The Everglades: River of grass
BY MARK HAMILTON QUINN Florida Weekly Correspondent

PHOTO FLORIDA WEEKLY Nearly half of the original Everglades has been lost to agriculture. Most of the rest is now protected in a national park, national wildlife refuge, and water conservation areas.

To venture out on the waterways of the Everglades is a magical experience. Endless islands and the movement of the waters seem to beckon you further and further into her watery arms.

One of my favorite places in the Everglades is off Wagon Wheel Road where you can step out of your vehicle and wander through a striking cypress strand in a shallow flowing water course loaded with bromeliads, birds and the shimmering glow of the occasional Golden Orb spider web. Just take a five-foot walking stick for checking tall grass as you go!

Most of us have heard of the "Grassy Waters" as it was known in days gone by, a place with a reputation for lawless men and renegades. Many of the tales are true and some will remain mysteries for all time. Being among the vast mangroves of the 10,000 Islands, you can just imagine how it must have been for the early settlers. The land would not be tamed. The hardships of living in the Glades made for tough, independent characters. It is said that the term "doggone it" originated here when explorers brought their dogs on forays. The guides - who spoke little English - soon learned that alligators loved to eat them so when a dog would swim across waterways the guides would say "Dog Gone"!

Visiting this area of the world is an experience that differs with the seasons…a unique biome unlike any on earth. The Everglades, and a few other areas of southern Florida, is the only place on earth where you can paddle a kayak among crocodiles and alligators. In winter, the Glades are covered with birds in great numbers - some only seen here in the cooler months. During this drier time, the animals gather around small pools in order to find food and shelter. Here is where you will find the alligators and all other forms of wildlife competing in that fragile struggle between successfully passing on genes or simply perishing.

The Everglades has been photographed by satellite, aircraft and developed sparsely but to this day has never been traversed by any human that I know of. It is still the least road accessible area of the contiguous United States. Although there are more and more visitors to the Everglades every year and there has been some development to accommodate them, the area is just as wild and exciting as ever. Just venture off the roads to walk some of the paths that peer into the old strands and water courses and you will find yourself under canopies of old oaks dripping with orchids and rich with colors and birdsong. Places that would surely offer renegades and outcasts a place to find refuge in their undiscovered wilderness.

- Mark Hamilton Quinn owns Adventure

Safaris. His goal is to foster awareness

and compassion for our natural world

through educational and unique wilderness

encounters. He can be reached at 458-0836

or view his safari photos on the Web at

www.adventuresafaris.biz