Until very recently, large portions of South Florida were still covered in vast wilderness. Much of it was home to a flourishing network of tropical wetlands that stretched several thousand square miles, ranging north from the Kissimmee River in Central Florida and down to portions of the northern Keys at Florida Bay. As such, these fertile lands were practically untouched and undisturbed. Of course, that was before the arrival of modern civilization. Today, it is only a shadow of what it once was. Human development has altered its natural course, reduced its natural borders, and changed its landscape. I often try to envision what this region might have looked like thousands of years back, before the high-rise buildings and shopping mall plazas. Occasionally, I am reminded. Remnants of primitive South Florida are scattered throughout Miami. Some street corners and residential neighborhoods bear the mark of South Florida’s past; this can take the form of a wandering alligator patrolling the South Florida canals, a great blue heron groping for fish at a nearby pond, a flock of white ibis skipping about in the front yard of a neighbor’s house, or even a lone cypress tree sitting in the middle of a public parking lot and looking like it has no place being there. For me, these are constant reminders of something special that once was. To a lesser extent, the global iconic image of South Florida’s sandy white beaches and coconut-giving palm trees are somewhat deceiving, or at the very least, that image doesn’t tell the whole story. Granted that our coastlines, beaches, and cities are world-renowned; the cities themselves are grand works of human innovation of which I am very proud. But the real mystique lies within the peninsula’s interior, beyond the city lights and highways. Many remote areas of South Florida remain unexplored. Experts still consider these lush environments to be the most extensive network of interdependent ecosystems in the entirety of North America, and perhaps beyond. However, only when you cross Krome Avenue at the far west edge of town does this become apparent. Before then, the constant hustle and bustle of the daily commute of a major metropolitan cannot be so easily overlooked. You would never suspect that such a place lay just beyond the city limits, but there it is, and it has a name: we call it the Everglades. South Florida’s history is one marked by change. Florida’s Everglades is the epitome of that change. Over the years these lands have been witness to a wide variety of living organisms that have adapted well to its subtropical climates and wetland habitats. Many groups of plants and animals come and go with the ever-changing landscape, including its human inhabitants. South Florida and the Everglades have been the recipient of many human cultures, peoples, and explorers of all kinds. This is the story of these lands—its beginnings, its identity, and the inhabitants who called it home. ... Low Resolution eBook: tommyrodriguez/voe/Visions-of-the-Everglades-2013.zip Hardcover available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, and all major book re-sellers (2013 revision will be available within 4-6 weeks) ...
Posted on: Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:55:44 +0000
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