The Everglades
“There are no other Everglades in the world.” - Marjory Stoneman Douglas
Quick Facts
Where: Florida
Size: 1,542,526 acres (2,410 square miles)
Yearly Visitors: 1 million
Economic Output: $176 million
Image: As the sun sets, the Everglades is cast into nightfall, a time just as active and productive as daylight.
A rich biodiversity finds refuge in America’s largest subtropical wilderness.
Image: An American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) cooling off in Shark Valley, a popular area to spot these large reptiles.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas’ The Everglades: River of Grass, published the same year the park was established, was one of the most influential environmental texts of its time. The American public could now understand this natural treasure and what it would take to protect it. Previous notions of a dangerous and brutal swamp were challenged. The Everglades is wild, yes, but it is also radiant, lush, singular. Life flourishes along the 100 by 60 square mile river of grass. Over 350 species of bird can be found here, including the rare and dazzling roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja). American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) and American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) coexist, the only place in the world where you can find both species overlapping in range. Florida panthers (Puma concolor coryi), the “ghost of the Everglades,” find refuge in the vast wilderness. Over 750 species of plants grow in this highly productive ecosystem, including rare orchids, bromeliads, succulents, grasses, and more. Despite the inspiring conservation efforts that have been made, however, the Everglades are still suffering from both current and historic drainage and re-channeling efforts.
"Of the practicability of draining them I have no question. That such work would reclaim millions of acres of highly valuable lands, I have no doubt." This is a direct quote from Florida governor William S. Jennings’ address to the 1903 state legislature.
Before the establishment of Everglades National Park, the Everglades was not viewed as a beautiful mosaic of sawgrass marshes and mangrove forests. Powerful businessmen and politicians saw it as an opportunity to expand and make southern Florida an agricultural empire - once the Everglades had been drained and molded, of course. In 1907, the Florida state legislature established the Everglades Drainage District and constructed several canals that diverted water from Lake Okeechobee, the headwaters and lifeblood of the Everglades. A series of devastating hurricanes in the 1920s - early 1930s only furthered the state’s need to implement a complex series of flood control structures. Ecological damage came quickly, and people could no longer ignore its impact. Landscape architect Ernest Coe spurred a preservation effort in 1928, assembling a group of passionate conservationists under the Tropical Everglades National Park Association. Years of advocacy paid off, and a national park was dedicated in 1947.
Image: A large American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) rests in a patch of lilypads. These hardy and prehistoric reptiles were once endangered, but they have made an incredible recovery in the Everglades and southeastern U.S.
Roseate spoonbills are an iconic Everglades species, though they are increasingly uncommon within the park. The millinery trade in the late 1800s took a massive toll on these birds, whose flamboyant pink plumage was a common accessory for hats. After Everglades National Park was established, the population began to rise… until 1979. Flocks moved further and further north, traveling as far as Georgia and South Carolina. While the exact reason for these birds’ mass exodus is not well understood, there are a few things that we know. Their odd, sensitive bills evolved to detect prey in shallow waters, such as those found in mangrove forests. Rerouted channels have completely drained some of these groves, while climate change and rising sea levels have flooded others. In short, much of the historic spoonbill habitat in southern Florida is gone, forcing these birds to flee inland. Not all hope is lost - some small populations still reside in the park, and ongoing restoration efforts are having observable effects on the landscape!
Image: The anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) uses its long, sharp beak to spear prey, like this unlucky warmouth fish (Lepomis gulosus).
Image: The Everglades protects over 450,000 acres of mangrove forests. These vital ecosystems are nurseries for marine life, prevent storm damage and erosion in coastal communities, and naturally filter water.
Image: A family of roseate spoonbills (Platalea ajaja) at Orlando Wetlands. These birds were once common in the Everglades, but much of their preferred habitat has been destroyed.
Urban and agricultural development has impeded over 70% of the Everglades’ historic water flow. With water levels down seasonally, native wildlife and natural resources suffer. In 200, Congress approved the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), a landmark multi-billion-dollar plan to revitalize the world’s largest wetland. There are multiple components to the CERP, and those that are already underway are already improving the ecosystem. The Tamaimi Trail, a busy roadway that follows the perimeter of the Everglades, is being raised to allow for waterflow beneath the road. In sections were this has been implemented, park rangers are reporting that average water depth is increasing by 3-5 feet.
The Everglades is an ecosystem that has been repeatedly undermined and misunderstood. It is a landscape defined by survival, persisting despite our best attempts to subdue it. With continued support and protection, we could once again bear witness to America’s largest subtropical wetland and all of the life it nourishes.
