Covell+Anthony


 * Big Cypress National Preserve**

==** Park Profile **==
 * *Location – Collier, Monroe, and Miami-Dade counties, Florida, USA. __ [|25°51′32″N81°02′02″W] __**
 * *Park Size – 729,000 acres **
 * *General Climate – Wet and Dry Seasons **
 * *Region of the U.S. – Southern Florida **
 * *Visitors per Year – 800,000 **
 * *Most Popular Sites – Loop Road (27 **
 * mile scenic drive), Turner Road/ Wagonwheel/ Birdon Road Loop (17 miles), The Tamiami Trail (Highway 41), Bear Island, Burns Lake, Midway Campground, Pinecrest campground, Mitchell’s Landing Campground, welcome/visitor centers, and the boardwalks.**





** History **

 * [[image:middletownhighschool/8.jpg width="286" height="429" align="left" caption="Florida’s Governor Askew " link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reubin_Askew"]]Big Cypress National Preserve was intended to be part of the Everglades National Park which was created in 1947, but Big Cypress had not yet been purchased from its private owners. The park was finally established on October 11th, 1974. Florida’s Governor Askew and Richard Nixon are very important figures in Big Cypress’s history. Following plans made by many conservationists, Governor Askew raised $40 million via state bonds. Askew’s funds rallied the support of the U.S. Federal Government and President Richard Nixon. The biggest setback in making Big Cypress National Preserve was acquiring the land from its 35 to 50 thousand owners. Before its creation, the preserve had: 550 buildings, 89 year-around houses, 50 house trailers, 50 Indian Village dwellings, 1 motel, 2 restaurants, 9 service stations, and 400 hunting camps. The government was finally able to get the land by allowing permanent residents (with structures) to remain, the rest (most of which were foreigners) were disregarded. Additional set backs were: plans to construct an airport (1968), the discovery of oil at Bear Island, and the fact that the land was full of highly desired natural resources (especially timber). Big Cypress National Preserve became a national preserve via The Big Cypress Conservation Act which essentially was the purchasing of the land from its private owners for $190 million, 150 million of which was from the Federal Government. Since there are no fancy monuments, Big Cypress National Preserve is not a designated historical site, but many people have lived there over time. The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, the Seminole tribe of Florida, and early settlers have all lived in the Big Cypress Swamp. To this day, the Miccosukee and Seminole people have rights to the land. Additionally, the preserve was home to many African Americans involved with the logging industry after the completion of the Tamiami Trail (Highway 41) in 1928. Since there are no fancy monuments, Big Cypress National Preserve is not a designated historical site, but many people have lived there over time. Without a doubt Big Cypress National Preserve is a natural site as it has many different plants and animals. **

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 * Weather on Big Cypress National Preserve is simple: there are two predominant seasons: the wet and the dry. The Rainy season runs from May through October and is defined by: higher water levels, daily afternoon thunderstorms, high humidity, and temperatures in the mid- to hi-80s. The Dry Season runs from November through April and is basically not the Wet Season – the Dry Season offers mild temperatures and weather patterns. The geology of Cypress National Preserve is as follows: sandy peats, sand, wet prairies, limestone, hardwood hammock, and Cypress sand.The many ecosystems of Big Cypress are as follows: Hardwood Hammock - A hardwood hammock is a type of broad-leafed tree that can only grow in a few inches of elevation. In the deeper sloughs and marshes, water enables these hammocks to develop a distinct aerial teardrop shape. Pineland - Otherwise known as pine rock lands, are forests that often take root in exposed limestone. Fire is an essential condition for survival of the pine community as it clears out the faster-growing hardwoods that would block light to the pine seedlings. Mangrove - Mangrove forests are mostly in the coastal channels and winding rivers. The term "mangrove" is used to identify several species of salt-tolerant trees that thrive in the harsh growing conditions of the coast. Freshwater Slough - A slough is a low-lying area of water channels. These marshy rivers are relatively deep and stay flooded almost year-round. Cypress -The cypress tree (//Taxodium spp//.) is a deciduous conifer that can survive in standing water. The air quality in Big Cypress National Preserve is great: the air is clean. Seasonal changes in water level and flow affects water quality. During the dry season the water is not as good as the wet season because during the dry season there is less water which allows for biological processes (such as decomposition) to increase the amount of organic waste and nutrients in the water. Geologic activity in Big Cypress National Preserve mirrors the season: during the wet season there is little land (marshes and swamps dominate) and during the dry season there is a lot more land (all of the water that comprised the marshes and swamps are gone uncovering sand, and sandy peat. Big Cypress National Preserve has 162 miles of primary canals, 46 water control structures, and four pumps that provide flood control during the wet season. Over the thousands of years of lightning strikes, some of Big Cypress National Preserve’s plants have become adapt to fire – some plants are now dependent of ash. In fact, so many plants rely on fire that rangers actually start them to help an area’s wildlife – if needed. The animals of Big Cypress are as follows: Florida’s largest reptile, the American alligator, anhingas, egrets, herons, river otter, bobcats, black bear, and the endangered Florida panther. There are 851 species in 145 plant families in the preserve. Resources in the Big Cypress include: Timber, Oil, and water. Timber was exploited to its fullest in the beginning of the 20th century. Oil was discovered but never extracted, but Florida’s current Governor is in favor of drilling in nature preserves. Big Cypress National Preserve’s biggest and most used natural resource is water. All of Big Cypress National Preserve is a conservation and preservation effort. Big Cypress has no hydrothermal activities. **



** Recreational Activities **

 * ** What activities are there for park visitors? **
 * ** Canoeing/Kayaking, Hiking, Hunting, ORV(off road vehicle) use, scenic drive, visitor/welcome stations, bookstore, tours, fan boating, and ranger lead activities. **
 * ** Why would someone want to visit? **
 * ** People would like to visit Big Cypress National Preserve as it is a nice way to connect with nature, relax, and have fun! **



**Videos**

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** Works Cited **

 * Peterman, Frank, and Audrey Peterman. "African Americans and The Sawmills of Big Cypress." //National Park Service//. National Park Service, n.d. Web. 13 Feb 2012. .**
 * . "Environmental Education." //National Park Service//. National Park Service, July 2009. Web. 8 Feb 2012. .**
 * . "Big Cypress Basin Service Center." //South Florida Water Management District//. . "Environmental Education." National Park Service. National Park Service, July 2009. Web. 8 Feb 2012. ., n.d. Web. 7 Feb 2012. .**
 * . "Big Cypress National Preserve." //Wikipedia//. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 8 Feb 2012. .**
 * Butcher, Niki . "History of Big Cypress." //EvergladesOnline//. EvergladesOnline, n.d. Web. 9 Feb 2012. [].**

=**Comments**=
 * Jacob Scaff- I liked the amount of photos you had. It was a refresher from all of the text of all the other peoples.**
 * Jacob Lewis- Overall it was a really good project. I understood all of it and had a clear understanding. I agree with Jacob Scaff when he said the pictures were a refresher from all the text. <3**
 * Comment from Chelsey Coleman: My dearest Covell, shall I compare thee to a summer's day. I liked your wiki a lot, you had a lot of pictures, but some of them you didn't really explain. You knew all the information and you answered all the questions that people asked you pretty well. The paragraphs were a little long though, but there were lots of videos and I enjoyed watching Mr. Stubblebine talk about alligators a lot.**
 * Comment: Hey Covell! Your page is really colorful and full of useful pictures, charts, and information, but it;s kind of wordy. Maybe in the future try to bullet the information to make it easier to read and even more appealing than it already is! And your park sounds like Cyrus, so I like it =]**
 * -Jessi**

Dearest Covell, Your wikipage is beautiful. I espcially like the pictures and videos of the allligators because they are pretty amazing creatures. If someone falls off a fan boat, do they get eaten by alligators? -Carley