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Binding: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-57131-260-0
Pages: 312
Publish Date: Dec, 2002
Genre: Nonfiction
The Book of the Everglades
BY Susan Cerulean
Many may not realize that the Everglades National Park is cut off from the water that gives it life. Its ecosystem begins well above the park’s boundary, extending more than three hundred miles from the Kissimmee River (near Tampa and Orlando) southward through Florida Bay. It is the most endangered ecosystem in North America.
The Book of the Everglades is a story of how much was changed when the vast river of grass was drained and converted to agriculture, its natural plumbing channeled so that nearby towns and farms would be protected from flood and saved in drought. It’s a story of how one of North America’s largest freshwater lakes ended up with a moat around it. A story of the sugar barons who were kicked out of Cuba and settled in what is now known as the Everglades Agricultural Area. A story of the largest subdivision in the world, platted on drained wetlands. A story of the soil that is no longer replenished and gives way at the rate of one foot every ten years. It is a story told by writers who know how to tell a story, and who convey the workings of the entire Everglades ecosystem and the impact of its inhabitants.
"The Book of the Everglades, an 'ecology in five parts,’ celebrates the past and future of the national park."
—Miami Herald"Taken together, the environmental descriptions, human-interest stories, and south Florida atmospherics create a lively volume with something memorable for readers partial to sawgrass green."
—Gilbert Taylor, Booklist"The Book of the Everglades . . . captures the natural history and human story of the vast river of grass, presenting a vivid introduction to this remarkable place."
—Gainesville Sun"In 'The Sweet Hereafter,’ journalist Paul Roberts explores how 'our craving for sugar starves the Everglades and fattens politicians.’"
—Springfield News-Sun"Timely and unique."
—Orlando Sentinel
