Educational Outreach

An average 10,000 visitors come to the Florida House each year, and many more enter through the landscape or back door and are not counted. Classes are taught one day a week at the Florida House, and guided tours are provided to groups of school children as well as adult groups and individuals visiting the Florida House. Special events are an important part of Florida House outreach. Examples from 2006 include Earth Day, Wildlife Gardening Day, Change a Light Day, Creepy Crawly Day, NRDC Hybrid Car Rally, Wildflower Week, Casa Abierta Hispanic Day and Butterfly Gardening Day.

This large educational outreach is supported by an annual county budget of $135,000, of which $27,000 is operating expense. Two full time county staff and 50+ volunteers greet visitors, give tours, answer questions, maintain extensive literature racks, work with donors and trades people, maintain the landscape, and manage the building and grounds. Master Gardener volunteers undergo 10 weeks (80 hours) of rigorous training in Florida-friendly landscaping before serving as tour guides and educators in the landscape, and Master Conservationist volunteers undergo 9 weeks (40 hours) of extensive training in green building and sustainable products before providing indoor tours and education.