Everglades National Park is a 1,400,539 acres wetlands preserve on the southern tip of the U.S. state of Florida, established in 1947.
The cutting saw grass rising from the waters flowing slowly from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico prompted the Seminole Indians to call this area “River of Grass.” It is home to such creatures as the fearsome Florida alligator and the oafish West Indian manatee, as well as 300 species of fish, including the prehistoriclooking Gulf toadfish. Along with the marshes are tangled mangroves, thick pinelands and hardwood hammocks.
A large variety of orchids can be found throughout the park, which is also an avian wonderland inhabited by such birds as the pink-faced white ibis and the roseate spoonbill. Motorboaters, kayakers and fishermen flock here to the lower reaches of Florida, and visitors are drawn to its famed fan-driven airboats. But nearby development and pollution have long threatened the Everglades.
In order to preserve the region, an intergovernmental partnership has worked to restore the park’s ecosystem, and at the same time there are efforts to remove invasive species, such as the Burmese python.
Everglades National Park is renowned within the park system for its exceptional education program, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. But it’s only been in the past five years that educational offerings in parks have been portraying the significant impact of climate change.
Location : Florida, United States
ESTABLISHED 1947
1,400,539 ACRES
ANNUAL VISITORS: 1.12 M
