Here’s a collection of websites that we think provide good information and resources for both adults and kids. The list is by no means exhaustive so feel free to suggest additional sites.
The Beauty that is the Everglades. Image - Tuan Iyne
- Everglades National Park – all you wanted to know from the U.S. National Park Service, Department of the Interior. The site includes everything from typical visitor information to resources for kids, field trips and Everglades lessons plans for teachers. For those who want to get more involved, check out their “Support Your Park” section where they list volunteer opportunities and how you can donate to various programs. You will also want to check out their “things to know before you come” section.
- The Everglades Story - This companion website to the two-part PBS film titled “Water’s Journey: Everglades” is well designed and contains a history of the Everglades, a section on educational resources with links to high-quality information including inquiry-based quests and interactive activities, and an eye-opening animation that shows the Everglades in action.
- The Living Everglades – Created by the South Florida Water Management District this website provides vast amounts of information for everyone from students to scientists. Information about water quality, water levels and rainfall from various agencies including the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. You’ll also find links to publications, videos, and other information resources on the Everglades restoration projects and Florida’s ecosystems.
- Save the Glades – a 5-minute video made by a film crew from Full Sail University for the Friends of the Everglades organization. Founded in 1969 by Marjory Stoneman Douglas, a pioneer in Everglades conservation, the mission of Friends of the Everglades is to preserve, protect, and restore the only Everglades in the world. You can follow their updates on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.
- Exploring the Everglades Game – from National Geographic Kids, you can use this interactive game before or after your trip. It features high quality photos and uses a guess-the-picture type format to get kids interested in the different critters that inhabit the Glades.
- CERP: The journey to restore - Name that Sound! - a game from CERP to guess the different critter sounds you’ll hear in the Everglades. They also have an Everglades reading list with recommended books and material. While at the site be sure to check out their free downloadable materials. Great for kids and adults too!
- Our Vanishing Wilderness: Will the Gator Glades Survive – this 30-minute documentary is actually from the 1970’s, but we thought we’d include it because it provides an interesting perspective on how things have changed. The Vanishing Wilderness crew made a series of eight landmark half-hour films around the country–it ended up being the first environmental tv series in the US.