You know the expression, “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” Well, this is true for many of the plant and animal species in the Everglades. It may be beautiful on the outside, but it’s causing the ecosystem it lives in great harm. Invasive species, both animals and plants, can wipe out native species in the Everglades. Researchers and Park officials work to tame and eliminate such species from the Park.

For this article we wanted to focus on the invasive plant species: Old World climbing fern also known as lygodium microphyllum. The Old World climbing fern is native to Africa, Southeast Asia, the South Pacific Islands, and Australia.

This plant has wiry twinning fronds, fern-like, triangular-shape leaflets. The fronds can grow to 90 feet long. Their stems are dark brown. The plant has two types of leaves and one of them has spores that spread in the wind.

This plant grows aggressively and spreads; it dominates native vegetation by forming a dense canopy. It can grow up and over trees, and smother shrubs and trees below it. It keeps other plants from thriving and growing by blocking out nutrients and sunlight. Currently, it has taken over more than 200,000 acres in south Florida. In many places, you can’t even see another plant because of how densely the fern has covered everything around it. The fern’s roots can even change the water flow in the area.

In south Florida and the Everglades, the fern can grow in bald cypress stands, pine flatwoods, wet prairies, saw grass marshes, mangroves, and tree islands.

Fires and this fern don’t go well together. Whether a wildlife or planned burn, these ferns act like a fire and can carry the fire places you don’t want it to go, which means it can kill native trees.

If left alone, this plant could be infesting more than 2 million acres in the years to come.

This plant is federally regulated to keep it from completely overtaking the native plant life. The USDA approved the use of insects to keep the fern contained.

Explore the Everglades by Airboat

The Old World Climbing Fern may look pretty, but it can be lethal for native plants of the Everglades, which we want to keep alive.

If you’re interested in seeing the native and invasive plants covering the Everglades, an airboat tour is a great way to see a vast glimpse of it all. Captain Mitch and his team have years of experience navigating through the wetland, and can point out lots of plant life to you.  To book an airboat trip in the Everglades, call Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours at 239-695-3377 or click Everglades airboat tour page.

The Everglades is a National Park, so it is open for all of us to enjoy it, but it’s also home to wild plants and animals. Nature is unpredictable, from the weather to the terrain, so it’s important when we explore a natural environment that we proceed with caution and we follow guidelines given by the Park. We want to be respectful of the Park and plant and animal species that live within it.

By following Park rules, you are keeping animals, plants, the environment, and yourself safe. Whether you’re taking an airboat tour, walking trails, camping, or kayaking, you should keep safety in mind while in the Park.

Below, we wanted to share some of the Everglades National Park’s safety rules no matter that need to be followed and respected throughout the year.

• Dress appropriately for the weather. Depending on the time of year, it can get exceedingly hot or rainy.
• Bring water.
• Wear bug repellant and longer-sleeved clothing to keep bugs from biting you on the trails. Wear lighter color clothing.
• Keep to the trails and pavement to avoid bugs or running into wildlife.
• Watch children carefully.
• Pets are not allowed on the trails.
• Feeding wildlife is illegal.
• Don’t park near vultures and notify a Park ranger if one is near your car. Vultures can be aggressive.
• Do not harm or touch any wildlife.
• If you have a bonfire (camping), don’t leave it alone.
• Do not tie/attach anything to trees or shrubs.
• Take garbage with you or dispose of it properly.

Stay Safe in the Everglades

The Park has a lot more rules than the above, but these are just some basics to keep you safe during a trip to explore the Park. If you wanted more specific rules about camping, fishing, trails and more, visit the Everglades Park website.

By following these safety rules, you will have a more fun and safe trip. Looking for something to do in the Everglades? Take an airboat tour! Riding on an airboat is a safe way to explore the Everglades. Captain Mitch has decades of experience navigating through the wetland. To book an airboat trip in the Everglades, call Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours at 239-695-3377 or click Everglades airboat tour page.

The Everglades isn’t just an ecosystem. It has many different ecosystems within it. For this article, we wanted to share with you some details of the many ecosystems within the Everglades.

Coastal lowlands/prairies – Coastal lowlands and prairies are found on the west coast of the Everglades inland from Florida Bay. These inlands are formed from inland movement of mud that occurs during major storms and hurricanes. Salt-tolerant plants and desert-type plants grow in this area.

Freshwater sloughs – Freshwater sloughs are deep, marshy rivers that deliver major water flow of the Everflades that move 100 feet per day. The Park’s two major sloughs are the Shark River Slough and the Taylor Slough and they both empty into Florida Bay.

Freshwater marl prairies –  These prairies are on both the east and west sides of the Everglades bordering the deep sloughs. A marl is a thin, chalky soil made of calcium carbonate on top of limestone bedrock. The water here is shallow. There is a lot of low vegetation in these prairies.

Marine – Marine ecosystems in the Everglades include mangroves, reefs, seagrass beds, estuaries, and bays. The water drains into the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Bay.

Mangroves – Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees and thrive in rivers and other bodies of water. The Everglades is home to the largest protected mangrove forest in the northern hemisphere. The Everglades is home to red, black, and white mangroves. Birds nest in the mangroves. The mangroves are also great at protecting the land/shore from hurricanes.

Pine forests – Pine forests are found often in limestone. The Park schedules regular burns to keep these pines healthy.

Cypress trees – These trees live in standing water and are often found in “solution holes,” which is pitted terrain formed in broken, porous rock.

Hardwood hammock – A hardwood hammock is an older hardwood forest found on elevated ground of “tree islands.” They don’t flood usually because of the elevation.

Explore the Everglades Ecosystem by Airboat

On an airboat tour, you get a chance to go by many of these ecosystems and see them up close!  To schedule an airboat trip when you’re visiting the Everglades, call Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours at 239-695-3377 or click Everglades airboat tour page.