How did the Everglades National Park get its name?
When the early explorers first viewed the Everglades long ago, they saw large fields of grass. Ever from the word forever & Glades which is an old English word that means a grassy open place. The Native Americans who lived here named it Pa-hay-Okee which translates into “grassy waters.”
Why was the Everglades National Park selected to be preserved as a National Park?
A number of public lands preserve particular species, such as sequoia trees and organ pipe cacti. Everglades was the first national park site to be recognized for its sheer abundance and diversity of life — a significant and historic designation.
What is the story of the Everglades?
In the 1800’s, early settlers and land developers considered the Everglades to be a worthless swamp, and developers began digging canals to drain the wetlands. Around 1905, large tracts of land were converted to agriculture, and this “new” landscape stimulated the first of South Florida’s land booms.
What are 3 facts about Everglades National Park?
Largest continuous stand of sawgrass prairie in North America. Predominant water recharge area for all of South Florida through the Biscayne aquifer. A World Heritage Site, a Biosphere Reserve, a Wetland of International Significance, and an Outstanding Florida Water.
Who saved the Everglades?
Marjory Stoneman Douglas (April 7, 1890 – May 14, 1998) was an American journalist, author, women’s suffrage advocate, and conservationist known for her staunch defense of the Everglades against efforts to drain it and reclaim land for development.
Who is the father of the Everglades National Park?
In 1928, Ernest F. Coe wrote Stephen T. Mather, first Director of the National Park Service, outlining a proposal for a national park to be located within the lower Everglades of south Florida.
What Everglades means?
ev·er·glade ˈe-vər-ˌglād. : a swampy grassland especially in southern Florida usually containing saw grass and at least seasonally covered by slowly moving water. usually used in plural.
What happened to Everglades National Park?
Drainage canals effectively succeeded in draining the Everglades by the 1930’s, effectively halting the sheet flow of water across the eastern portion of south Florida. The Army Corps of Engineers confined the Kissimmee River to a 53 mile (85.3 km) long canal system, destroying thousands of acres of wetlands.
What is destroying the Everglades?
The result is an ecosystem in collapse. Since the 1800s, water diversions and flood-control projects have severed the flow of water between different parts of the Everglades, while large areas of its lands were converted to agricultural or residential areas.
Who started Everglades?
Here are two very important people who helped establish Everglades National Park: Ernest F. Coe. Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
