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For thousands of years, the southern half of Florida was one of the most vibrant, unique ecosystems on Earth, composed of water flowing over land, interspersed with plant and animal life in a massive mosaic of wetlands. What came to be known as the Everglades was formed by fresh water spilling out from Lake Okeechobee and flowing slowly over the peninsula until draining into Florida Bay.
Starting in the mid-19th century, however, developers and residents sought to drain the wetlands and introduce agricultural and urban growth. The resulting changes nearly destroyed alligator populations and uprooted traditional livelihoods, with consequences still felt today, as Rebecca Renner explores in Gator Country: Deception, Danger, and Alligators in the Everglades.
At the turn of the 20th century, canals were built to lower the water levels on land, and farmers quickly moved in. Yet crops struggled in the soil and storms continued to cause catastrophic flooding. After a devastating ...
