Dear Friend,

Imagine you’re standing quietly in the Everglades. The sun has set below the horizon and nighttime begins to take shape. The constellations of the winter night sky come into focus as the sky darkens. Owls hoot from the trees and alligators hunt, evident by the sounds of thrashing water. And since it’s February, the mosquitoes are minimal, so it’s easy to fully relax and take it all in from the 70-foot tall Shark Valley Observation Tower. 

This was my reality a few weeks ago while attending a night sky workshop led by photographer Anthony Sleiman and the Florida National Parks Association. Together with a group of other Everglades photographers, we learned about the techniques of creating long exposure images to reveal the magic of the night sky, sometimes beyond what the naked eye can see.

Much like the changing seasons here on earth, different times of years offer different views of space. Orion, Pleiades, Taurus and Sirius are a few of the constellations and stars visible right now. The Milky Way core starts to appear during spring and summer months. If you’re interested in astrophotography or simply viewing night skies in the Everglades, you can bike into Shark Valley after dark, go camping in Flamingo or for the ultimate experience, visit Florida’s dark sky parks — Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park in the headwaters, and Big Cypress National Preserve (find a spot far from “Alligator Alcatraz”, where night skies have been erased by stadium-style lighting.)  

The experience of being in the Everglades after dark opens one up to a whole new world of an ecosystem that comes alive at night. Scroll through my photos, then plan a visit to see for yourself!

Happy trails,

Leah Voss

Friends of the Everglades Multimedia Producer