THE EVERGLADES

The Everglades are a 1.5 million acre swamp on the very southern tip of Florida.

The Everglades are the ancestral home of the Seminole Indians. Today, they mostly live in Oklahoma.

The water in the Everglades is really a river. The river is water from Lake Okeechobee. As the water enters the swamp, the river grows. It grows to be 40 miles wide and 100 miles long.

There are 300 types of birds, 600 types of fish, and 40 types of plants in the Everglades.

Some animals that live in the Everglades are manatees, the rare Florida Panther, the American Crocodile, and the American Alligator.

Long ago, the Seminole Indians lived in the swamp, but now it's a National Park. It is a dangerous spot for hurricanes and flooding. Also, the panthers, alligators, and crocodiles are a big threat. You wouldn't want to live there.

Everglades National Park is the third largest National Park in the United States. There is also a national wildlife refuge within the swamp. The Everglades are a very important part of the ecosystem, and it's also a water source for the city of Miami.

The Everglades are beautiful, and I recommend that you go some day! Some things you can do are go on swamp boat tours, visit alligator farms, and go fishing.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• britannica.com
• nationalparkservice.com
• safesearch.org
• www.sweetsearch.com

QUIZ!

• What are three different types of animals that live in the Everglades?
• Where does the water in the Everglades come from?
• What Native American tribe lived there?

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