U.S.: Exploring the Everglades

Florida’s Everglades are unique. The historic sheetflow of water across southern Florida created an ecosystem found nowhere else in the world. However, human manipulation in the twentieth century reconfigured this massive system, creating serious problems that Americans have now pledged more than $8 billion to “fix.” This two-credit course will give students the opportunity to view first-hand the biology, geology, and hydrology of the Everglades, as well as the human history that has evolved from calls for drainage to that of restoration. The class will explore the Everglades from its central Florida headwaters to its southern tip, seeing firsthand the complex issues affecting this system.