There are no other Everglades in the world.

They are, they have always been, one of the unique regions of the earth, remote, never wholly known.

Nothing anywhere else is like them.

Those are the opening words from Marjorie Stoneman Douglas' seminal book,

The Everglades, River of Grass. Words that echo the constant fight for land that was once

home to an estimated two million waiting birds during the dry season. A declaration for

the protection of the 1.5 million acres of Florida's

southern tip. The first federal land preserved not for beauty, but for the conservation of an

incredibly diverse and incomparable landscape. A call to the greater population to pay attention to the destruction, its long-term

impacts, and the ways in which we could prevent them. As Jack DeGolia notes in his 1978 book,

Everglades, the story behind the scenery. By the mid-1970s, waiting bird numbers had dropped back to a few hundred thousand,

about 10% of what it had been a century before.

Biologists actively study these birds looking for clues that might lead to stopping

or even reversing the decline.

As yet, the only thing that is certain is that life in the Everglades

is more fragile than anyone ever thought. DeGolia's description is apt, not just of the land,

but also of the woman who protected it time and time again. She remains an incredible figure

of American history, a hero whose story is anything but

average. Today, Everglades National Park and the incredible life of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas.

This is parkography. More in a moment, but first, this episode is sponsored by Slinky Stove.

Slinky Stove is the patented collapsible

fire pit that stays intact when packed. It's perfect for RVs and car camping or in your own

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