An NPR report last night that Florida alligators have grown smaller and scrawnier. Scientists blame it on the destruction of the Everglades--nearly damned and diverted out of existence. There is a restoration project underway and El Nino 2016 has helped with additional rain, but they didn't mention the proliferation of boa constrictors, with no natural enemies who have played have havoc with the rabbit, rat, and raccoon populations gators rely on.
A human-caused problem, naturally, as is most of the rest of what ails the Everglades. Smack in the middle of the state, is a new development called Ave Maria, FL, the handiwork of the owner of Domino's Pizza, who has built a Catholic church and school, a sprawl of houses for young families, condos for seniors, swimming pools (filled with Everglades water), a college, exercise rooms, tennis courts, saunas and a golf course--utterly without irony named "Panther Run!"
Of course, panthers won't run anyplace near humans. The day we hopped a free trolley for a tour, a jolly pot-bellied guy with a Brooklyn accent drove us around and raved about Mr. Domino & Mr. Collier, a man who bought vast tracks of South Florida for 25 cents an acre and this county was named after.
These are the men we admire (even if we are ostensibly religious) and while most of the rest of the couples were (I suppose) plotting how to afford a place, so they can swim, sun and sauna, I was just grateful I couldn't. Thinking I would probably right in there participating in the destruction of Florida if I could afford to!
A human-caused problem, naturally, as is most of the rest of what ails the Everglades. Smack in the middle of the state, is a new development called Ave Maria, FL, the handiwork of the owner of Domino's Pizza, who has built a Catholic church and school, a sprawl of houses for young families, condos for seniors, swimming pools (filled with Everglades water), a college, exercise rooms, tennis courts, saunas and a golf course--utterly without irony named "Panther Run!"
Of course, panthers won't run anyplace near humans. The day we hopped a free trolley for a tour, a jolly pot-bellied guy with a Brooklyn accent drove us around and raved about Mr. Domino & Mr. Collier, a man who bought vast tracks of South Florida for 25 cents an acre and this county was named after.
These are the men we admire (even if we are ostensibly religious) and while most of the rest of the couples were (I suppose) plotting how to afford a place, so they can swim, sun and sauna, I was just grateful I couldn't. Thinking I would probably right in there participating in the destruction of Florida if I could afford to!
