As sea level rise slowly devours our tropical shores, development is threatening to erode South Florida’s trademark ecosystem: the Everglades. Over half the Everglades has been eaten up already, and if developers of South Florida had their way, soon the rest would be a mind-numbing sprawl of strip malls, eateries, and luxury apartments. The Everglades …
Good news about the natural world doesn’t come every day. Fortunately, we have some springtime cheer to pass around. The wading bird nesting season in South Florida was exceptional in 2021. This flighted fauna produced nearly 102,000 nests, making it the second-largest nesting effort since surveys began in the mid-90s. Happily, due to ideal conditions, …
The Florida legislature is once again considering replacing its state bird, the northern mockingbird, with a new and improved candidate. While the legislative session doesn’t start until March, people are already advocating for their favorite, including the icon of Florida itself, the American flamingo. Efforts to dethrone the widespread northern mockingbird with a candidate more …
Flamingos, decked out in jubilant pink feathers, are the belle of the ball. The life of the party, tourists flock to them wherever they are. But among this festive group, there’s a singular species brimming with quirky, delightful traits: the Andean flamingo. One of the six species of flamingos, they’re found along with Chilean and …
Odd-looking, yet endearing, turtles have long peppered our myths, fables, and stories. Some Native American societies even had a creation myth based on them, referring to North America as “Turtle Island”. While turtles can live on land or freshwater, they also claim dominion over the sea, where the Poseidon of turtles resides: sea turtles. These …