Mud Lake Canal

November 21, 2016 by

mud lake canalThe native people who lived in the Everglades left plenty of evidence behind of their existence. This evidence truly showed the people knew how to manipulate the land and areas around them to ensure their survival as a people. Besides tools, mounds, and tree islands, the native created systems of canals. These canals show the engineering and organization skills these people practiced.

In the Everglades, the Mud Lake Canal is a 3.9-mile aboriginal canoe canal; it is 20 to 30 feet across in width and 1 to 2 feet deep. When in use, the native people used to canal for their canoe travels throughout the Everglades, Ten Thousand Islands, and the Florida Keys. This canal system allowed people to get around without having to travel through the rougher waters that can be found in the Gulf of Mexico.

The canal is considered unique as it connects different bodies of water at different elevations while stretching across all prairies and mangroves.

Mud Lake Canal has been carbon dated and it is believed to have been created in 750-1200 AD. This canal feeds into groups of mounds that were once part of a village where up to 50 people were living; it is believe these people were a Tesqueta village.

In 2006, the Mud Lake Canal became a National Historic Landmark.

The Everglades is full of sights and evidence of life well before modern civilization came to the area. If you enjoy viewing nature, as well as stepping back in time, explore the Everglades for yourself; the area has so much to offer! One of the easiest ways to get around and view the Everglades is through an airboat tour. On an airboat, you can get up-close views of the Everglades’ landscape and vegetation. If you’d like to explore the Everglades, book a trip with Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours today at 800-368-0065 or click here.

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Shell Works in the Everglades

November 7, 2016 by

shell worksSeeing as it’s been around for years and years, it’s no surprise the Everglades has quite a bit of archaeological heritage within it. Native people have lived in the Everglades long before European settlers came to Florida and began settlements.  Below, we’ll share some information with you on shell works, which is one of the archaeological heritage sightings you can find throughout the Park that give visitors insight into the Everglades’ past.

You know those tree islands that the Everglades is known for? Archaeologists now believe these are not actually naturally occurring in the Park, but rather were created by people thousands of years ago.

Shell Works

The originally people who inhabited the Southwest Florida area were the Calusa tribe; they were comprised of many small villages and utilized resources around them to surviving. Their main source of food came from fishing, and they made tools from shells and other materials that could be found around them. They created hammers, picks, and scrapers from conch, clam, and oyster shells; they also used shells for jewelry and ornaments.

When the Calusa were done with the shells and tools, they piled them to create shell works, which are large scale, planned formations of piled oyster shells that formed built villages. It is uncertain what the purpose of the shell works was, but archaeologists think they may have created these piles to separate domestic and sacred spaces in the villages. These shell piles created high ridges, mounds, crescents, platforms, canals, and courtyards. In the book “Pre-Columbian Architecture in Eastern North America,” author William Morgan suggests that shell works were created as networks to link communities and resources, along with dividing separate spaces.

In time, the piles of shells (also mixed in with food leftovers, bones, etc.) created an organic environment ideal for plant life to grow on top of them and be above the water level line.

These shell works were a collection of a variety of different shell and earth work accumulations. One of shell accumulations within the works is known as a shell midden, which is essentially a “dump” and tells the story of the people who lived there. These middens formed over time from discarded shells over generations. In the Park, the shell works are large, meaning the people had to have organized and planned the mounds and formations. These large mounds weren’t only used as leftover piles, but they also created mounds to build housing and spaces on.

Based on the remains found in the Park, archaeologists have dated the Everglades’ shell works to back to 1000 BC to 1500 AD.

Interested in checking some of these shell works out? They can be found throughout the park. A great way to see these mounds and get around the Everglades is on an airboat tour. Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours can bring you around places in the wetland that you will not be able to gain access to on foot. To book an airboat tour through the Everglades, contact Captain Mitch today at 800-368-0065 or click here.

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Sleep Under the Stars by Camping in the Everglades

October 11, 2016 by

Tent On A CampsiteCamping is one of the best ways to experience the great outdoors. But, did you know you can actually go camping in the Everglades National Park? You can! The park offers camping opportunities in both the front country and back country. Visitors are able to go camping year-round, but the wet season (June through November) is a more difficult and uncomfortable environment for camping. If you’re thinking about experiencing this beautiful wetland through a camping experience, remember to come prepared; the park does not provide any camping equipment for people to buy or rent.

For the front country camping, there are two drive-in accessible campgrounds from the Homestead entrance of the park, which are Long Pine Key Campground and Flamingo Campground. People can bring both tents and RVs to the sites. These are the only two sites in the front country part of the Everglades.

For the most part, the number of camp sites in these campgrounds meet the demand. In the winter (busy) season, it is recommended to reserve a site for Flamingo. A limited number of group sites (which accommodate up to 15 people) are available. A maximum backcountry stay is 14 days.

With backcountry camping, people can camp at a number of ground sites, beach sites, and elevated camping platforms across the park. These sites can be reached by canoe, kayak, motorboat, and some can be reached by hiking. Most of these sites are in the Ten Thousand Islands and along the rivers that flow into these islands.

For this type of wilderness camping, a permit is required, which a person can pick up the day before or day of his or her trip at the Flamingo or Gulf Coast Visitor Center or the fee station at the Homestead park entrance. The permit processing fee costs $15 and there is a $2 per person per day camping fee.

Visitors are asked to use caution at campsites where alligators and other wildlife have been fed/gained access to human food.

Explore the Everglades

If you plan on exploring the Everglades before you set up camp, an airboat tour is a great way to get around the park. To book an airboat tour, contact Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours by clicking here or calling 800-368-0065.

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Experience Geocaching in the Everglades

September 20, 2016 by

geocachingEver heard of geocaching? Well if you haven’t it’s really fun! It’s a real-world outdoor treasure hunt.  What’s even more exciting is that you can do this in the Everglades. In short, geocaching is a game where players have to locate hidden containers (called geocaches) using a GPS-enabled device while sharing their experience online.

When geocaching, the players must navigate through a certain set of GPS coordinates in order to find the geocache hidden at that particular location. To play in the Everglades, you can register at geocaching.com to seek caches and log entries, but it is not required.

In the game, if you take something from the geocache, you must leave something of equal or greater value. Then, you write about your find in a cache logbook and you can log your experience at geocaching.com.

Geocaches can be found all over the world. They vary in size and appearance from large plastic containers to film canisters. Since its already such an interesting place to explore, the Everglades provides the perfect setting to go on a treasure hunt.

The Park Employee for a Day geocache trail is comprised of five caches that follow the main park road. In this game, people will be looking for caches that contain a particular case study that requires their attention. After reading the information presented, people are asked to think how they would deal with the issue at hand. Then, people are asked to share their thoughts online and log what they find. This game allows visitors to step in the role of different park employees to help resolve issues.

Geocache game titles include: The Rising Tide, A Heated Dilemma, A Pepper Problem, and In Harm’s Way.

If Everglades’ issues or playing games interests you, this is worth signing up for! If you’re looking to explore even more areas of the Everglades, try an airboat tour after the geocaching game. To make a reservation, call Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours at 800-368-0065 or click here.

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Go Fishing in the Everglades!

September 14, 2016 by

fishingDid you know you can go fishing in the Everglades? You can! Since one-third of the Everglades is water covered, it makes sense that there are plenty of places where fishing would be ideal! In the Park, anglers have the opportunity to catch a variety of fish, including: snapper, redfish, bass, sea trout, and bluegill. Being a national park and in the state of Florida, people must be aware and abide by local fishing information.

People are asked to exercise caution while fishing in the Everglades, and to always check on weather and tide conditions and predictions, as well as prepare for lots of mosquitos. In short, visitors must be aware of all Florida state laws, rules, and regulations regarding fishing such as bag limits for individual species. When It comes to licensing information and regulations, people should visit marinefisheries.org to know what’s OK and what’s not OK before you head out.

In the Everglades, people have the opportunity to participate in saltwater fishing in Florida Bay, Ten Thousand Islands and in other areas along the park’s coast.  Both saltwater and freshwater fishing require separate Florida fishing licenses.

Shoreline fishing is available in the park, but it is limited. Places to do this include: Pine Glades Lake, Sisal Pond, Ficus Pond, Sweet Bay Pond, Nine Mile Pond, West Lake, and the Flamingo Camping Area.

When it comes to freshwater fishing, a license is required for those over 16. People are not allowed to use live or dead fish, amphibians, roe for bait. Digging for bait is also prohibited. With saltwater fishing, the same license requirements apply. Saltwater bait includes: shrimp, minnows, pilchards, pinfish, mullet, and a few others.

General Everglades Fishing Info:

  • Seines, nets, and lobster snares are prohibited.
  • Spears and firearms are prohibited.
  • Collecting plants and animals is prohibited.
  • Anglers are allowed to have 4 fillets per person for immediate consumption at designated campsites or on board vessels with cooking facilities; otherwise, all other fish must remain intact while in park waters.
  • Commercial fishing is prohibited.
  • Anglers are limited to 20 fish per person at a time, but cannot possess no more than 10 of any one species. If the species is non-native, there is no limit.

For a full list of Everglades fishing information that is up-to-date and more thorough, visit marinefisheries.org or myfwc.com. If you’re looking for a tour or if fishing isn’t your thing, think about riding in an airboat to experience the Everglades in a whole new way. To book a trip, call Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours at 800-3698-0065 or click here.

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Plant profile: Pond Apple

August 19, 2016 by

pond appleThe Everglades is home to an array of plants that thrive in the wet, subtropical climate. Although mangroves and grasses come to many people’s minds when thinking about plant life in the Everglades, we’d like to profile a plant that many people might not know about that is native to the area: the pond apple.

The pond apple, Annona glabra, is a shrub or small tree with evergreen leaves, white/pale yellow thick-petal flowers and large fruit.  This plant is also known as alligator apple, swamp apple, corkwood, and monkey apple. Along with the Everglades, this plant is also native in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, South America, West Africa, and South Asia.

They can grow up to 30 to 40 feet tall by 10 to 20 feet wide. As a young pond apple tree, the bark is gray and scale; as the tree gets older, the bark becomes fissured and can turn to a reddish-brown color. These trees can be found along streams and rivers banks, canal banks, slough swamps, freshwater ponds, lakes, and strands. The pond apple is known to flourish around bald cypress trees. They tolerate salt water and cannot grow in dry soil.

In the past, there was a pond apple forest at the southern end of Lake Okeechobee, but due do drainage over the years this habitat was destroyed. Still, the largest numbers of this species of tree are found in the Everglades, but they can also be found throughout other areas of Florida.

Native Indians and settlers to the Everglades ate the fruit off this tree, but it is now considered unsavory for humans to eat. Most of the fruit will mature and fall of the trees in the fall and winter. When they drop, they are green or green/yellow in color. The fruit has a sweet aroma and the pulp is fleshy, mealy, and pithy. The flesh is yellow/orange in color and is filled with more than 100 dark-colored seeds within. The seeds are poisonous, and powder from the seeds have been known to blind people. The seeds and leaves of this plant are known to be insecticidal. More recent studies are showing that the seeds contain anticancer compound, which may be able to be used medically. Birds, raccoons, squirrels, and alligators have been known to eat the pond apple fruit.

Not only does the pond apple provide food for many animals in the Everglades, it also provides shelter and creates a safe haven for many, as well.

Visit the Pond Apple’s Habitat

Explore where this fruit-filled tree thrives while on an airboat ride. An airboat can take you through many places in the Everglades with the opportunity to see this plant, along with hundreds of other species of plants, many of which are unique only to the River of Grass. To book an airboat tour, call Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours at 800-368-0065 or click here.

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Go Slough Slogging in the Everglades

August 11, 2016 by

Slough SloggingThinking about heading to the Everglades? Or want to experience it in a different way? Try slough slogging. Ever heard of it? Slough slogging is a great way to experience the Everglades – participants get up close and personal with the environment. In short, slough slogging is a wet hike, or off-trail hiking, in the wetlands in the park with a park ranger.

By slough slogging, you get to experience the Everglades in a way most people never get to. Guides take people through the Shark River Slough. Participants must bring water, sturdy close-toed lace-up shoes, and long pants on this hiking trips; it is also suggested that people bring sunscreen, a long sleeve shirt, insect repellent, binoculars, and snacks. Groups should expect and be prepared for high water and plenty of insects that will bite.

For these trips, it’s best to plan ahead, because guided hikes in the Everglades are limited to 15 people in a group; reservations are required. To partake in a slough slogging trip, participants must be 12 years or older. These trips are free.

During these trips, groups move slowly through the muck and uneven terrains into the cypress dome. On these trips, people get the chance to see lots of different plant life, fish, and birds.

Slough slogs are scheduled and weather dependent; these hikes run several times a week from December through April, but do occur throughout the rest of the year, just less frequently. For more information, click here or call 305-242-7700.

Explore the Everglades Further

Trudging through mucky waters isn’t your thing? That’s OK, plenty of people don’t want to get dirty on a sight-seeing trip of the Everglades. For a less messy trip that will allow you to see even more of the Everglades, an airboat tour is your best bet. Whether you’re tired from slough slogging earlier in the day or don’t feel like walking around, an airboat ride provides the ideal Everglades viewing experience. To book an airboat tour, call Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours at 800-368-0065 or click here to schedule a tour today.

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Take A Ride on the Shark Valley Bike Trail

August 2, 2016 by

shark valleyThe Everglades is a beautiful, majestic place perfect for you to explore and enjoy in a variety of different ways. If you’re looking for some extra exercise and a peaceful and enjoyable way to experience the park, you should try biking through Shark Valley.

The Shark Valley bike trail is a 15-mile trip that is good for any type of bicycle; this trail is flat and is not a rough terrain. On average, this ride takes bicyclists two to 3 hours to complete. Usually, people don’t bike nonstop on this trail, because they stop to view the beautiful wetland scenery around them.

The bike trail is also used by trams, run by Shark Valley Tram Tours. People ride bikes opposite the flow of tram traffic. The loop starts at the visitor center. People are asked to stop biking when a tram passes, and they can continue once the tram has fully passed them. The speed limit for trams and bicyclists on this trail is 25 mph for safety purposes.

People are allowed to bring their own bicycles, or they can rent them from Shark Valley Tram Tours. Bikes are available to rent on a first-come, first-served basis. The rental bikes are single-gear, coaster brake bikes with adjustable seats. There are also children’s bikes available, as well as bikes with child seats attached. Shark Valley Tram Tours also provides helmets and baskets for people to use with their bike rental. Bikes can be rented and used on this trail from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

On this trail, there are no short cuts. For people who do not want to or cannot complete the 15-mile trip, they are advised to turn around on the road to return. The parking lot for this trail closes at 6 p.m. People can find restrooms and a water fountain at an observation tower at the farthest point on the loop road.

If you’re looking to ride with a group larger than 20 people, you need to obtain a special use permit from a park ranger. Also if you want to bike outside the normal biking hours, you will also have to obtain a permit.

Through the ride on Shark Valley trail, people can get a closer look at bayhead and hammock ecosystems in Bobcat Boardwalk and Otter Cave Hammock trail, which are a couple of unpaved walking trails people can explore along the way.

Being in the middle of the Everglades, there is the chance of seeing wildlife. Feeding or harassing the animals in the park is not allowed, and people are asked to keep their distance from any wildlife they see for their own safety.

Visit the Everglades

Biking is a great way to explore the great outdoors of the Everglades Park. Another awesome way to see even more sights throughout this precious ecosystem is a trip on an airboat. Airboats can bring visitors to places beyond where a walking or biking trail can reach. To book an airboat tour, call Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours at 800-368-0065 or click here.

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The Flamingo Visitor Center in the Everglades

July 20, 2016 by

flamingo visitor centerThe Flamingo Visitor Center in Everglades National Park was in the running to get a much-needed renovation. The National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express have teamed up with National Geographic to fix up historic places within national parks across the country, since the National Parks Service celebrates its 100th birthday this year.

Along with the Flamingo Visitor Center, twenty other sites across the country were nominated to have a makeover. The public had the chance to vote which site will get funding for renovations.

After more than 1.1 million votes were cast at www.voteyourpark.org, nine preservation projects in the national park system were awarded grants. And, the Everglades won a $250,000 grant to restore the exterior of the Flamingo Visitor Center!

The Flamingo Visitor Center is 38 miles south of the Park’s main entrance, which is about an hour drive. This center has educational displays, informational brochures, a small café, and offers backcountry permits. Near the center, there are campground facilities, a public boat ramp, a marina store, and hiking and canoeing trails. The Flamingo Visitor Center was built in the 1950s as part of the Mission 66 project that was created to bring modern architecture into parks in the 1950s and 1960s. The center has a stand-out, vibrant pink façade and is built atop stilts; this center helped introduced the visitor center concept in national parks.

Many decades have passed since the center’s construction, and it is in much need of repair. Many hurricanes slammed the area and damaged the building, leaving it in not the greatest shape. If the visitor center wins the vote, it will be awarded a $250,000 grant to restore the exterior of the building.

Aside from this contest, the park does plan on revamping the center and has plans to restore the interior with a new bookstore; the park also asked for proposals for upgrades back in April that were due by July 13; the park will potentially cover up to $5 million in property investments in exchange for a 20-years concession and an annual franchise fee of nine percent for a contact that will include boat tours, kayaks, canoes, marina services, and a restaurant.

Explore the Everglades

The Flamingo Visitor Center is known as a jewel in the Everglades National Park. Despite visible wear and tear, it’s worth checking out on your trip to the area. While in the area, one of the best ways to explore all around the wetland is on an airboat. Book a trip today with Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours. Call today at 800-368-0065 or click here to book a tour.

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The Everglades Stamp

July 15, 2016 by

stampThe Everglades is known for many of things, and one of these things is its beauty. Now, the entire country can see this beauty every day if they want. How? A scene of the Everglades National Park will be featured on a forever stamp.

The United States Postal Service wanted to celebrate the 100th birthday of the National Park Service by creating a Forever Stamps that showcases 16 national parks. The full set of stamps was debuted at the World Stamp Show in New York on June 2.

The picture of the Everglades that is featured was taken by Miami photographer Paul Marcellini. He took the photo in the pine rocklands. The photograph displays the sunset behind pine lands and grasses in the Everglades. It was created from nine variously exposed photos. Marcellini has been visiting and spending time in the Everglades since he was a young child. After practicing photography in college, Marcellini moved back to Miami and visited the Everglades frequently during the week to explore it more and capture the beauty of the wetland.

The other National Forever Stamp parks featured include: Acadia National Park, Arches National Park, Assateague Island National Seashore, Bandelier National Monument, and Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

Also on June 2, Everglades National Park held a launch for the new Everglades stamp. Marcellini attended the event, which was held at the Coe Visitor Center in the Park. Stamps were available to purchase that day, and are available now for anyone to purchase.

Visit the Beautiful Everglades National Park

Thanks for Marcellini and the USPS, Everglades National Park is forever immortalized on a stamp for people to enjoy its beauty. However, the stamp cannot fully showcase the park’s 1.5 million acres of majestic terrain, but a trip to the Everglades certainly can. There’s no better way to see and experience the Everglades than to actually go there. A great way to get around the area is on an airboat tour. Visitors are able to see all sorts of plant life and animal life jetting through the waters. To book an airboat tour through the Everglades, call Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours at 800-368-0065 or click here.

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