Before there was an Everglades National Park, there was Everglades, the ecosystem. This Everglades has been around for 5,000 years! The Greater Everglades Ecosystem is a region of tropical wetlands beginning at the headwaters of the Kissimmee River, draining into Lake Okeechobee, and finally spilling fresh water to Florida Bay. This once vast, shallow, and free-flowing river of grass has been exploited, polluted, and drained for decades, threatening Florida’s water supply and its amazing biodiversity. The Everglades are home to the highly endangered Florida panther and Florida mink, to black bear and bob cat, to both alligator and crocodile, and a plethora of migratory and resident birds. Today, Floridian’s are fighting to restore the Everglades. Unique in the world, there is no other place on Earth like the Everglades. The Everglades is a place not to miss.

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