THE EVERGLADES: RIVER OF GRASS

You might say the Everglades are a vast, stagnant swamp, full of slithering reptiles and stinging insects. But did you know they are considered to be an incredibly wide, slow moving river? Crazy huh!

True/False

The Everglades ecosystem is really a wide, slow moving river.

True

Man-made canals contribute to the health of the Everglades.

False

The Everglades covers about 1500 acres of Southern Florida.

False

Tree islands in the Everglades are shaped by flowing water.

True

Food for thought

  • Much of the water that covers the Everglades comes from rainfall far North in Central Florida. Talk about ways in which humans try to control the movement of water. What are some resulting environmental effects we often see?

 

  • The Everglades change drastically from wet season to dry season. During the winter months, the watery prairies dry up. Water is usually only found in deeper pockets like sloughs, ponds and cypress domes. What do you think happens to all of the fish, birds and other animals that rely on water?

 

  • The water from the Everglades eventually finds its way into Florida Bay and Biscayne Bay. That water is full of nutrients from the Everglades. Unfortunately, polutants from the cities and agricultural areas bordering the Everglades also find their way into the Everglades. Talk about the effects these pollutants can have on the Everglades, the bays, and the ocean beyond. How are they all linked?

PowerPoint lesson

Everglades: River of Grass

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