"A river of grass flowing imperceptibly from the hinterland into the sea", Everglades is a large tropical wetlands in the southern portion of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large watershed. The national park with the same name protects the southern 20% of the area, and it has been declared an International Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site, and a Wetland of International Importance, being one of only three locations in the world which appear on all three lists.
It has fresh and brackish water, and the shallow bays and the deeper coastal waters creates a complex of habitats supporting a high diversity of flora and fauna. It contains the largest mangrove ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere, the largest continuous stand of sawgrass prairie and the most significant breeding ground for wading birds in North America. The complex biological processes range from basic algal associations through progressively higher species and ultimately to primary predators such as the alligator, crocodile, and Florida panther; the food chain being superbly evident and unbroken.
Humans have lived for thousands of years in or around the Everglades, until plans arose in 1882 to drain the wetlands and develop the recovered land for agricultural and residential use. As the 20th century progressed, water flow from Lake Okeechobee was increasingly controlled and diverted to enable explosive growth of the South Florida metropolitan area. The park is rich in both prehistoric and historic heritage: it contains 200 known archaeological sites. A Native American group, the Miccosukee tribe of Florida, has a special use permit area inside the park.
About the stamps
About the first stamp, featuring a portrait of George Washington, I wrote here. The following two stamps are part of a set of four, depicting Gingerbread Houses, about which I wrote here.
References
Everglades National Park - Wikipedia
Everglades National Park - UNESCO official website
Gingerbread Houses Contemporary Christmas Stamps - Stamp News Now
Sender: Brenda Perez (My Favorite Postcards)
Sent from Palm City (Florida / United States), on 07.11.2013
Photo: Warren Flagler
I love driving through the Everglades and looking for alligators on the side of the road :D
ReplyDeleteAnd I note those stamps - must get some for myself at the Post office.
ReplyDelete