Key West Garden Fundraiser Blends Rum Tastings and Conservation Education
The Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden held its 3rd Annual Rum Infused Scavenger Hunt on Saturday evening, November 22, 2025, pairing a lighthearted scavenger hunt with rum tastings, live music and food to raise money for transportation and education programs. The fundraiser supports field trips, conservation education and garden maintenance, helping remove access barriers for local schools and strengthening community environmental outreach.
The Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden hosted its third annual Rum Infused Scavenger Hunt on Saturday evening, November 22, 2025, drawing residents to the garden for a blend of entertainment and fundraising. Organizers paired a scavenger hunt across the garden with rum tastings, live music and food, and encouraged both families and adults to participate as teams. Proceeds from the event will go toward the garden's transportation and education programs.
Funds raised are earmarked to underwrite field trips and conservation education, and to support ongoing garden maintenance. For Monroe County schools and community groups the transportation support is particularly significant, because it helps remove a common barrier to outdoor learning for students from low income neighborhoods. Conservation education programs delivered at the garden connect local students and residents with native ecosystems while helping sustain the site as a public resource.
The fundraiser also served as a community gathering space, reinforcing the garden's role as both an educational asset and a public green space. By combining a social event with revenue for outreach, the garden's approach channels community participation into practical support for programs that may otherwise face budget constraints. Maintaining the garden is important for public access, biodiversity preservation and for educational programming that supplements classroom learning.
The event announcement included details on date time location and entry information, and outlined how proceeds would support outreach efforts. While the evening's festivities emphasized fun and accessibility, the underlying purpose centered on equity in environmental education and long term stewardship of a county asset. As Monroe County continues to assess funding priorities for public education and green space maintenance, locally driven fundraisers like this one play a tangible role in filling gaps and fostering community investment in conservation and access.
