It’s not even the middle of February and Everglades National Park in the southern tip of Florida is hot. It’s in the 90’s and humid and the sun is brilliant. It’s that bright sunlight, warm temperatures, and the abundance of water that accounts for the vast diversity of plant and animal life that calls the Everglades home. Although the Everglades officially falls into a temperate climate, it is only one latitude degree off of what would be called a tropical climate and this makes it a sub-tropical climate. The Everglades is really what they call a river of water and grass and it runs over a hundred miles from Lake Okeechobee south to the Bay of Florida and is about 70 miles wide. The “grass” in this river is called Sawgrass due to the sharp points that run down its edges and that actually make it a “sedge”, and not a “grass”. This is also the only location on the planet with this type of ecosystem that we call “The Everglades”. Many people might mistake this ecosystem for a swamp but that is not accurate. Swamps consist of stagnant, non-moving water and as I mentioned, the Everglades is a slow moving river, which is referred to as a “Freshwater Marsh”. Although this area looks boringly flat to the naked eye, a drop of 14 feet over that 100 plus miles helps the water along. As wetlands are the most productive terrestrial ecosystems, this huge water and grass river is a powerhouse of photosynthesis that supports a rich abundance of food chains year round. It is home to a multitude of aquatic birds as well as waterfowl that winter here from other locations and migrating birds that use this as a major “pit stop” for food, water, and rest. The food chains here involve hundreds of plants, protists, insects, birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. You’ll also find both alligators (which are plentiful), and, crocodiles (which are less). We had the thrill of encountering a “croc” up close when one came into the inlet where we were walking. This is the only location on the planet where alligators and crocodiles co-exist in the same location. It is also the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. Winter is the dry season here and the water drops and many locations in it dry up completely. This concentrates the remaining fish, reptiles, birds and such in the locations where the water remains. Alligators are the “Keystone” species in this ecosystem. They are the top predator and are also the ecosystem engineers as they create “paths” through the sawgrass and also dig “alligator pits” which are large depressions several feet deep and up to 10 feet in diameter by using their powerful tails and legs. These pits fill with water and are a sanctuary for all the creatures that depend on water for survival during the dry season.

The Everglades is not only incredibly important to our planets biological diversity, it also supports and sustains the immense Biscayne Aquifer that is located below it. The plants that reside in the “Glades” are a huge filter that cleans the water running south from Lake Okeechobee. The Glades themselves flow above huge deposits of limestone that were deposited by shelled creatures that lived and died in the oceans that used to cover this area. The clean water running south seeps down through the soft limestone and replenishes the aquifer. If the water running south is slowed or depleted, the volume in the aquifer shrinks and reduces its outward pressure, and this allows salt water from the Gulf, the Atlantic, and Florida Bay to begin to seep in and fill the depleted space. This aquifer supplies fresh water to not only the sprawling populations along Florida’s coasts, but also to the huge agricultural businesses that make use of the states year round warm temperatures. The influx of saline into the aquifer is a serious threat to this precious resource. In the 1800’s and early 1900’s, attempts were made to drain what was then viewed as a useless swamp. Lake Okeechobee, a key source of water for the Glades was dammed, dikes were built and large areas of the Glades were filled in to make room for agriculture and housing developments. As expected, this had a serious impact on the flow of water and the life there that depended on it. The plants in the Everglades depend on nutrient poor soils and the leaching of fertilizers from the agricultural areas north of it led to algae blooms that choked out marine life in the glades and encouraged non-native and invasive species to move in. It was only with the increasing awareness of the importance of this ecosystem and the aquifer below it that actions started to be taken to try and reverse human’s detrimental onslaught. A 20 billion dollar project has now been put in motion based on a study, which outlined the steps necessary to remedy our negative actions. The “Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan” aims to restore the flow of water to these critical wetlands by removing certain dams and dikes to restore the flow and initial results are encouraging, but continued diligence and wise decisions regarding urban sprawl and agricultural pollution will be required to keep this moving in the right direction.

Our visit here started with a stay in Flamingo Campground which is located at the southernmost point in the park. Kayaking on the canal which leads to Coots Bay was actually not that remarkable although we did encounter a Manatee grazing close to the bank. The big payoff here was getting an up close encounter with the 10 foot crocodile which I noted above. Day two had us heading back north through the park with stops at the Eco Pond, the Pa-hay-okee overlook, and a walk on the Anhinga Trail. The Anhinga Trail although just under a mile in length, took you out into a rich area of the glades via a raised boardwalk which was definitely worth the trip as we saw all manner of birds, gators, and turtles. Our third day took us back north to the Shark Valley Visitors Center where we took a 14 mile tram ride into the Glades. The 14 mile road is only accessible via the tram, by foot, or by bicycle. We chose the tram which was well worth it as the Ranger that accompanied the tour and narrated it was extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife, the geography, and the history of the area. The driver of the tram was also a naturalist who helped spot and identify the many species of waterfowl we encountered. This two hour tour was truly a highlight of the park. Due to the lower winter water levels, mosquito’s were non-existent and no tears were shed by their absence. Spring through Fall however has them present in swarming hordes and that should play a role in anyone’s decision on a good time to visit the park. After the mountains and forests of the western US and the desert ecosystems in the southwest, this sub-tropical ecosystem was a wonderful change and highlighted the amazing diversity of ecosystems that are encompassed in our National Parks. As with all the parks, it is up to us to protect them for the rich natural beauty and importance they represent, but also so future generations can connect with the stunning wilderness they encompass.