I personally really enjoyed the Everglades readings by Marjory Stoneman Douglas because I could understand and relate to what the author was talking about. She ties in not only very specific details about all the different plants, animals, and ecosystems in the everglades, but also her personal relationship with the Glades. Douglas contributed her most effort towards the Everglades Restoration project the last 29 years of her life, and she lived to be 108. Now that is a dedicated woman! The Everglades truly is a one of a kind place, just as Douglas tells us. It is not only a great tourist attraction but also a huge attraction to Florida citizens. I visited the Everglades for the first time my sophomore year of high school. I did not know what to expect of the visit at all. I definitely will not forget this trip though. The coolest part to me was walking down a trail in the woods and just seeing a 7-foot alligator sitting 2 feet away from you. But what I learned from our tour guide is that alligators are nocturnal, thankfully we took a day trip so the gators left us alone. I do not think I had ever been so close to nature before this trip. We also got to go up on this tower so we could get a higher up view of everything we were driving through and it was so cool to experience this, and it makes me much more thankful to live so close to such a unique place. I did some further research on the Everglades and found out many interesting facts I had never known before. I assumed there were several different types of ecosystems in the everglades, but according to the National Park Service, the established ecosystems are Hardwood Hammock, Pineland, Mangrove, Coastal Lowlands, Freshwater Slough, Freshwater Marl Prairie, Cypress, and Marine and Estuarine. Before the name “Everglades” was established, the Indians used to call it Pahayokee, meaning “the grassy waters.” Not only are there hundreds of different species that the Everglades provides a habitat for, but the Glades are also a home to 67 threatened or endangered species. Now for someone to even consider making changes to the Everglades in an industrial form would never pass. People like Douglas really make a difference in their defense of the Everglades and fight hard to keep this beautiful and prized National Park the only one of its kind in the world. I think it would be a smart investment for FGCU to send students in certain classes down to the everglades to help with studying the environment because it really is an eye opening trip and teaches you a lot just through seeing what’s in front of you.
Alligators basking in the Sun in the Florida Everglades
http://www.evergladesfoundation.org/pages/quick-facts/
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