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Dear Audubon Member:

"There are no other Everglades in the world," wrote Marjory Stoneman Douglas in her eloquent book The Everglades: River of Grass.

With those simple words, she framed one of the most vital conservation challenges ever. If we in America cannot protect our globally important places, how can we expect poorer nations to protect their rainforests and other important ecosystems?

The Everglades is home to 68 threatened or endangered species. It's a mosaic of 3 national parks, a national marine sanctuary, 6 national wildlife refuges, a national preserve, 20 state parks, 9 state aquatic preserves, and 5 state wildlife-management areas--all in an area three-fourths the size of West Virginia. Everglades National Park is a World Heritage Site and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Despite this impressive array of protection, the Everglades has long been on the verge of collapse. Nearly 6 million people now live within the ecosystem, along with a thriving agricultural industry. About half of what was historically the Everglades has been developed since 1950, and the water flows and water quality in the remaining half have been drastically altered, with terrible effects on wildlife. Wading-bird populations have declined more than 90 percent in the past century. In 1960 there were 2,500 pairs of wood storks breeding in Everglades National Park. By 1987 the average annual breeding population had declined to 250 pairs. In 1995 the environmental group Defenders of Wildlife declared South Florida this country's most endangered natural area.

For more than three decades, Audubon has led the effort to reverse the decline of the Everglades. Last year we celebrated our biggest victory to date. The state of Florida and the federal government approved a comprehensive $7.8 billion Everglades restoration plan, the largest ecological-recovery effort ever undertaken anywhere. This ambitious plan is a symbol of hope--hope that we can one day heal the wounds we have inflicted on nature.

This issue of Audubon tells the story of saving the Everglades. But the story's ending is still being written. If you want to help, call our Everglades Conservation Network at 800-753-5499 or visit www.audubonofflorida.org/leadership/ecn.htm. Also, see "What You Can Do."

John Flicker
President
National Audubon Society

• A New Day Dawns in the Everglades
• Reviving the River of Grass
• Blueprint for the Future
• Gliding Through the Glades
• Paddling a Watery Wilderness
• Trekking Tropical Trails
• Big Water Blues

 

To find out what you can do, click here.

© 2001  NASI

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