A Great Blue Heron calls the 50 acres of Wakodahatchee Wetlands home.
Two juvenile Great Egret chicks, just a few days or weeks old, look cozied up together in their nest at Wakodahatchee Wetlands on March 22, 2024, but Great Egret hatchlings are known to tussle, and sometimes even engage in violent battles in a competition for food.
A Limpkin forages along a shoreline at the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge on March 22, 2024.
One percent of the moon is illuminated during the waxing crescent phase as it falls underneath the tree line at Jonathan Dickinson State Park on December 2, 2024.
A cypress habitat along the Loxahatchee River in Jupiter’s Riverbend Park provides a resting place for a Little Blue Heron on March 30, 2024.
An American alligator rules the wetlands of Wakodahatchee Wetlands on March 22, 2024.
Wood storks roost on pond apple trees at Wakodahatchee Wetlands on May 10, 2024.
An American alligator cools off under the shade and in the swamp of Everglades National Park on April 25, 2024.
A Florida softshell turtle swims over limestone formations in the freshwater marsh of Everglades National Park on April 25, 2024.
A 15-mile paved path only accessible by foot, bicycle or tram provides a unique journey through Shark Valley Slough in Everglades National Park.
The Florida Scrub-Jay is endemic to Florida and requires a large swath of sandy, scrubby habitat to survive. The largest amount of protected Scrub-Jay habitat in Southeast Florida can be found at Jonathan Dickinson State Park, seen on August 28, 2024.
The shore of a Miccosukee Tribe tree island meets the sawgrass and waterlilies of the Everglades swamp in Water Conservation Area 3 on July 30, 2024.
A gopher tortoises relaxes on the edge of its burrow at Halpatiokee Regional Park in Martin County on November 26, 2024.
The sweeping prairie of Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park is one of several views offered along the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk.
While teaching them how to forage, a sandhill crane leads its chicks down a wet road inside the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge on March 22, 2024.
Cheers to another year of documenting the Everglades
Dear Friend,
On a sunny spring day this April, I looked out over the River of Grass from the Shark Valley Observation Tower in wonder. Tree islands dotted the skyline, with puffy, white cumulus clouds peppering the bright blue sky. Turtles and alligators swam underneath me above limestone formations and a steady breeze kept me cool 70 feet above the ground. It was a profound moment, maybe because I really earned it. I had biked several miles to get to the tower and it was my first time seeing these views. I still daydream about that perfect Everglades day that felt like a page out of Marjory Stoneman Douglas’ River of Grass.
Exploring the Everglades with my camera is my favorite part of my job as the Friends of the Everglades multimedia producer. This year, these explorations took me from a Shark Valley bike ride, to a group paddle through the ancient Loxahatchee River. Through my lens, I preserved the serenity of a restorative sunrise atop “Hobe Mountain” at Jonathan Dickinson State Park — a place under threat — and the raw beauty of an exhilarating swamp walk in Big Cypress National Preserve (stay tuned for that adventure!)
You see, the Greater Everglades has more to offer than most people can imagine. I hope you can find your favorite spot in this ecosystem, as beautiful as it is important, and take refuge there. Until then, immerse yourself in these photos, which stand out as highlights showcasing a year of work in the field for Friends of the Everglades.
Happy trails,
Leah Voss
Multimedia Producer
