WHAT IS CETroB?
In 1998 local scientific and educational institutions joined with the
Smithsonian Institution to establish a loose-net organization to foster
scientific activity in tropical biology: The Coalition for Excellence
in Tropical Biology (CETroB). CETroB sponsors a biennial weekend
scientific meeting during the autumn with scientific talks and poster
presentations, guest lectures, and field trips to area
institutions. It also coordinates local seminars and other events
through its website (www.darwin.fiu.edu/CETroB/index),
and holds an evening social event in years between its scientific
meetings. In addition to the Smithsonian Institution, CETroB
consists of the following local members.
Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden.
This is one of the great public botanical gardens of the United States,
and by for the most tropical of any garden in continental United
States. Since the passing of Hurricane Andres, the garden has
recovered dramatically with new plantings and a beautiful new visitor’s
center. Meeting participants will be bused to a dessert reception
on Tuesday evening, and will have an opportunity to walk in the garden,
particularly the rainforest area and conservatory, during the
evening. The Research Center conducts important research in
tropical botany and plant conservation. http://www.ftg.org/
Florida International University.
Opening its doors in 1972, FIU is the publicly funded university for
the Miami metropolitan region, serving a population of 3.5 million with
a student population of 35,000. The department of Biological
Sciences has a rapidly expanding research and graduate education
program in tropical biology, and the Department of Environmental
Studies is also quite active in tropical research. http://www.fiu.edu/~Ebiology1/tropical/index.html
The Kampong, of the National Tropical
Botanical Garden. This national and congressionally
chartered garden is primarily based in Hawaii, but has an important
outpost in Coconut Grove. The Kampong is the former home of the
plant explorer David Fairchild, and a small but intensely planted
garden of tropical trees and ornamental plants. It is the site of
conferences and courses, run by the NTBG and by colleges and
universities from throughout the United States. http://www.ntbg.org/kampong.html
The Montgomery Botanical Center.
Formerly the home and estate of Colonel Robert Montgomery, who
established Fairchild Tropical Garden, the Center is a research garden
specializing in the establishment of populations of rare and endangered
palms and cycads. It is a resource of germ plasm material for
research on these plants, and often hosts meetings and workshops
concerning them. http://www.montgomerybotanical.org/
The Miami Museum of Science.
Along with its planetarium, and benefiting from its partnership with
the Smithsonian Institution, the museum is an important resource for
teaching about tropical biology and conservation. It is the site
of the annual ATBC banquet, and meeting participants will have an
opportunity to dine in its galleries and walk its spacious grounds,
part of the historic Deering Estate. http://www.miamisci.org/
The University of Miami.
Established in 1938 and the oldest institution of higher education in
South Florida, UM developed programs in tropical biology, forestry and
agriculture early in its history. The Department of Biology has a
strong program in tropical biology. The Gifford Arboretum, on
campus, is an important resource for education and research in tropical
botany.
http://fig.cox.miami.edu/
