party in Pink, will take place at Flamingo Gardens as the last pink streaks of sunset give way to the glow of the full moon and pink twinkle lights. Guests will be tickled pink over tastings of appetizers, main dishes, and desserts, paired with wine and craft beer tastings.  Enjoy captivating live music, visits from favorite Animal Ambassadors, and exciting live and silent auctions.

Tickets are $125 for members, $150 for nonmembers, and a table of ten is $1,250.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://flamingogardens.org/events-calendar/a-party-in-pink-10th-annual-food-wine-benefit.

Animal Adoption Certificates for your animal lover friends! Your gift recipient will become a wildlife guardian at Flamingo Gardens with your donation of $50. Adoption Program is a symbolic adoption of one of our wildlife species. The recipient will receive a personalized adoption certificate, fact sheet about the chosen adopted wildlife species, and two free passes to Flamingo Gardens.

To make a donation for an Animal Adoption, visit https://flamingogardens.org/donate-flamingo-gardens/ and click on “Adopt an Animal.”