President Harry S. Truman formally dedicated the Everglades National Park on December 6, 1947. This event culminated years of efforts by a dedicated group of conservationists to make a national park in the Florida Everglades.
A variety of floral is one of the key resources in the park. One of the more prominent and colorful plants are the Bromeliads and epiphytic orchids. It is said that as many as 25 varieties of orchids have been seen and documented in the park, along with more than 1,000 other kinds of seed-bearing plants and 120 species of trees. More than 36 threatened or endangered animal species reside in the Everglades, including the american Alligator, the Florida Panther, the West Indies Manatee and the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow. More than 300 species of birds have been seen in the Everglades as well. Seven of which are rare or endangered.
Protection of wading birds and their rookeries from commercial exploitation and encroachments was the main reason for setting the park aside. Tens of thousands of birds nest and call the Everglades home throughout the year.
The Everglades National Park is also an International Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site and a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance.
