Everglades National Park: Exploring the River of Grass and Its Unique Ecosystem

Introduction

The Everglades is a chain of wetlands, prairies, hammocks and forest sinks situated in the southern part of Florida. Known as the “River of Grass” it supports a fantastic array of wildlife some of which is endangered or very rare. Stretching 1.5 million acres, Everglades National Park conserves the south twenty percent of this environment. It was created as a national park in 1947 to retain the physical geography and animals in this area. Today it is declared as an International Biosphere Reserve and Wetland International Ramsar site and A World Heritage Centre.

Exploring the Everglades

There are a number of options through which visitors can visit Everglades National Park. It is divided into three main visitor attractions. Everglades City and Chokoloskee region has water to take boat tours and has ground trails for trekking. There is a good tram tour in Shark Valley area and there is even an observation tower where one can get a view on the extensive area of sawgrass prairies. The south region around Homestead and Florida Bay has trails, a visitor center and boat ramp access.

So driving and bicycling per the park roads enable one to view wildlife in their natural domain. Some of the common trails are the Flamingo and roads that stretch off the park highway such as Eco Pond, Paurotis Pond and the Mahogany Hammock trails. From the Royal Palm Visitor Center, there are two hiking trails the Anhinga Trail and Gumbo Limbo Trail passing through forested swamp and hammocks.

Canoeing and kayaking are great means to enjoy traveling over the Everglades and have an incredibly close interaction with the natural environment. Some of the multinationals or local firms involved in guided or rental tours included. One can pole through ATV trails, S-shape channels of mangrove tunnels, sail through the sawgrass of imperial prairies, and visit bays that have small keys and islets, nesting ground for birds. One of these serene paddling trails can often locate the birds, alligators, turtles, and other wildlife.

For the bird’s eye view lovers, there are few companies providing Everglades sightseeing flights and helicopter tours. These are between 30-90 minutes long and enable you to marvel at the huge expanses of marshlands containing tree Islands and creeks below. They also offer great spots for taking pictures too.  

Diverse Ecosystems

What makes the Everglades so unique is its diversity of interconnected ecosystems including:

• Aquatic sites which include freshwater sloughs and marshes and sawgrass prairies. These immense swampy areas of tree islands are familiarly known as the “River of Grass.” It also takes around 600-odd years to navigate about a quarter of a mile wide southwards.
• Tropical and temperate plant species find other habitats in the hardwood hammocks and pineland swales on elevated areas of the island. Over 200 species of trees are grown in these forests.
• Mangrove swamps develop where the freshwater joins the sea making the coastlines. Such salt-tolerant trees act as protected breeding grounds for fish, shellfish and wading birds. Their root systems also intertwined, helping to protect shores from destruction during a tropical storm.
• Lush greenish water currents originating from various water sources are composed of crystal water filled with aquatic plants and surrounded with trees of cypress with Spanish moss. These sheltered water ways afford protection to various types of aquatic animals for instance turtles and fish. 
• This largest part of Florida is an estuarine shallow platform with seagrass meadows, sandy keys, salt marshes, which supports breeder and feeding areas for the majority of marine species. It is perforated by more than 800 little keys and keys, lots of which are crucial nesting grounds for magnificent frigate birds, brown pelicans, herons, and egrets.

Diverse Wildlife 

The ecological richness of this area is as rich in the populations of many kinds of animals; 40 of them are listed in the Red Book or are in transition. Some of the Everglades’ most notable animal residents include:

• American Alligator: These big fascistic reptiles prefer habitats in the warm water of the Everglades. There are approximately 1.5 million alligators regardless of size living within the Everglades. Territorial Plates can commonly be seen feeding along the edges of trails and rivers.  
• Florida Panther: This is an endangered subspecies of the cougar or mountain lion, with less than 230 adults believed to be in the wild. The Everglades is one of the only places they have a relatively large population. 
• Sea Cows: or these slow moving mammals as they are West Indian Manatee can be seen in the warmer inland rivers and creeks where there is submerged vegetation. During winter, people require warmer climates; accordingly, dozens of individuals turn to water. 
• American Crocodile: 2-3 meters long usually can be seen on coastal areas and creeks in Flaming and Everglades City. They are also found alongside freshwater alligators.
• Sea Turtles: Loggerhead MOST of the several species of turtles that use Florida’s beaches and keys for nesting include loggerheads. Park rangers patrol and guard turtle nesting grounds. Edited at 19:41, 3 March 2012 by Birdman666: It breeds mostly from June to October when hatchlings come out.  
• Birds: Large concentrations of wading birds: Wood storks, herons, egrets, ibises and roseate spoonbills are fed in the marshes. Our beautiful coastal islands are home to frigate birds, brown pelicans and other birds. Ample opportunities to see hawks, owls, songbirds, and even bald eagles make bird watchers happy.

When to Visit

Despite the extreme climate, there is no bad time to visit the Everglades because the winter temperatures fluctuate around 70°F while the average summer temperature is in the 80s.  

The dry winter season is from December to April at which time wildlife, particularly birds, concentrate in higher numbers around reduced water sources. Visiting boat tours and canoe trails are easily within reach though the bugs are not very many. 

Autumn is experienced from May to October whereby mid afternoon breaks down to heat and humidity result in thunderstorms. Saturated wetlands encourage bugs and the prerequisite leaching that make for magnificent hunting areas for insects necessary for wildlife breeding grounds. The number of wading birds, turtles and alligators is abundant and it is also a nesting time for them between May/June. Mangroves and other aquatic plants are in bloom and bring bright colors into existence. The only thing you need to bring with you from your home is mosquito protection.

There are two good shoulder months, November though it may be a bit cooler and so is May. Autumn is all about; more wildlife, bird migration, less heat and even manatee wintering Autumn the wildflowers blooming and baby animals sighted during spring.

Admission to the park is $30 per car ($25 motorcycle, $15 single person) with an annual pass costing $55. Vehicle admission means all passengers within the vehicle at the time of entry will be allowed in the park for a straight 7 days. We offer visitor centers, overlooks and trails free of cost. Additional fees for sightseeing tours, boats, kayaks, and backcountry access may be available from different private companies.

Check Out: Exploring Florida’s National Parks: A Journey Through Nature’s Diverse Wonders.

Everglades Protection 

Though the Everglades may seem ancient, this ecosystem has been battling massive conservation issues due to drainage and development for the past century. Stretching over more than 3 million acres of South Florida, the Everglades shrunk to the half of its size it was a hundred years ago. The averages of water flow reductions averaged at 60% and strongly embody the diminishment of habitats. As it is displayed in this study, the storm water runoff introduces fertilizer nutrients which enable the encroachment of the cattail plants into sawgrass marshes. The increase in sea levels is bad as well for coastal trees and fresh water sources.

In response, vaguely ambitious restoration schemes are set out to assess water quality, hydrological functioning and flood alleviation with the aim of maintaining this species rich and biodiverse habitat for future usage and fauna. The people bear a great responsibility in maintaining the Everglades National Park through revenue that is generated through entry fees, donations, and friendly use of the facilities. Following park rules helps to preserve wildlife behavior as well as its environment.

In addition to the national park, there are several state parks and wildlife refuges with more opportunities for seeing Everglades communities with ranger-led programs, hiking, canoe rentals or wildlife viewing. Big Cypress National Preserve, Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Biscayne National Park and Dry Tortugas National Park are included as important sites. Private ecotour companies also offer full-size airboat tours, sea cave sea kayaking and bird watching.

Whether you opt for its drive-through, airboat rides or boat-trailer, seeing America’s largest subtropical wilderness offers and exploring wetland scenery that is unique on the planet gives an up-close view of wildlife. An acceptance of Everglades protection efforts enable these special areas to be preserved for future generations to enjoy.

Conclusion

It is really no wonder that Everglades National Park is considered one of the most distinctive of all the units within the National Parks system of the United States. This extensive area, and meadow of one of the world’s largest tracts of freshwater-land – which includes sawgrass prairies, cypress swamps, estuarine bays – supports one of the most diverse of temperate regional ecosystems. What joy for tourists is achieved through the rich capturing of the cultural images of alligators, birds, turtles, manatees in their natural environment, or even, crocodiles. Similar experience is guaranteed by hiking trails, paddling, as well as sightseeing tours for closer acquaintance with the aboriginal folks.

Conservation continues today to maintain its geometry for ecological marvels against current threats such as drainage, flooding, and pollution. They also help support the Everglades National Park with the ability to pay to enter in, and using the park amenities properly and non-interfering. Trip into River of Grass shows why America’s Everglades is truly one of Nature’s wonders not to be missed.  

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