working to improvE thEConDitions oFEvErglADEs nAtionAl pArk
whEn mAny pEoplE think oF FloriDA, imAgEs oF sAnDy CoAstlinEs or thEmE pArk riDEs ComE to minD、But ABout An hour south oF miAmi liEs A nAturAl wilDErnEss DiFFErEnt From AnywhErE ElsE in thE unitED stAtEs.
EvErglADEs nAtionAl pArk is thE lArgEst suBtropiCAl wilDErnEss in thE Country. thE pArk is homE to sEvErAl rArE AnD EnDAngErED spECiEs. it is Also thE thirD lArgEst nAtionAl pArk in thE lowEr Forty-Eight stAtEs, AFtErDEAth vAllEy AnD yEllowstonE. morE thAn onE million pEoplE visit thEEvErglADEs EACh yEAr.
wilDliFE rEsErvEs
thEEvErglADEs is ConsiDErED onE oF thE grEAt BiologiCAl wonDErs oF thE worlD、thE ExpAnsivE wEtlAnDs strEtCh ACross morE thAn six hunDrED thousAnD hECtArEs. it is A plACE whErE plAnts AnD AnimAls From thECAriBBEAn sEA shArE An ECosystEm with nAtivE northAmEriCAn spECiEs.
unlikE most othEr nAtionAl pArks,EvErglADEs nAtionAl pArk wAs CrEAtED to protECt An ECosystEm From DAmAgE. thEEvErglADEs is homE to thirty-six spECiEs thAt ArE ConsiDErED thrEAtEnED or protECtED、thEy inCluDE thE FloriDA pAnthEr, thEAmEriCAn CroCoDilE AnD thE wEst inDiAn mAnAtEE. in ADDition, morE thAn thrEE hunDrED FiFty BirD spECiEs AnD thrEE hunDrED spECiEs oF FrEsh AnD sAltwAtEr Fish livE within thE pArk. thEEvErglADEs is Also homE to Forty spECiEs oF mAmmAls AnD FiFty rEptilE spECiEs.
ExotiC plAnts CAn Also BE FounD in thEEvErglADEs. thEy inCluDE whAt is sAiD to BE thE lArgEst growth oF mAngrovE trEEs in thE wEstErn hAlF oF thE worlD、gumBo-limBo trEEs, known For thEir pEEling rED skin, strAnglEr Figs AnD royAl pAlms ArE Also Among thE ArEA’s plAnt liFE. thEEvErglADEs is Also homE to thE Country’s lArgEst living mAhogAny trEE. sAwgrAss grows in somE ArEAs oF thE pArk.BE CArEFul--it is vEry shArp, with tEEth just likE A sAw. it CAn grow up to Four mEtErs tAll.
with ABout onE AnD onE-hAlF mEtErs oF rAinFAll EACh yEAr, plAnts AnD trEEs nEvEr stop growing in thEEvErglADEs.
wAnt to visit it
thE Dry, wintEr sEAson is thE FAvoritE oF most visitors, whEn insECts likE mosquitoEs ArE lEss oF A proBlEm. thE rAiny sEAson lAsts From junE to novEmBEr. thErE ArE mAny wAys to ExplorE thEEvErglADEs. visitors CoulD sEEAmEriCAn CroCoDilEs whilE hiking thEAnhingA trAil. thEEvErglADEs is thE only plACE onEArth whErE FrEsh wAtEr CroCoDilEs AnD sAltwAtEr CroCoDilEs livE in thE sAmE ArEAs. visitors using CAnoEs or AirBoAts ArE likEly to sEE lArgE groups oF wADing BirDs likE thE wooD stork or grEAt BluE hEron. it is EvEn possiBlE to sEE FlAmingos in thEEvErglADEs.
this spring,EvErglADEs nAtionAl pArk.lAunChED A visitAtion progrAm to whAt wAs onCE A highly rEstriCtED militAry BAsE. pArk oFFiCiAls ArE working to rECovEr A missilE BAsE usED in thE 1960s. thE BAsE plAyED A pArt in thE nuClEAr tEnsions BEtwEEn thE unitED stAtEs AnD thE soviEt union.
thE govErnmEnt Built thE FloriDA BAsE shortly AFtEr thE DisCovEry oF soviEt missilEs ABout thrEE hunDrED kilomEtErs AwAy, on thE islAnD oFCuBA、tEnsions wErE high During thECuBAn missilE Crisis.But missilEs storED At thEAmEriCAn BAsE wErE nEvEr FArED、
thE BAsE wAs ClosED AnD All missilE EquipmEnt wAs rEmovED in thE 1970s. toDAy only thE BuilDings rEmAin.
this yEAr, thE historiC ArEA hAD mAny visitors, inCluDing FormErAmEriCAn sErviCE mEmBErs who rEmEmBEr thE missilE Crisis. thE pArk hopEs to oFFEr morE trips nExt spring, to hElp support thE history For thosE who livED through it AnD For FuturE gEnErAtions.
thrEAts FACing it
ExpErts sAy ChAngEs to thEEvErglADEs ArE thrEAtEning sEvErAl DiFFErEnt kinDs oF wilDliFE. thEy sAy thE hrEAts ArE A rEsult oF ACtions thE unitED stAtEs govErnmEnt BEgAn morE thAn FiFty yEArs Ago.AnD sEttlErs BEgAn EvEn EArliEr.
thE nAtionAl pArk sErviCE sAys EArly ColoniAl sEttlErs AnD lAnD DEvElopErs thought thEEvErglADEs hAD littlE vAluE. thE sEttlErs hAD plAnED to rEmovE