Educational Media Reviews Online

Everglades was once a vast, free flowing river of grass extending from the Kissimmee chain of lakes to Florida Bay. This shallow slow moving sheet of water covered a large area of land creating a mosaic of ponds; sawgrass marshes and forested uplands creating a finely balanced ecosystem that supported a rich diversity of plants, fish and other animals. However, more than half the wetlands are lost now. They have been drained for agriculture and development and the ill planned system of canals that were built to manage the water have lowered the water tables with devastating results on the ecosystem.

This video examines the irreplaceable damage done to the natural ecosystem, the steps taken to remedy the situation and the resulting conflicts between the ecologists, scientists, agriculturists and the Indian tribes.

The program begins with a brief glimpse of the river of grass with an ecologist‚s point of view about the damage done to the ecosystem, declining wildlife (how fauna and flora came second to making a buck), effects of the introduction of exotic plants and fish to the ecosystem, and water pollution. This is followed by information about the system of canals or „structural solutions‚ built to regulate Florida‚s water. An elder from the Miccosukee Tribe that used to live in the water conservation area3A describes how the area was like when they lived there in the 1920s (an idyllic childhood his grandchildren will never know) and how flow of water from the agricultural area has adversely affected the water quality. The video then highlights the politics behind agricultural operations and the influence of big sugar plantations on the ecosystem.

The latter part of the video deals with restoration efforts and the impact on the ecosystem. Indicates the change in the sentiments expressed by the big sugar companies, after being taken to courts by the Miccosukee Indians in order to prevent further destruction of the environment. However, very little is said about the 25 year, billion-dollar plan to restore the everglades. Although it is mentioned that according to the plan there is something for everyone, the study reveals that not everybody involved is happy about the outcome of the restoration process. The video concludes with a call for further study and the need to give nature a chance to recover.

Although the video seems to follow a logical sequence, it is quite difficult to follow the content unless one has some background knowledge about the problem and the restoration plan. This is mainly due to the fact that there is very little narrative and viewers have to make an effort to adjust to the way different people present their viewpoints.

Saving Our Swamp could be used as a starting point for further study and discussion about the importance of conserving natural habitats. It is recommended for college and university collections.

Rescuing an endangered ecosystem the plan to restore America’s Everglades(http://www.evergladesplan.org) is one of the best web-sites for additional information about the Everglades.

Additional Web resources on this topic can be accessed through the following sites http://everglades.fiu.edu/library/index.html http://sofia.usgs.gov/index.html http://www.discovery.com/news/features/everglades/credits.html