By Christian Fernandez, Tall Timbers Research Station

I’m an outreach specialist for the Southern Fire Exchange (SFE), and a second-generation Cuban American born and raised in Miami, Florida. Growing up in Miami, I thought it was nothing more than the concrete jungle, palms, and sandy beaches you see in movies. Exotic species, many of which are invasive, felt like neighbors, and the Everglades seemed a world away. It was a joke amongst Miami residents that we lived in North Cuba. But what I – and many others – didn’t realize growing up is that Miami is home to one of the most unique and endangered ecosystems worldwide: pine rockland.

These forests look like a slice of Florida history amidst the Spanish architecture and manicured lawns of urban Miami. While visually similar to the pine savannas found throughout the state, pine rocklands are distinguished by their exposed limestone caprock and the many, many solution holes that form in it (Figure 1).

The ground feels like something from the moon and serves as the foundation for unique evolutionary adaptations, resulting in dozens of plants and animals found only in pine rocklands.

These species and their diversity are maintained by disturbances. While disturbances like flooding, hurricanes, or frost may vary in intensity or frequency across their range, until modern times, fire remained a constant in the pine rockland ecosystem, which historically burned every 2-10 years.

Fire, as a disturbance, would’ve been started by lightning strikes or by cultural burning practices by indigenous communities and, eventually, by the descendants of colonial settlers.

The many plants and animals that call pine rocklands home, including those that are threatened or endangered, need fire to thrive. When I first learned about this, it felt like my eyes were being opened about my hometown for the first time. Miami was not just the curated, tropical experience that it presents itself as, but a fire-dependent landscape.

Knowing this, it’s unsurprising that long-standing fire suppression is one of the main threats to pine rocklands. Restoring healthy, natural fire to the landscape seems like the answer to restoring these ancient ecosystems (see “Benefits of Prescribed Fire”, an EDIS publication, to learn more), but the situation is a bit complicated.

First, the remaining pine rocklands in urban Miami are severely fragmented, putting areas that need to burn next to homes and businesses. Nearly all Miami-Dade County, from Florida City to North Miami Beach, was once pine rockland, but because of urban development, what’s left are small parcels surrounded by buildings or roads.

Second, these small pine rockland parcels have been fire-excluded for decades, in part under the philosophy of protecting surrounding communities from wildfires. This has resulted in decades of vegetation accumulation, making it even harder to burn safely. In almost poetic irony, this vegetative fuel build-up makes these pine rocklands more susceptible to wildfires.

Finally, fire suppression and exclusion have likely contributed to an apparent disconnect in public awareness. Folks may not be aware of the important role of fire in maintaining pine rocklands or may be unaware of fire in their community altogether–except, of course, when a local wildfire is covered by the local  news.

With Miami’s pine rockland parcels being surrounded by human communities, this lack of awareness may result in confusion, fear, or frustration toward natural resource managers aiming to restore much-needed fire to this ecosystem (see “See Smoke? Smell Smoke? Be in the Know.” to learn more about what to do when you see fire smoke).

In summary, Miami’s natural resource managers are challenged to restore prescribed fire to natural areas that have faced decades of fuel accumulation and are deeply embedded in human communities – not easy.

This is where Southern Fire Exchange (SFE) plays an important role. SFE is a regional fire science communication program administered by the University of Florida, Tall Timbers Research Station, and North Carolina State University. We bring resources and science to fire managers across the 13 states of the southeastern U.S. to help them move fire science into practice to steward fire-dependent ecosystems, tackle land management challenges, and protect human communities.

In other words, we help natural resource managers tackle the “not easy”. In December 2024, we held a scoping meeting with key parties from across the range of pine rocklands to better understand the community’s needs. Once these needs were identified, planning commenced. Fast forward to February 18th-20th, 2026, and the inaugural Pine Rockland Fire Science Workshop was hosted at the UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County Office in Homestead, Florida.

Over the course of the three-day workshop, participants learned the latest science related to prescribed fire reintroduction (see SFE’s fact sheet to learn more about duff). Participants also connected with fellow natural resource managers to share lessons from working in urbanized areas, and principles of communicating with the public about prescribed fire. The workshop catered to multiple learning styles with presentations, panel and small-group discussions (Figures 2a & 2b), and field tours (Figure 3), offering a robust and comprehensive learning experience.

Participant commentary and evaluation data revealed that not only were the workshop’s learning objectives met, but its impact went beyond the classroom. Partners from multiple agencies and NGOs expressed strong intent to collaborate on developing a future Miami-Dade prescribed-fire festival (see North Carolina State University’s Fire Festivals webpage to learn more about these events).

A local UF/IFAS Extension specialist was inspired by the workshop to incorporate prescribed fire into his programming for Miami-Dade County. This workshop also helped form new inter-agency partnerships that will increase capacity for prescribed burning in the region. See the quote below for yourself.

 “The Pine Rockland Fire Science Workshop provided an important opportunity to reconnect with partner agencies and exchange practical ideas about best management practices. The presentations and field‑based sessions offered insights we can apply immediately, particularly in improving how we communicate the value of prescribed burns to our stakeholders. The information and ideas shared throughout the event have also inspired Miami‑Dade County agencies to explore new community‑engagement efforts and programs.” – Heather Tedlow, Interim Natural Areas Manager, Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces

Although Miami is a concrete jungle and wears its exotic palms like the latest fashion, the people that make up Miami are as diverse as a pine rockland’s understory. Despite their differences and the insane amount of traffic on the Turnpike, the people unite under their 305 area code as if it were a flag of its own.

I believe the greatest lesson learned from the Pine Rocklands Fire Science Workshop mirrors this reality about Miami. Our ability to communicate science is only as good as the relationships in place to carry that information into action. Workshops like this one developed by SFE offer an avenue for just that. They not only facilitate knowledge exchange but serve as a platform for building new bridges, strengthening existing ones, and rekindling relationships (Figures 4 & 5). Whether it be for scrub or swamp, bringing folks under one roof and getting them to connect with and learn from each other can overcome all manner of challenges–including the fragmented fire of Miami’s pine rocklands.

View a video roundup of the 2026 Pine Rocklands Fire Science Workshop here.

Interested in a future workshop about pine rocklands? SFE will be participating in the 2026 Pine Rockland Working Group conference on November 8-12 at Fairchild Botanical Gardens with the theme is “Science-backed management in a changing landscape.” SFE will handle the online and recording logistics, and we will also help facilitate a prescribed burn demonstration in Miami. Register here: https://www.pinerocklandworkinggroup.org/

— Christian Fernandez graduated from UF’s School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Conservation and a focus in Human Dimensions. He minored in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation and International Development and Humanitarian Assistance. He notes that this column was written with support from: David Godwin, Ph.D., University of Florida; Raelene Crandall, Ph.D., University of Florida

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