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Build a living shoreline and food-producing buffer at The Kampong with UF/IFAS Master Gardeners. This hands-on workshop shows you how to pick salt-tolerant plants, reduce erosion, and support local wildlife along Biscayne Bay.
Build a living shoreline and food-producing buffer at The Kampong with UF/IFAS Master Gardeners. This hands-on workshop shows you how to pick salt-tolerant plants, reduce erosion, and support local wildlife along Biscayne Bay.
Book with The Kampong - National Tropical Botanical Gardens
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Operated by The Kampong - National Tropical Botanical Gardens · Miami, Florida
At The Kampong in Miami, Florida—located at 4013 Douglas Rd. Miami, FL 33133—Buffer Zones and Living Shorelines with UF/IFAS is a hands-on class that teaches homeowners and stewards how to design vegetated borders that protect Biscayne Bay while producing food. Led by Master Gardeners from the UF/IFAS Extension Team, the workshop pairs classroom guidance with a guided walk through The Kampong’s grounds and its working food forest. You’ll learn to select freshwater and salt-tolerant plants, size and plant buffer zones, and maintain living shorelines to reduce erosion, filter runoff, and support pollinators and shorebirds. The scene is compact and tactile: mangrove-fringed shoreline, palms and tropical fruit trees, shaded garden paths, and beds of edible perennials. Key features include the shoreline buffer demonstration areas, the garden food forest plots, and sections illustrating both freshwater and brackish planting strategies. Expect practical demonstrations on planting depths, erosion control measures, and native selections suited to South Florida’s subtropical climate. The class emphasizes real-world constraints—space, salinity, and storm resilience—so advice is immediately usable at home. This program stands out because it blends UF/IFAS research-backed horticulture with a public garden living laboratory. The Kampong’s proximity to Biscayne Bay makes concepts tangible: you can see how a planted buffer changes the waterline and supports wading birds. For conservation-minded travelers, this is more than a tour; it’s an actionable skills session that leaves you with a plan and the confidence to build or enhance a shoreline buffer. Who should come: homeowners, community group members, landscapers, and gardeners age 12 and up who want to improve water quality and habitat while growing food. The pace is accessible—expect light walking on garden paths and some hands-on planting. Admission to The Kampong is included. Practical notes: meet at 4013 Douglas Rd. Miami, FL 33133; small tools or gloves may be useful but not required; bring water and sun protection. The class runs about an hour and is limited in size to keep the instruction personal. Instruction comes from Master Gardeners with UF/IFAS Extension Team expertise, so recommendations reflect state extension research and plant selection tuned to South Florida’s salt and flood challenges. Classes are designed to accommodate up to 20 participants, allowing time for questions and one-on-one guidance. Participants often leave with a prioritized plant list and maintenance schedule tailored to their site. Families with teenagers find the session educational and practical, and community groups can adapt the methods to neighborhood parks and stormwater edges. Book your place via the referral link.
easy.
1–2 hours.
Light walking on garden paths and standing for demonstrations; suitable for most activity levels.
Minimum age is 12; younger children are not recommended due to hands-on tools and garden conditions.
Meet at 4013 Douglas Rd. Miami, FL 33133—the entrance to The Kampong grounds.
Yes. Admission to The Kampong is included with this workshop.
Workshops are limited to about 20 participants to ensure hands-on instruction and time for questions.
Small tools or gloves may be helpful but are not required; follow-up guidance will cover what to use at home.
Workshops may be modified or rescheduled for heavy rain or storms; check your booking confirmation for specific cancellation policies.
The program is presented by Master Gardeners from the UF/IFAS Extension Team and takes place on The Kampong grounds, where living shoreline techniques are demonstrated along Biscayne Bay.
Living shorelines reduce erosion, improve water filtration, and create habitat. Participants are encouraged to use native and salt-tolerant plants to minimize maintenance and chemical inputs.
The Kampong — part of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens — is a historic tropical garden located in Miami, Florida on the shores of Biscayne Bay. The site preserves the Fairchild-Sweeney House and showcases the legacy of plant explorer David Fairchild through extensive exotic fruit trees, rare tropical species, and curated collections. Visitors can choose docent-led guided tours that highlight the estate’s history and plant collections, or self-guided tours that allow leisurely exploration with a provided map. The Kampong hosts a rotating schedule of hands-on workshops and classes set in the garden landscape. Offerings include cyanotype printing for fabric, community indigo dip workshops teaching Shibori resist dyeing, edible gardening programming presented with UF/IFAS (recommended for ages 12 and up), watercolor courses led by local artist Eileen Seitz, and all-levels yoga with Sam Reynolds. Forest bathing sessions guided by neuroscientist Karina Del Punta focus on sensory practices grounded in science; evening Moonrise Forest Bathing is offered under the full moon. Several specialty experiences such as macrophotography, ikebana, functional movement, and seasonal events invite creative engagement with plants and place. Cyanotype workshops note limited spaces to encourage advance booking. The Kampong combines plant conservation, education, and cultural programming on a historic estate, offering both structured interpretation and independent discovery for visitors interested in botany, art, sustainability, and Miami’s tropical landscape. Public programs emphasize hands-on learning, conservation-minded practices, seasonal plant highlights, and the site supports research, education, and community engagement for residents and visitors from Miami and beyond, with year-round programming and volunteer opportunities available.
Book with The Kampong - National Tropical Botanical Gardens