EVERGLADES

The Army Corps of Engineers announced more than $1 billion for the Everglades as part of the administration’s package of infrastructure spending that’s intended to shore up roads, bridges, ports and other public assets.

“I think the gator population has had enough harassment.”

Palmetto Bay-based The Everglades Foundation recently announced the 2021 winners of its prestigious ForEverglades Scholarships and Fellowships, which supports graduate students pursuing innovative scientific and economic research to advance restoration and protection of America’s Everglades. A total of 45 ForEverglades alumni are from Florida International University (FIU). The 2021 ForEverglades Fellows and Scholars are:Florida International University ForEverglades Scholars: Thomas Shannon and Lauren Devito, both PhD students;ForEverglades Scholars: Chloe Vorseth, Melinda Padauni, Alan Mock, and Lukas Lamb-Wotton, all PhD students at Florida International University;Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Outdoor Fund ForEverglades Fellow: Hunter Howell, University of Miami, PhD student;Patrick Lee Foundation ForEverglades Fellow: Kelly Ugarelli, University of Florida, PhD student, andVoLo Foundation ForEverglades Fellow: Satbyeol Shin, University of Florida, PhD student. Applications for the 2022 ForEverglades Scholars and Fellows Program will open in February 2022. For more information on the ForEverglades Scholars Program send email to scholarships@evergladesfoundation.org or visit www.evergladesfoundation.org/scholarships.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has completed work on a $339 million Everglades restoration project aimed at cleansing water runoff before it flows into a troubled Florida river.

Hunters are paid more to patrol the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in the hope they can prevent what happened at Everglades National Park.

A long-awaited project in the Everglades is underway after the Friday groundbreaking for a massive underground wall in southwest Miami-Dade County west of Las Palmas. It’s intended to mitigate flooding and allow more water to stay in the Everglades.

An all-female team is showing of a massive 16-foot, 91-pound python that they captured in the Everglades this week.

We have a winner! And it wasn’t the python.

And it might be equally surprising to learn that Lake Okeechobee, which is nearly 100 miles away, is the historic source of that water. Due to this connection between the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee, a complex technical process led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is underway to make the water flow like it once did. For Miami-Dade the message is simple – send the water south to the Everglades! That water flow, which was the Everglades’ lifeblood, was cut off to accommodate agriculture and development in the 1940s. Let’s hope the Corps of Engineers can seize this moment to get us closer to a restored water flow in South Florida.

The snake hunt is on again.

The 2021 Python Challenge kicks off Friday, and is part of an effort to remove invasive Burmese pythons from Florida’s ecosystem.

Five people were rescued Sunday afternoon from two airboats that had broken down, leaving them stranded 10 miles north of Old Tamiami Trail, authorities confirmed.

Gov. Ron DeSantis and a divided state Cabinet backed Miami-Dade County's proposal to extend a highway across wetlands tied to the Everglades, even though they questioned the viability of the road project.

For all of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appalling political stances — from making it harder to vote by mail to picking a fight with the cruise industry over “vaccine passports” — he’s consistently been on the right side of one issue: protecting the Everglades.

As you sit in traffic on one of Miami’s busy expressways, Miami-Dade County and the state are fighting over who gets to control your toll money. That three-year battle already has cost Miami-Dade’s former toll entity $1 million in legal fees — and could cost the county even more.

A new exhibit by Cuban artist Harold Garcia V at Thomas Nickles Project highlights the need for conservation of the Florida Everglades.

Hunter walks the Everglades edge. What a $200,000 bed looks like. What a touchless spa feels like.

A series of fires in Everglades National Park seem to have been intentionally lit by an arsonist, or multiple arsonists, over the past two months — and officials are looking to put an end to it once and for all.

Whether you’re planning a group getaway for later this year or next summer’s extended family vacation, we’ve all earned a little time away

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Fire crews with the National Park Service have been igniting controlled fires in the Florida Everglades to control an invasive vine that’s been wreaking havoc on the native ecosystem. The plant, called Lygodium Microphyllum - and also known as Old World Climbing Fern - is a stealthy and invasive plant that was likely introduced as decorative vegetation that made its way into the Everglades in 1999. While many may think of the invasive Burmese python as a great threat to wildlife, scientists like Dr. Ellen Lake with the USDA Invasive Plant Research Lab in Davie say Lygodium could be more dangerous. (WPLG)Michael Gue, prescribed fire specialist with the National Park Service, said the vine can be easily spotted from a helicopter. “We’ve seen in Florida, in general, an increase in Lygodium so of course the Park Service is concerned,” said National Park Service botanist Hillary Cooley.

As the White House and Congress seek ways to confront the climate crisis, The Everglades Foundation wants to remind them that funding Everglades Restoration is an effective way of tackling climate change. “One of the most significant things that can be done right now to achieve progress on climate change is to restore America’s Everglades,” said Eric Eikenberg, CEO of The Everglades Foundation. “Everglades restoration is by no means the only solution to our planet’s climate crisis,” Eikenberg concluded. When considering this in addition to the critical economic and environmental benefits that Everglades restoration provides, it should be viewed as an immediate win-win for our country.”The Everglades Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to leading efforts to restore and protect the greater Everglades ecosystem. For more information about The Everglades Foundation, visit EvergladesFoundation.org.

“With over 20 locations in Florida, J.McLaughlin truly considers Florida our second home. Ten percent of proceeds from this collection will go to The Everglades Foundation. The Everglades Foundation leads efforts to restore and protect the greater Everglades ecosystem through science, advocacy and education. In addition, J.McLaughlin and The Everglades Foundation will partner on a series of in-store and virtual events throughout our Florida stores to raise awareness and funds for The Everglades Foundation. The Everglades Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to restoring and protecting the greater Everglades ecosystem through science, advocacy, and education.

“If they’re finding really high level of mercury in specific areas…that means there’s something going on with our environment,” she said. “And wouldn’t it be wonderful to use the pythons to determine where the pollutants are coming from and getting into the Everglades and be able to shut that down?”

DANIA BEACH, Fla. – Authorities say a 10-foot Burmese python was removed from under the hood of a car in Dania Beach. “Our officers responded and safely captured and removed the approximately 10-foot invasive snake,” the tweet said. The FWC asks the public to report sightings of Burmese pythons or other invasive species by calling their hotline at 888-Ive-Got1. In an effort to rid the Sunshine State of the invasive species, the agency has several programs that allow public participation in Burmese python removal and management efforts. Click here to learn more about pythons, removal efforts and how they are affecting Florida.

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Two Burmese python hunters from Fort Lauderdale broke a Florida record with an 18.9-foot female phyton. “Every single python that we take out is one less consuming our native wildlife, and that is what’s it’s all about," Pavlidis said. “The second I turned, my heart dropped out of my chest.”The python was in the water. Officials with the FWC and SFWMD said the python was the largest hunters had ever caught and removed from the Everglades. The FWC and SFWMD reported hunters with the elimination program have removed more than 5,000 pythons from the Everglades ecosystem.

The Everglades Foundation, the 27-year-old environmental non-profit dedicated to protecting and restoring America’s Everglades, has announced that its board chair, Carlos de la Cruz Jr., has been honored by the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (SFLHCC) with its President’s Distinguished Community Service Award. Carlos de la Cruz Jr. is a Miami-based entrepreneur and philanthropist who has served on numerous local organization boards. He was elected chair of the board of The Everglades Foundation in 2018. “The work that he has done as chairman of the board of The Everglades Foundation is remarkable leading the organization and the restoration of the Everglades through science, advocacy, and education. “Carlos has been extraordinarily effective at conveying the foundation’s message to new audiences and community stakeholders,” said Eric Eikenberg, CEO of The Everglades Foundation.

WEST BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. A single-engine Cessna 172 made an emergency landing early Thursday afternoon in the Everglades, authorities confirmed. A student and instructor from Wayman Aviation out of North Perry Airport were in the plane that was in the midst of a training flight. A Cessna 172 took off from North Perry Airport around 10:30 this morning. Its final stop was a little less than 10 miles southeast of Mile Marker 35 on Alligator Alley in West Broward. The plane remains in the Everglades as the FAA investigates the incident and the National Transportation Safety Board has also been notified.

Confronting the likelihood of more distance learning, families across the country are turning to private tutors and "learning pods" to ensure their children receive some in-person instruction. The race to set up learning pods threatens to vastly deepen inequities in access to education. In some cases, parents are paying thousands of dollars each to include their children in pods, promising teachers $40 to $100 an hour or more. A Facebook group on learning pods attracted more than 30,000 members within three weeks of being formed and launched numerous offshoots in states and cities. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has called learning pods luxuries that are not an option for low-income parents.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. A suspected accomplice to a man accused of abusing the corpse of a missing person faced a Broward judge over video conference Thursday morning. Detectives say Sullivan was keeping Babbits body in a deep freezer in the Oakland Park storage unit. A year after the incident, Gregg faces charges of abuse of a dead body and tampering with evidence. The judge doubled the standard bond on Greggs charges of abusing corpse and evidence tampering. She also faced $1,000 bond of possession of methamphetamine, raising her bond to $41,000 in total.

WESTON, Fla. – A canal and firefighters stood between the raging flames of a small brush fire and homes in Weston on Thursday. A brush fire was moving east on Thursday afternoon near Weston. Firefighters are battling a brush fire that is moving close to homes in Weston. (SKY 10)The Florida Forest Service responded to the area near U.S. Highway 27 and mile marker 30. A brush fire moved east toward Weston on Thursday afternoon.

A third place to start your levee bike ride is from Markham Park in Sunrise. To reach the trail, as you turn into Markham Park from State Road 84, you can take an immediate left into a parking lot for the levee trails. This occurs before you pay the $3 admission to the park. Like the other levee trails, this is a bit of an endurance test its not paved, theres no shade and the scenery doesnt change. 16001 State Road 84, Sunrise.

WEST BROWARD, Fla. – A brush fire burning by Alligator Alley about two miles west of the Miami-Dade and Broward counties line is not an accidental fire, according to the Florida Forest Service, but a prescribed and controlled burn. The Forest Service was burning underbrush Thursday afternoon in the Everglades, taking advantage of cooler temperatures as a way to clear out materials that could prove to be fire hazards in the future. Sky 10 was over the long line of flames, about 3,000 acres, west of US 27 at the County Line and South of Interstate 75. The burn was generating large amounts of smoke. The Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department tweeted that anyone with respiratory issues is encouraged to stay indoors.

The Miami Super Bowl Host Committee is very proud to have worked with these partners to bring attention to the threat that invasive species pose to The Everglades, Rodney Barreto, chairman of the committee, said in a press release. There are many men and women who work diligently every day to combat the harmful impacts of nonnative species and it is imperative that we are all educated on the effects of the Burmese pythons to our native wildlife.

Were looking at everything going on, but this one was moving further along, he said, referring to Kanter. Legally, they had the rights to do this on the land, and that why we had to have a negotiation and do this deal. If we could have won in court, obviously we would have done that.

The Burmese python, which poses a threat to the Everglades, is already on a list of reptiles that are restricted from sale, along with the reticulated python, southern and northern python, amethystine python, the green anaconda and the Nile monitor.

(Reuters) - The state of Florida has reached a deal with a private real estate firm to buy a large swath of environmentally sensitive wetlands in the heart of the Everglades to spare the tract from oil drilling, the governor announced on Wednesday. FILE PHOTO - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis talks to the media during a news conference as Hurricane Dorian approaches the state, at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, U.S. August 29, 2019. He recently proposed $625 million annually in state funding for Everglades restoration and related water quality projects. Among the Everglades most notable creatures under federal protection are the Florida panther, the American crocodile, the American alligator and the West Indian manatee. John Kanter, president of the real estate firm, told the Wall Street Journal his company had planned to pursue oil exploration with the highest degree of safety.

In its latest fight to equalize the value of humans and animals, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has called the 2020 Python Bowl a "grotesque contest." In a letter sent Monday to the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee, PETA president Ingrid Newkirk condemned the state's python hunt and the use of snakeskin for themed footballs. The Python Bowl is the latest iteration of Florida's recurring python challenge. And the group says initiatives such as the Python Bowl subject them to abuse by the public. The Python Bowl is underway and is set to end Sunday.

In its latest fight to equalize the value of humans and animals, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has called the 2020 Python Bowl a "grotesque contest." Newkirk asked the committee to cut ties with the Python Bowl and said PETA members would "escalate actions" to protect the animals if necessary. The Python Bowl is the latest iteration of Florida's recurring python challenge. And the group says initiatives such as the Python Bowl subject them to abuse by the public. The Python Bowl is underway and is set to end Sunday.

This is an important purchase to protect the Everglades and the drinking water of millions, said Diana Umpierre, Everglades organizer for the Sierra Club. Around this time last year, we stood at that same location with local leaders with the unified message of Not here, not now, not ever, no oil rigs in our Everglades and after 72 organizations sent a letter to the governor demanding state action to stop oil drilling at this site. So, this is welcomed news and we look forward to reviewing the terms of the purchase agreement announced today.

This year, the Super Bowl is trading pigskin for snakeskin at the 2020 Python Bowl. The winners will be announced at a ceremony during the Super Bowl Live festival in Bayfront Park January 25, according to Jacquie Weisblum, director of Oceans to Everglades. The python challenge used to be held every three years; it debuted in 2013, and the second took place in 2016. Celebrity python hunter Dusty "Wildman" Crum, star of the Discovery show Guardians of the Glades, is one of the reigning champions from the last python challenge. Applicants can register for the Python Bowl anytime during the ten-day competition as long as they've taken a training course.

This year, the Super Bowl is trading pigskin for snakeskin at the 2020 Python Bowl. The winners will be announced at a ceremony during the Super Bowl Live festival in Bayfront Park January 25, according to Jacquie Weisblum, director of Oceans to Everglades. The python challenge used to be held every three years; it debuted in 2013, and the second took place in 2016. Celebrity python hunter Dusty "Wildman" Crum, star of the Discovery show Guardians of the Glades, is one of the reigning champions from the last python challenge. Applicants can register for the Python Bowl anytime during the ten-day competition as long as they've taken a training course.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Forget the Super Bowl, a different kind of slithering competition is set to bring big prizes to the Sunshine State with the Florida Python Challenge. The contest, which is open to hunters of all skill levels, is a partnership between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee and a number of public and private agencies. The Florida 2020 Python Bowl kicks off Friday, Jan. 10, with competitors being tasked to remove Burmese pythons from specific areas of the Everglades. For those who still don’t understand what’s so dangerous about the Everglades python invasion, Bergeron puts it simply. “In Florida, especially South Florida, the Everglades is our drinking water.”Entry rules and hunting tools for the Florida Python Challenge can be FOUND HERE.

Florida 2020 Python Bowl to offer prizes for eradicating invasive snakesPublished: January 3, 2020, 6:02 pmForget the Super Bowl, a different kind of slithering competition is set to bring big prizes to the Sunshine State with the Florida Python Challenge.

Approximately 100 students from Everglades Champion Schools schools that integrate The Everglades Foundations Everglades Literacy Program into their curriculum and promote environmental leadership received a limited-edition Challenge Coin in recognition of their efforts. An Everglades Champion School encourages teachers to participate in Everglades literacy professional development, integrates Everglades literacy into the curriculum, promotes inquiry- and project-based learning, and encourages Everglades leadership. Everglades National Parks Education Program has been contributing to Everglades Literacy since 1971. Established in 1947 as the first national park created for its biodiversity, Everglades National Park is home to many critically threatened and endangered species including the Florida panther, the American crocodile and the West Indian manatee. The Everglades Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to leading efforts to restore and protect the greater Everglades ecosystem.

He's been bitten, strangled, and had his neck nearly snapped, but Florida's preeminent python hunter is diving back into the Everglades for another season of his reality TV show. In Season 1, Crum bagged snakes larger than two men. For Season 2, Crum says he's coming into the hunt with greater care and better gear. Ron DeSantis and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) increased funding for the Python Elimination Program, of which Crum is a part. Season 2 of Guardians of the Glades premieres Tuesday, January 7, at 10 p.m. on Discovery Channel.

He's been bitten, strangled, and had his neck nearly snapped, but Florida's preeminent python hunter is diving back into the Everglades for another season of his reality TV show. In Season 1, Crum bagged snakes larger than two men. For Season 2, Crum says he's coming into the hunt with greater care and better gear. Ron DeSantis and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) increased funding for the Python Elimination Program, of which Crum is a part. Season 2 of Guardians of the Glades premieres Tuesday, January 7, at 10 p.m. on Discovery Channel.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – For a small fee and a 30-minute quiz, South Floridians can actively participate in a “bowl” game that kicks off just before the Super Bowl heads to Miami. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission hosted media Thursday for a pre-game scrimmage for the Florida Python Challenge 2020 “Python Bowl,” which will give professional and rookie snake catchers the chance to compete to see who can catch the most and biggest snakes starting Jan. 10. Also joining DeSantis and FWC officials were members from the South Florida Water Management District and the Frost Museum of Science. Additionally, Miami Super Bowl LIV Host Committee members were on hand as this year’s challenge ties into Super Bowl LIV and the committee’s Oceans to Everglades initiative. Snake catchers are competing for prizes across several categories and there is a special class dedicated to members who served in the armed forces.

These pythons are all over the Everglades, and they are doing serious damage to the ecosystem back there, he said, hanging on as the snake jerked and tried to escape his grip. And that is why the governor came out today, and hes encouraging people to head out into the Everglades and capture these snakes.

Most of the book, which reads like a page-turning novel, recounts the history of the Everglades for the past 200 years and demonstrates how people have consistently tried to tame it, which has resulted in significant environmental problems. It describes characters who have had a huge impact on the history of Florida and who now have counties and cities named after them. Not the least of these characters is Napoleon Bonaparte Broward, namesake of Broward County.

Last year, under a new governor, Gov. Ron DeSantis, there was an effort to spend some but not all thats required on environmental purposes, with most going to the Everglades. While environmentalists and average Floridians applaud this expenditure, it does not relieve the Legislature and DeSantis of their responsibility to fully comply with the intent of the constitutional amendment.

A small plane with two people on board crashed down in the Everglades. Copyright 2019 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

A Burmese python recently captured in the Big Cypress National Preserve by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission is the second largest snake ever removed by the agency. The state wildlife agency tweeted images showing Python Action Team Member Kevin Reich posing with the massive python, which measures a staggering 17 feet and 9 inches long. Thanks to leadership from @GovRonDeSantis, our #Python Action Team is on a roll! This is the second largest #snake they have caught! Full story: https://t.co/xK721HvD8Z pic.twitter.com/Y9yEAzBIet MyFWC (@MyFWC) August 26, 2019Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.

Since preserving the environment has been a top priority for us at the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee, we recently completed our own coral reef restoration project an incredibly unique task thats gone unheard of at any Super Bowl in the past 54 years as a part of our Ocean 2 Everglades environmental initiative. For the MSBHC coral restoration project, members of Force Blue, a nonprofit organization that bridges Special Operations veterans with marine conservation efforts; the University of Miamis Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science program, and the Frost Museum of Science. Collective efforts to plant 100 staghorn corals at Rainbow Reef offshore of Key Biscayne on Thursday, June 13, were crucial as a way to celebrate the centennial NFL season. Lets shift our drive into high gear in order to leave the right kind of ecological footprint on South Florida! Rodney Barreto is chair, Miami Super Bowl Host Committee.

If LaPointe is correct, the consequences could be major. Everglades restoration is based largely on the premise that flood protection has cut off the southern Everglades from the water that naturally flowed out of Lake Okeechobee, down the river of grass and out marshes into the vast seagrass meadows in Florida Bay. The meadows help maintain the kind of gin-clear water that reefs need to thrive by stabilizing the muddy bottom. They also provide food and habitat for the rich mix of marine life that lives on reefs.

The Brazilian peppertree is a non-native plant now found in Florida that's already invaded some 75,000 acres of land across the Everglades. Copyright 2019 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

DAVIE, Fla. - The Brazilian peppertree is a non-native plant now found in Florida that's already invaded some 75,000 acres of land across the Everglades. It's a small but powerful solution to a problem that has been plaguing South Florida for decades. Scientists from across the state gathered Tuesday at Tree Tops Park in Davie to release nearly 1,000 South American insects, known as thrips, into the wild. Their goal is to eliminate the invasive Brazilian peppertree plant that is threatening South Florida's native ecosystem. "The insects are very safe to release into the environment because they will only eat the Brazilian peppertree.

Host, Hunter, takes us to the Everglades for a Miccosukee airboat ride, Morgan reviews some protein bars, plus another installment of Fit After 50.

Host, Hunter, takes us to the Everglades for a Miccosukee airboat ride, Morgan reviews some protein bars, plus another installment of "Fit After 50." Copyright 2019 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

Heavy downpours left the Eastern Seaboard drenched on Wednesday -- with more rain on the way from Hurricane Joaquin; Florida airboaters are on the losing end of a fight with the National Park Service to continue enjoying their hobby in the Everglades

Florida airboaters are on the losing end of a fight with the National Park Service to continue enjoying their hobby in the Everglades. David Begnaud has more on why the airboaters want to stay and why conservationists want them gone.