It wasn't many years ago that billboards placed along Highway 41 (Tamiami Trail) between Miami and Naples divined, "We're building new worlds for a better tomorrow."
Had these "new worlds" and "a better tomorrow" of the 1960s actually been realized, the entire Everglades ecosystem would have been considerably altered, the water supply for most of south Florida would have been ruined, much of our precious wildlife would have perished, and one of Mother Nature's finest achievements would have been destroyed.
Instead of the Big Cypress National Preserve, we would have the world's largest jetport spewing 25 tons of jet fuel pollutants daily into our atmosphere and a new community of 150,000 people generating five million gallons of sewage and industrial waste each and every 24 hours.
Praise God, that "better tomorrow" is now today, and thanks to a combined effort of several state and national conservation organizations, plus enlightened action on the part of a few political leaders, we now have hardwood hammocks instead of high-rise ghettos, sawgrass instead of pavement, flocks of birds instead of jet aircraft, and abundant wildlife instead of wall-to-wall people. The developer's loss in this instance was a major gain for those who appreciate a quality environment.
With its 570,000 acres, Big Cypress National Preserve, established in the 1970s, is twice the size of Rhode Island. About one-third of the area, located north and west of Everglades National Park in parts of Collier, Hendry, Palm Beach, Broward, Dade, and Monroe counties, in cypress, slash pine, coco plum, and gumbo-limbo.
Its wet prairies consist mostly of blackhead rush, ribbon lily, and hempvine, and its marshes contain sawgrass, arrowhead, and cattail. On the dry prairies of Big Cypress we find saw palmetto, while near the Ten Thousand Islands are estuarine forests of mangrove and buttonwood. In many places throughout the Preserve, we can see a myriad of epiphytic orchids, ferns ,and bromeliads, plus a rich mixture of animal, bird, and piscatorial life.
Dr. O. E. "Earle" Frye, Jr., former executive director of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, aptly described Big Cypress as "a national treasure."
"As an entity," said Frye, "Big Cypress is a distinctive ecological community and an essential source of freshwater and nutrients to productive estuaries."
He went on to point out that the Preserve is a natural water conservation area and recharge basin that prevents saltwater intrusion.
In addition to supporting a way of life for the Seminole and Miccosukee Indians, the big Cypress National Preserve nurtures a wide variety of animals, birds, plants, and fish.
While acquired to help protect the water flow to Everglades National Park, public access to Big Cypress is currently minimal. However, long-range plans call for the establishment of recreational and wilderness areas that can be enjoyed by all.
Best bet right now to see part of the "real" Big Cypress National Preserve is to drive the Loop Road (Florida 94) which meets Highway 41 at Monroe Station.
Those wanting instant information on the condition of the Loop Road are invited to inquire at Preserve headquarters in Ochopee, located about 35 miles east of Naples on US 41, or phone the Oasis Ranger Station at 813-695-4111.
Copyright (c) 1996 Herb Allen. All rights reserved.