To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Time. I was disappointed in this book and was expecting something that it wasn't. Visit the Teaching Middle Grade Genre Books page to learn more. A difficult read for me (hard truths expounded in overwhelming detail) but I view this book as an essential chronicle of Florida human and natural history. Moving to Miami as a young woman to work for The Miami Herald, Douglas became a freelance writer, producing over a hundred short stories that were published in popular magazines. I read this book after reading Michael Grunwald's THE SWAMP (It was deemed required reading by Mr Grunwald) so I think I was expecting something different from this book. What had been a river of grass and sweet water that had given meaning and life and uniqueness to this whole enormous geography through centuries in which man had no place here, was made, in one chaotic gesture of greed and ignorance and folly, a river of fire.... What had been unique and lovely and strange was a black monotony of destruction." Collapse. One thing any school-sponsored trip has in common: students are supposed to stay in a group so nobody gets lost. As agriculture developed, the agricultural and industrial wastes were dumped into the Everglades which began to ruin the delicate balance of the ecosystem. The book included some vividly gory accounts of people dying in bloody massacres. The first part of this book was an amazing exploration of the natural history of the Everglades. Sandwiched in between these chapters is a fairly comprehensive history of Florida (not just the 'Glades) from prehistoric times through present day. Ms. Douglas was a pioneer and hero in every sense of the word. These can rise above the marsh to heights of a few inches up to 6 feet (1.8 m). Marine environments in the Everglades include reefs, estuaries, mangroves, seagrass beds and bays, according to the UF. Douglas is such a gracious writer and poet. The Everglades National Park, established in 1947, protects the southern 20 percent of the original Everglades area; it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve and Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. The book included some vividly gory accounts of people dying in bloody massacres (and they weren’t even quotes from primary sources), and I found them sickening enough that I almost put this on my did-not-finish shelf. Show. This volume is mainly a … If they're lucky, the trek will only take two or three days. Something does not smell right. Her friend Hervey Allen was an editor at Rinehart, responsible for the Rivers of America Series. Things seem hopeless, but then they witness a pretty incredible sight: a giant python attacks a gator. The area hosts a variety of salt-tolerant shrubs and plants, such as succulents and other low-growing, desert-like plants. I think that at least half of the book could have been cut, with no damage to its impact. Other invasive animals include Cuban tree frogs, which prey on smaller native frogs, and the Nile monitor, a large lizard that eats crocodile eggs and burrowing owls, according to the NWF. | The Everglades, River of Grass, 50th Anniversary Edition. In the first part of the book, the author describes in detail the stark beauty of the Everglades, its many inhabitants, and the delicate ecological balance that existed there and had evolved over millennia. But to get there they'll have to trudge through dangerous swamps, saw-grass, and water filled with alligators and other dangers. everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Everglades. The author gives us the history of the area as well as a lesson in how to care for and to preserve the precious resource we have. The Everglades: River of Grass by Marjorie Stoneman Douglas (Rinehart & Co., Inc. 1947) (975.9). The Everglades is also home to the endangered Florida panther. There is a brief, often moving section towards the end describing the politics that led to the partial draining and widespread destruction of the Everglades leading up to the establishment of the National Park. Her verse is strong with color and you can feel like you’re in the Everglades while you read. This eventually led to efforts to protect the Everglades and to try to repair some of the damage that had taken place. Posts; Latest Activity; Search. | In 1928, a major Category 5 hurricane, known as the Okeechobee hurricane, struck the area. Do we live in a simulation? The Everglades National Park conducts regular prescribed burns designed to imitate the natural pattern of fire and keep the pines healthy, according to the NPS. Andy estimates they are about ten miles away from the Center. Freshwater sloughs, are relatively deep, marshy rivers that act as the main routes of … As European navigation aids improved, the white man began to arrive. Create an account to start this course today. Be the first to ask a question about The Everglades. One night at a bar she meets Lee. This was first published in 1947 and toward the end of her account it comes to this: "The whole Everglades were burning. Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, Photos: Florida Everglades: Follow the 'River of Grass', Bergeron Everglades Museum and Wildlife Foundation, These could be the funniest animal pictures ever, 1,200-year-old pagan temple to Thor and Odin unearthed in Norway, Adorable ancient sea cows once swam through now-bone dry Egyptian desert, Rare magnetism found in the world's strongest material, Columbus' Claims of Cannibal Raids May Have Been True After All. A classic for a reason, more important now than ever in the era of climate change. They arrived around 900 AD. Accompanied by Sarah's new duck friend Teapot, they have to hike back to civilization through dangerous alligator-filled swamps with almost no food or water.