Everglades facts | 10 fascinating facts about America’s unique wetland wonder

Covering over 1.5 million acres, the Everglades is a vast network of wetlands, slow-moving rivers, and sawgrass marshes—making it one of the most unique natural areas in North America.

Deep in the Everglades lives the rare and mysterious ghost orchid, a delicate flower that seems to float in midair. It’s notoriously hard to spot, which makes discovering one feel like a secret shared with nature itself. This orchid is considered one of the rarest in the world.

The Everglades isn’t just one type of environment, it actually includes three distinct ecosystems: freshwater sloughs, mangrove forests, and coastal estuaries. Each one supports its own special plants and animals, creating a rich and complex web of life you won’t find anywhere else.

Fewer than 200 Florida panthers remain in the wild, making them one of North America’s most endangered big cats. The Everglades provides crucial habitat where these elusive cats can roam and survive, adding to the region’s incredible biodiversity.

During the rainy season, the Everglades works like a giant sponge, absorbing excess water and preventing floods in nearby cities. Its vast wetlands slowly release water downstream, naturally managing the flow and protecting communities.

Rather than a swamp or lake, the Everglades is a slow-moving sheet of water flowing from Lake Okeechobee toward Florida Bay, feeding the entire ecosystem.

The Everglades ecosystem, shaped over more than 6,000 years by slow-moving waters and shifting landscapes, supports a delicate and intricate balance of plants, animals, and seasonal floods that sustain its unique and ever-changing environment.

Both American alligators and American crocodiles live in the Everglades, a rare occurrence since their habitats typically don’t overlap elsewhere.

The Everglades isn’t just special to Florida, it’s recognized around the world. It’s been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Wetland of International Importance, and a Biosphere Reserve, highlighting just how vital this ecosystem is to our planet.

The Everglades does a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to water. It naturally filters and cleans it, then helps refill the underground aquifers that provide fresh water to millions of people in Florida.