I'm Aisha Roscoe and this is a Sunday story.

The Everglades, you've probably heard of it.

That massive wilderness of wetlands on the southern tip of Florida.

It's home to the largest mangrove ecosystem

in the Western Hemisphere,

and it's a sanctuary for over three dozen

endangered and threatened species.

It's also the water supply for about 9 million Floridians.

The Everglades is a crucial ecosystem and it's in crisis. Climate change, pollution, agriculture, and rapid

development are causing potentially irreversible damage. Almost 25 years ago

the state of Florida and the federal government struck an extraordinary deal to save the Everglades.

But from the moment it passed the problems began, the plans been crippled

been crippled by years of trade-offs and backroom

dealing and rising costs with little to show for the billions spent.

Meanwhile South Florida is thirsty. The population keeps growing, the climate

keeps changing, and the Everglades keep dying. Today I'm talking with Environment reporter Jenny Stilettovich from South Florida's WLrN radio station.

Jenny has a new podcast series out called Bright Litt Place

that tells the dramatic story of the Everglades,

what's been done to the ecosystem,

and what needs to happen to save it.

Stay with us.

This message comes from NPR sponsor S. A.P. concur.

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