Everglades National Park, U.S.A

Abstract

AFTER a certain amount of opposition, Bills for the creation of a National Park in the Everglades of Florida have passed Senate and Congress (Science Service, Washington, D.C.). The park to be created will comprise 1,300,000 acres, and will be unique amongst the larger national parks in lacking mountains. The fauna is tropical, comprising snakes and alligators, several beautiful herons, spoon-bills and the almost extinct ‘bone-headed’ ibis, and characteristic vegetation. Beyond the coast the park will extend to several of the small islands or ‘keys’, so that a sample of the rich tropical marine fauna will be available to the visitor. Access to the area will apparently be from the present road, the Tamiami Trail, on the northern boundary of the reserve, but further exploration can be made only on foot or in canoes under the guidance of Seminole Indians. Interest is added to the scheme by the proposal to establish a new Seminole reservation to the north of the Tamiami Trail, in close proximity to the Park itself.