Did you know the Everglades is nicknamed the River of Grass? The Everglades received this nickname in 1947 by Marjory Stoneman Douglas; she used this name to reflect the area’s slow movement of shallow sheet flow through the marshes. The Everglades is home to many species of grass, including muhly grass, blackrush, arrowfeather, Florida bluestem, and Elliot’s lovegrass. Across the Everglades, these species of grass grow no talker than 4 feet.

More than 100 species of native grass in the Poaceae family grow inside the Park, as well as dozens of other species in different grass families. Grasses in the Everglades can live in both the wet and dry season. These grasses have also adapted to fires. In fact, after a fire, these grasses regrow once heavy rains commence in the region during the wet season of May to October.

To talk a little more about muhly grass, it is native to the southeastern United States. It grows in clumps at about 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. It’s an upright and stiff grass. In the fall, it blooms purple flowers. You can find muhly grass in the pine flatwoods and coastal prairies. The Native Americans used to use this type of grass for basket weaving.

Sawgrass dominates all other grass in the Everglades. It actually covers thousands of acres of marsh. It’s consider a sedge that can grow up to 6 feet or more. Wiregrass grows densely and grows up to 3 feet tall. Gopher tortoises and quail feed on this grass. Cutthroat grass grows up to 4 feet in height and it helps control erosion. Toothache grass is a perennial bunch grass that grows more than 3 feet tall; it’s stem contains a substance that can numb feeling in the tongue and gums.

If you’ve never been to the Everglades or seen miles of grass, a great way to explore it is through an airboat tour. Captain Mitch’s Everglades Airboat Tours has been giving tours to people in this wetland for more than 30 years. To book a tour. Click our Everglades airboat tour page  or call 800-368-0065.

How much do you know about the Everglades? At Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours, we spend a lot of time zipping through the waters of the Everglades, so we thought we’d share some quick and fun facts about this beautiful Park with you.

• The Park is home to 13 endangered species.
• The Park is home to 10 threatened species.
• The Everglades has the largest continuous sawgrass prairie in North America.
• The Everglades has the largest mangrove ecosystem in the western hemisphere.
• It is home to the most significant breeding ground for wading birds in North America.
• It is a water recharge area for all of South Florida through the Biscayne aquifer.
• It provides water for more than 8 million Florida residents.
• It is a World Heritage site.
• The Park is a Biosphere Reserve.
• It is a Wetland of International Significance.
• The Everglades is home to 9 different/distinct habitats.
• The Everglades is actually a river that is constantly moving.
• It is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles coexist.
• The Everglades used to be more than 8 million acres in size.
• Now, the Everglades is around 1.5 million acres in size.
• The Park is home to more than 350 species of birds and 300 species of fish.
• The Everglades is North America’s largest subtropical wetland ecosystem.
• The Everglades has two seasons: wet and dry.
• Its nickname is “River of Grass.”
• Local Native Americans called the Everglades “Pahayokee,” which means “grassy waters.”
• On average, 75 inches of rain falls into the Park.
• Most of the water in the Everglades is fresh water not salt water.
• Calusa Indians are the tribe who lived in the Everglades and southern Florida as far back as 1000 B.C.
• Airboats are iconic in this Park.

Come jump on an airboat an experience a once-in-a-lifetime trip. If you’ve never been to the Everglades, a great way to explore it is through an airboat tour. Captain Mitch’s Everglades Airboat Tours has been giving tours to people in the “River of Grass” for more than 30 years. To book a tour. Click our Everglades airboat tour page  or call 800-368-0065.

The bobcat may be cute, but it not a feline you can cuddle and pet. Bobcats can easily be spotted in the Everglades and are not endangered. They are mainly nocturnal creatures but can be seen during daylight. In the Everglades, bobcats have been seen walking around Bear Lake Trail, Snake Bight Trail, and the main Park road.

Bobcats can live in various types of habitats. In one day, an adult bobcat can travel anywhere from 5 to 50 miles looking for food. Its prey includes: small mammals (squirrels, opossums, rodents), birds, and fish.

Bobcats are much smaller than the Florida panther, who can also be found in the Everglades. They two coexist in the Park.

Bobcats have short tails and have fringed fur on the sides of their head. Their weight can range from 13 to 35 pounds, and they can grow up to 50 inches in length.  Their fur is spotted with white, black, red, brown, and gray markings. Bobcats can live up to 14 years in the wild.

Bobcats can be spotted in forests, trails, swamps, and even backyards. They don’t just live in Florida. In fact, they have been known to live from Canada all the way down to Central America.

The bobcat will “live” in a den it creates in a tree, cave, or open shelter. Often, bobcats has more than one den spread across different areas, incase they need shelter.  A female bobcat will have 1-2 kittens in a litter. Bobcat mating season is August to March.

For the most part, a bobcat will not approach a human. For your safety, it’s best to leave a bobcat, and all wildlife alone while in the wild or the Everglades.

Come on an airboat tour and see if you can spot a bobcat walking around during daylight! Captain Mitch’s Everglades Airboat Tours has been giving tours to in the Everglades for more than 30 years. To book a tour. Click our Everglades airboat tour page or call 800-368-0065.

The Everglades is a scientist’s dream. There is so much to explore, research, track, and investigate in the River of Grass. Research is occurring in the Everglades year-round. From climate change to animals, researchers are learning more about this special Park.

What type of research is occurring in the Park? The South Florida Natural Resources Center (SFNRC) conducts science, which informs the management of the south Florida national park units. Such programs include: wildlife, hydrology, water quality, restoration, invasive plants, and animals. This organization gives out research permits to those who are interested in conducting research from universities, and non-governmental organizations and agencies. The Park gives out permits to support and encourage natural and social science studies with the hope that these studies will help with our understanding of the park’s resources, and how its usage affects/impacts the ecosystem.

Some programs include: Ride and Slough Ecology Program, Ecological Modeling Program, Hydrologic Modeling Program, Wildlife Monitoring Program, Aquatics Program, Invasive Plant Program, Invasive Animal Program, Marine and Estuarine Resources Management, Modified Water Deliveries Project, Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan Project, and the Tamiami Trail Next Steps Project.

The Critical Ecosystem Studies Initiative (CESI) funds research projects that are focused on ecosystem restoration in the Everglades and South Florida. This initiative has been in place for the last 15 years, and has helped created a better understanding of the research. With these projects, researchers have learned what should be monitored, the status of certain species in ecosystems, trends in the ecosystem, and how to streamline assessment of restoration efforts.

To learn more about everglades research, click here. If you’ve never been to the Everglades, a great way to experience it is through an airboat tour. You’ll be able to see the dynamic ecosystem up-close-and-personal. Captain Mitch’s Everglades Airboat Tours has been giving tours to people in this wetland for more than 30 years. To book a tour. Click our Everglades airboat tour page  or call 800-368-0065.