Heart of The Everglades premiered at Florida Conservation Coalition Conference January 10, 2015

Where there’s water, there’s life. Long before settlers, there was the Everglades.

Heart of the Everglades takes you deep inside the Everglades to witness its cycle of life. Stretching from the middle of Florida to the Keys, the Everglades is the first national park to be preserved for the magnificence of its wildlife. We follow artists and scientists deep into the Everglades to listen to its heartbeat and watch its wildlife mate, nest, care for their young, fish, and survive against a backdrop of mystical landscapes.

Two-thirds of the Everglades is under water. Visitors come from around the world to see alligators sunning themselves and to take pictures of its wading birds. If you’re visiting the Keys, you’re either in a marine sanctuary or in Everglades National Park.

A century ago, water flowed south from Orlando through the Everglades to Florida Bay. Today the Everglades is half its size and is bounded by agriculture and development. In spite of what man has done to the Everglades, nature has found a way to survive. Today we understand what is necessary to repair, revive and protect our national treasure, which also provides South Florida with its drinking water.

From November-May, our dry season, you can witness a National Geographic Special every day without leaving the Anhinga Trail’s boardwalk. Or you can hike, bike, kayak, or fish. The weather will be cool, and mosquitos are not a problem. Drive farther to Florida Bay, kayak, and see more birds than you can count, especially at sunset. Remember to bring your camera! My personal favorite is slogging (walking in water with a park ranger) into a Cypress Dome that feels like a cathedral with epiphytes, bromeliads, and orchids taking the place of stained glass windows.

Best of all, Everglades National Park is only 39 miles from Miami. In the Everglades you will find beauty, serenity, wildflowers, orchids, bromeliads, wading birds, manatees, dolphins, and perhaps panthers. An oasis of peace an hour away.