At the southern tip of Florida, just miles from the
cities of Miami and Dade counties, wilderness and adventure await.
The Everglades, or the "river of grass," covers over two
million acres of marshes, alligators, and tropical birds. The Keys,
a chain of small rocky islands, arc 150 miles southward into the
clear, aquamarine waters of the Caribbean.
The largest remaining sub-tropical wilderness in the U.S., the
Greater Everglades Ecosystem is a unique and fragile environment.
Thanks in part to recent conservation efforts and one of the unique
creatures in the area, the alligator, the Everglades is staging
a quiet comeback. As summer sun and heat dry the already low marshes,
alligators dig out "gator holes," which keep water-dependent
plants and fish alive during droughts.
Home to pelicans, roseate spoonbills, ospreys, white herons, bald
eagles, dolphins, sharks, sea turtles, manatees, and turtles, the
waters of the Florida Keys support a wide variety of wildlife, including
the incredibly fragile coral that form large underwater reefs and
are the origins of the islands themselves.
