Tropical Botany Course

Tropical Botany at The Kampong

More than 50 years of tropical plant science

Tropical Botany at The Kampong is a legacy course that trains advanced students and professionals in the biology and systematics of tropical plants. Historically taught by renowned botanists Richard Howard, Barry Tomlinson and Walter Judd, the course is now led by Lucas Majure and Chris Baraloto at the International Center for Tropical Botany at The Kampong in Coconut Grove.

In collaboration with Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Deering Estate, the University of Florida, Montgomery Botanical Center and Gifford Arboretum, this intensive residential course combines classroom instruction, field exploration and hands-on training. Students receive access to exceptional living collections of tropical plants, along with excursions to the Florida Keys and Everglades.

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Applications now open

Apply for the 2027 Tropical Botany Course

Applications for Tropical Botany at ICTB are now open. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning in late October. For questions, email ictbKampong@fiu.edu.

Apply for 2027

Plan your experience

2027 Course Details

The Tropical Botany Course is an intensive, four-week residential experience combining classroom instruction with extensive fieldwork throughout South Florida.

Dates

May to June 2027 Exact four-week dates will be announced soon.

Location

Miami, Florida Based at the International Center for Tropical Botany at The Kampong.

Schedule

Monday through Saturday Approximately 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., primarily outdoors with substantial walking.

Who should apply

Graduate students and professionals Open to applicants in botany, ecology, conservation, systematics and related fields.

Course fee

$1,000 Course instruction and program activities.

On-site housing

$1,000 Residential housing during the four-week course.

Financial assistance

Scholarships available Assistance is available for eligible U.S. and international students. We work with admitted students to help make participation possible.

What students will gain

Program Goals

Preparing students to study, understand and help conserve tropical plant diversity.

Develop Botanical Expertise

Build advanced skills in tropical plant identification, systematics and phylogeny.

Advance Research Capacity

Learn data collection, analysis and scientific writing for peer-reviewed research.

Promote Conservation Awareness

Explore tropical biodiversity and strategies for conservation and sustainable use.

Build Professional Networks

Connect with leading tropical botanists, institutions and research centers.

The course experience

Program Highlights

An immersive combination of botanical instruction, research and field-based learning.

Legacy and Living Collections

Build on five decades of instruction with access to more than 1,400 species representing over 150 tropical plant families.

Field-Based Learning

Explore botanical gardens, the Everglades and Florida Keys while based at ICTB’s Coconut Grove facility.

Hands-On Systematics

Study plant characters and phylogenetics while learning to identify tropical plants to the family level.

Research Experience

Monitor plant diversity plots, analyze ecological data and communicate findings through publications and presentations.

Learn across South Florida

Your Classroom

Study tropical plants through living collections, expert instruction and field experiences across some of South Florida’s most distinctive environments.

Tropical Botany students and instructors at The Kampong

International Center for Tropical Botany at The Kampong

Explore historic tropical collections at the course’s home base in Coconut Grove.

Students learning from tropical plant collections in a South Florida botanical garden

South Florida Botanical Gardens

Visit Montgomery Botanical Center, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Deering Estate, Fruit & Spice Park and other living collections.

Tropical Botany students conducting fieldwork in a South Florida natural area

Everglades and Florida Keys

Experience South Florida’s native tropical and subtropical flora through immersive field exploration.