Everglades

An amazing looking orchid growing on a branch of a cypress tree.

American Alligator, oh I'd say about 6ft long...endangered species.

Close up of a big guy (over 4oolbs!) just 

relaxing and waiting for dinner to pass on by.

Pilleated woodpecker near the alligator hole.

Alligator front right foot...how primeval!

Anhinga bird with a fresh catch.

A nice play of "wilderness" in south Florida with the telltale signs of humanity in the skies with the contrails...two very different worlds.

            We’re headed to the Everglades National Park today, a World Heritage Site, an International Biosphere Reserve and a Wetland of International Importance – must be both an important ecological place and unique to have all those titles heaped upon it.  I didn’t realize the Park was so huge; encompassing over 1.5 million acres it’s the 3^rd largest national park in the Lower 48 states (let’s hear it for Alaska, we have the 6 largest national parks!) behind Yellowstone (2^nd) and Death Valley (1^st).  Everglades National Park was the first National Park that was designated as such because of its biological diversity; areas designated as National Parks before Everglades (established in 1947) were done so primarily before because of their scenic and/or geological attributes.    

            What an interesting place this land where water and land meet.  Because humans love to live in sunny Florida the Everglades serve as a sort of touchstone against which to gauge the impacts of man on the natural world.  Under the threats portion of our Biomes Project in Science class at Begich Middle School, humans should be listed as a threat for all of your biomes!  Endangered species such as the American crocodile, Florida Panthers (NJ Devils are better!), and the Atlantic hawksbill turtle are all found in the Everglades.  Humans have played a large role in the Everglades, and not always with good consequences: the introduction of non-native species, disruptive water management actions, and the disturbance of natural processes have all worked to undermine the integrity of this wetlands biome. 

            We visited two different habitats today in the Everglades, the first being an alligator hole.  This part of the world is currently experiencing a sizeable drought; that coupled with our visit falling during the end of the dry season accounts for the very low water levels in this “river of grass.”  Because the watertable is drawn so far down, the alligators are concentrated in great numbers in wherever this is water at the surface.  The alligator hole was full of the large reptiles, quite the site the see.  There were all arhinga birds there, catching fish it seemed at will.  The last part of the day we visited a cypress dome, an area where cypress trees have grown to a critical mass and actually appear to be an island among the saw grass fields.  Water moccasin snakes, cotton mouths, anoles, alligators, spider and many other interesting critters call these places home.

Quite the day filled with science in a beautiful spot with lots of other interesting teachers from around the country!  It's amazing to think of the Everglades, this utter wilderness sea of grass (that has only 17% of its original area remaining) existing within 50 miles of 7 million people.  I know we have a ton of wilderness of Alaska but it seems a bit more appropriate given our low population density.  

Interesting thought for today...surrounded by this wetland today I got to thinking about the weather.  Sure, it was a beautiful day with fair weather cumulus clouds and not a lick of humidity but yet all that water; this part of Florida gets roughly 55" of rain a year.  How come all the world's great deserts exist at this latitude around the world but Florida, this great peninsula jutting out into the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, gets blessed with so much water?  Ponder that students!