Here some quick facts about the Everglades. You may have heard of some of the facts before, but many are unknown to the majority of people.We hope these tidbits make you want to check out this natural wonder!

The Everglades is home to 14 endangered species and 9 threatened species.

The Everglades used to be spread across 8 million acres, but now, the area is less than 50 percent of the size it once was due to human settlement and drainage.

The Everglades isn’t really a swamp or forested wetland (although it’s refereed to being so, often), it’s a very slow-moving river.

The American alligator and the American crocodile only co-exist here.

The entire Everglades ecosystem stretched from the Kissimmee River to Lake Okeechobee before people began settling in southern Florida.

The Everglades is a Word Heritage site, a Wetland of International Significance, and an International Biosphere Reserve.

One out of three Floridians get their water supply from the Everglades.

It is the largest, continuous saw grass prairie on the continent.

It contains the largest mangrove system in the western hemisphere.

The area is home to the bestt breeding ground for tropical wading birds on the continent.

The ghost orchid only grows in the Everglades.

The Everglades is known as the “River of Grass.”  Native Americans called it and still call it  “pahayokee,” which means grassy waters.

Check out the Everglades

There is so much more to know and learn about the Everglades beyond these few facts.  The best way to learn about the area is up close and personal! An airboat ride allows people to go through the wetland and see lots of different,  beautiful vegetation, water, and animal life.  Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours in Everglades offer a fun, unique experience on an airboat through the Everglades. Call Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours at 239-695-3377 or click here to book a trip.

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The Everglades is primarily made up of water, and is actually a flowing river. Water flows from north to south from Lake Okeechobee. It is a very slow moving river. These days, its dimensions are 60 miles wide and 100 miles long. It used to be even larger!  Unfortunately, due to construction and drainage projects, close to 50 percent of the wetland has been destroyed. Natural areas of the Everglades were replaced with residential areas, urban areas, and farms.

Now, an Everglades Restoration Plan is in place to restore the water flow to its historic, natural flow. On Earth Day, one of these plans, building the Tamiami Bridge, began construction. Why is a restoration plan needed? Well if it’s never restored, the area may disappear.  Because of humans, Lake Okeechobee became connected to estuaries through the Calooshatchee and St. Lucie Rivers. When this occurred, the rivers began receiving water from the lake that compromised the fragile estuarine ecosystem. Other Everglades areas now receive polluted water from the Lake that came from the farming areas. Vegetation and wildlife have changed in these areas because of it. Since the Everglades is home to 16 endangered or threatened species, it’s even more crucial to get the water flowing properly. One small change in the ecosystem and an entire species can disappear, and no one wants that to happen.

This Restoration Plan contains around 60 components that will restore the ecosystem, provide flood protection, and ensure water supplies. Some plans include: Kissimmee River restoration project; building additional storm water treatment areas and flow equalization basins, the Picayune Strand Restoration Project, Tamiami Bridge, and the C-111 Spreader Canal.

Explore The Beautiful Everglades

The Everglades is one-of-a-kind place of wonder; it has been designated biodiversity global hotspot, because it is one of the richest and most threatened areas with plant and animal life on the planet. Protection of this area is crucial, especially if people want to continue to benefit from its water and beauty in the future. It’s a must-see place. To explore the area, an airboat tour brings people up-close-and-personal with the wetland. To book an airboat tour, click here. or call Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours at 239-695-3377.

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Mallards are a medium-sized waterfowl species, averaging in lengths of around two feet and with wingspans of around three feet. Females are mostly mottled in various shades of brown and tan, leaving them virtually indistinguishable from other species of dabbling ducks. Male mallards, however, are quite a site to behold. Most notable for their glossy green heads, white collars, pale grey bellies, and black and white tipped tails, the males are arguably the “prettier” of the two genders. But while certain characteristics can be associated with both male and female mallards, the malleability of their genetic code allows for quite a range of variation in appearance between ducks of the mallard species.

What makes mallards unique from other waterfowl species, and from much of the Florida Everglades wildlife in general, is that while most species tend to suffer and decline in population from their interactions with humans, mallards have actually benefited. These ducks are highly adaptable to a variety of surroundings, including heavily populated areas and areas of urban development. In fact, in addition to being found throughout the Everglades, they are also quite common around ponds and lakes within housing communities and commercial centers.

But while it can be argued that mallards have benefited from their relationship with humans, it can also be said that humans have not benefited from their relationship with mallards, but most importantly, the species hurt the most by mallards are other types of ducks. Mallards are capable of breeding with nearly all other types of ducks, and are considered an invasive species or pest in many areas where they can be found, because of what is called “genetic pollution.” The idea behind this concept is that, because mallards hybridize with so many other species, it creates conservation concerns for specific species of duck that are already in danger. After enough hybridization, the original species will cease to exist, essentially causing the possible extinction of a variety of exotic and domestic duck species.

Though you likely have observed some form of mallard in the wild before, more than likely at the local park or perhaps even in your own backyard, mallards can still be appreciated while taking an airboat tour through the Florida Everglades. Florida swampland tours are not only a great opportunity to view the local winged wildlife, but you can also observe many of the local mammals, amphibians, and lizards too.

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Unlike most national parks in the United States, which were generally established in order to preserve unique geographic features, such as mountains and coral reefs, Everglades National Park was the very first to be established in order to preserve a fragile ecosystem. Unfortunately, human activity has caused severe damage throughout the Everglades, and although the park was officially established in 1934 to try and protect the quickly vanishing wilderness, the park’s further restoration and protection remains a hot topic of debate in Florida politics, even today.

Today, Everglades National Park is home to 36 threatened and protected species, as well as more than:

• 350 species of bird
• 300 species of fish
• 50 species of reptile
• 40 species of mammal

Because Everglades National Park contains a mix of freshwater and saltwater, an extremely vast and varied population of both plants and animals have made their home here. With one of the largest mangrove ecosystems in the entire world, the area is also considered one of the largest breeding grounds for tropical wading birds in all of North America. This statistic is especially amazing when considering that the plume hunting craze of the late 1800′s and early 1900′s almost wiped out all the birds in the area completely, with some estimates as high as a 95% shore bird population loss.

Everglades National Park is most popular for visitors between the months of December and March, which is considered the dry season throughout southern Florida. Camping is available year round and there are several walking trails available at varying levels of difficulty, though some are impassable depending on water levels during specific times of year or after heavy rainfall. While the park hosts four conveniently located visitor centers for information, food, and canoe/kayak rentals, the park can also be accessed from numerous trails along nearby state roads. Despite the numerous access points surrounding the park, there are still many areas that are only accessible by boat.

A large portion of the areas located within the park are considered no-wake zones, in order to protect fragile wildlife, and especially manatees, from even low-powered motorboats. Because much of the Everglades is unnavigable by powerboat anyway, airboat tours tend to be one of the more common modes of transportation when traveling through the Everglades. Because the majority of an airboat’s construction sits above the water, airboat rides have proved useful when skimming across the shallows of the Everglades at high speeds, accessing areas that couldn’t possibly be safely accessed any other way. To experience the Everglades on an airboat for yourself this summer, schedule an airboat ride with Captain Mitch and his crew today!

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