Among the 59 national parks located in the United States, the Florida Everglades is perhaps one of the most well known. Everglades National Park was established to protect the southern 20% of what was considered the original Everglades, and today is the largest tropical wilderness located in the United States. Incredibly popular among tourists to […]
If you have ever asked yourself the question, “Why do bald cypresses have knees?” then you are not alone. Cypress trees are unusual when compared to most other tree species, whose root systems run underground, because although cypress roots do run underground, some of their root structures also come back up. When this happens we […]
The Florida Everglades provide a lush and hospitable environment for a variety of plants and animals. While the majority of species found in the Everglades are harmless to humans, there are a few that should be watched out for. Among these are the American alligator, the Burmese python, and the poisonwood tree. While you might […]
The West Indian manatee is certainly a local favorite, these gentle creatures having affectionately earned themselves the nickname of “sea cow.” The West Indian manatee can be further classified into two subgroups, the Florida Manatee and the Caribbean Manatee, both of which are currently on the endangered species list. The West Indian manatee is a […]
The ghost orchid, also known by its Latin name of dendrophylax lindenii, is often talked about but rarely seen, and is today considered to be one of the rarest flowers in the United States, if not the entire world. First discovered in 1844, the elusive flower has only been spotted in three places: Cuba, the […]
Mangroves are one of the last true natives in Florida, with an estimated 469,000 acres of mangrove forests found throughout the southern coastal areas of Florida. Because they thrive in saltwater and brackish water environments, they have made a comfortable home here since prehistoric times, and today, though there are more than fifty species of […]
Good news for the Everglades this week, with President Obama having announced on Monday, February 2nd that he is proposing to spend $195 million on Everglades restoration projects starting in 2015. This is quite a jump from last year’s proposal, showing that Obama will support the Everglades restoration project throughout the remainder of his presidency. […]
If you’ve traveled around Southern Florida, chances are you’ve heard the term “brackish” used when describing some areas of water. But what is brackish water and what makes it characteristic of some bodies of water and not others? Brackish water is a cross between freshwater and saltwater – it has a higher salinity level than […]
To understand the beauty and unique characteristics of the Florida Everglades ecosystem, one first learns that the Everglades are classified as wetlands. Wetlands are areas of land that remain saturated by water either seasonally or throughout the year. What separates wetlands from rivers and oceans is the ever present abundance of plant life and vegetation. […]
While the American black vulture is certainly not the most beautiful bird in the Everglades or the one with the best reputation, it might be one of the more interesting birds in not only the Everglades, but the entire world. Because the circling of vultures in the sky can often be a sign that something […]
