Sprucing up the Everglades

If you haven’t been to the Everglades lately, it might be time for another visit. Things are changing in the national park, and mainly for the better.

My wife and I have been there many times — canoeing, hiking, and once getting robbed. But mostly, we have been taking pictures, an activity shared by many older visitors.

And it’s still photogenic — untamed and wild. There’s really no other place like it. Both tropical and temperate plants flourish there in the largest subtropical area in the United States and one of the most significant wetlands in the world.

For wildlife, it’s without a peer. Wading birds are everywhere — egrets, cranes, spoonbills, limpkins. On this latest trip, we got killer photos of a green heron and a male osprey, both just a few feet away. It’s a magical place.

And it’s been suffering. As most know, the southern Florida ecosystem was severely disrupted in the 20th century when water from the north was diverted to provide land for cities and irrigation for sugar cane and other high-value crops. The fight to restore flow into the Everglades has been ongoing and at least partly successful. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), a $10-plus billion program, is the country’s largest hydrologic recovery project ever undertaken.

TRECKER

Key reservoirs and filter marshes were recently installed and are up and operating, essential steps for directing water from Lake Okeechobee to the south. Charlotte Roman of the South Florida Water Management District said, “We’re already seeing record hydration in the Everglades.”

Other good news is that the national park is nearing full recovery from the hurricanes that rampaged through several years ago. With that recovery came welcome changes, perhaps the biggest being the rebuilding of Flamingo Lodge, which again gave folks indoor accommodations, air conditioning, and all.

Flamingo also houses a marina, general store and docks at the southernmost point of the Florida peninsula. When we were there, a bunch of manatees frolicked by a nearby seawall.

The lodge, completed last fall, is raised construction made of shipping containers (very green) and built to withstand the worst Mother Nature can dish out. The rooms are first-rate, very modern and blessedly cool. No flat-screen TV, though. I guess you can’t have everything.

Accommodations are limited to 24 rooms, so advanced booking is a must. Built right on Florida Bay, the complex also has a full-service restaurant, but don’t expect gourmet fare. More like prepackaged sandwiches. But booze is available and the service is friendly.

Another change for the better is the spate of flatboat cruises along the labyrinth of canals in the southern part of the park. On one of those cruises, we saw dozens of crocodiles, one an eye-popping lady with jaws wide open. Maybe a contest picture.

If vistas are your thing, the national park has those, too, and gorgeous ones at that. My favorite is the Anhinga Trail, part of Royal Palm near the park’s entrance. On our recent visit, we saw fields of string lilies in rivers of grass abutting water covered with floating spatterdocks.

And motherhood is never far away. In a Shark Valley slough, we viewed a mother alligator guarding a clutch of baby gators just a few feet from hoards of tourists manning cameras.

A lot is happening, and things are looking up. Given the problems of the surrounding commercial area, it’s never going to be perfect, but the glass is definitely half full. The most fascinating swamp in the world is getting better.

Come and see for yourself. ¦

— Dave Trecker is a chemist and retired Pfizer executive living in Florida

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