Fairchild Palms Makes $16,000 Donation at Fairchild Challenge Kickoff

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Aug. 25, 2014 - PRLog -- Approximately 300 middle school and high school teachers attended the kickoff of the 13^th annual 2014-15 Fairchild Challenge interdisciplinary, environmental science competition held at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden on Saturday, August 23, 2014. Speaking at the kickoff were Dr. Carl Lewis, Director of Fairchild Garden, Amy Padolf, Director of Education of Fairchild Garden and Dr. Larry Feldman, Vice Chair, Miami Dade County Public Schools. More than 130,000 children in grades PreK-12 at 270 schools are now a part of The Fairchild Challenge.

The theme of this year’s Fairchild Challenge is biodiversity and combines Fairchild Garden’s authentic science research with interdisciplinary programs to find long term sustainable solutions.  At the kickoff, The Fairchild Palms, the young professionals' networking group at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, made a donation of $16,000 collected at fund raising activities throughout the last year.

About Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Established in 1938 and comprising 83 acres (33 hectares) in Miami, Fla., Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to exploring, explaining and conserving the world of tropical plants. The world-renowned plant collections feature palms, cycads, orchids, tropical fruit trees and more. Fairchild has the largest education program of any metropolitan area, reaching more than 200,000 schoolchildren each year with environmental programs like The Fairchild Challenge. It aims to inspire a greater knowledge and love for plants and gardening so that all can enjoy the beauty and bounty of the tropical world. Special events include Chocolate, Mango, Orchid and Edible Garden Festivals in addition to an annual art exhibition, concerts, plant sales and more. Fairchild is located at 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, FL 33156. For more info, call 305-667-1651 or visit www.fairchildgarden.org. Follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fairchild-Tropical-Botanic...), Twitter (https://twitter.com/fairchildgarden), Instagram (http://instagram.com/fairchildgarden) and Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/fairchildgarden/).