Tessa Taylor Everglades Adventure Extra Quality Guide

of the Everglades. During the dry season, alligators use their tails and snouts to dig "alligator holes." These depressions retain water when the rest of the glades dry out, providing a life-saving refuge for fish, turtles, and wading birds until the rains return. 3. The Balancing Act

Tessa learned quickly that the Everglades isn't a stagnant swamp; it is a massive, shallow river, 60 miles wide and over 100 miles long, flowing south from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay. The water moves so slowly—only a few feet per day—that it allows vast prairies of Tessa Taylor Everglades Adventure Extra Quality

to thrive, sharp-edged plants that can grow up to 10 feet tall. 2. The Keystone Species of the Everglades

headquarters. She learned that humans had spent decades draining the wetlands for agriculture and housing, nearly destroying the ecosystem. Today, billions of dollars are being spent to "get the water right"—restoring the natural flow to ensure that Florida has clean drinking water and that the unique biodiversity of the Everglades survives for the next generation. The Balancing Act Tessa learned quickly that the

Tessa left the Everglades with "Extra Quality" memories and a notebook full of data, knowing that protecting this wilderness is a race against time and rising sea levels.