Florida is a remarkable state, with remarkable natural resources. The state is home to the nation's smallest Wilderness (Pelican Island -- 5 acres) which is also a National Wildlife Refuge. South Florida's Everglades is actually a slow moving, 100-mile-long river of grass. There's much to marvel at, and much at risk.

Big Cypress National Preserve
Located next to Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve serves as a buffer zone against encroaching development and associated pollution. The Everglades-Big Cypress web comprises the Nation's only significant subtropical marsh community and is one of the most spectacular and biologically important ecosystems on the planet. Big Cypress is an intricate mosaic of wetland and uplands landscapes -- a wilderness of cypress forests, prairies, marshes, hammocks, pinelands, and mangroves.  But off-road vehicles and energy development are very real threats to this precious ecosystem.
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