The Everglades is a vast body of water that lies at or just below the surface of the ground. Much of the southern part of Florida feeds this slow-moving seepage. The warm climate and abundance of sun and moisture make the Everglades one of the richest natural areas of the world. It teems with a multitude of life forms, from giant alligators through deer to small amphibians and fish. The most exciting and obvious to all, however, is the bird life; there are many species of herons, egrets and exotic spoonbills and waterfowl.
Unfortunately, the entire ecosystem is threatened by increasing human population in southern Florida and its accompanying development for which millions of gallons of water are pumped out of the ground. This lowers the water table thus changing the plant life and destroying the ecological balance of this truly world-class natural area.
In this painting, which depicts an early morning, I have tried to capture the lush serenity and the sense of harmonious abundance of the Everglades. For those who care to check them off, the bird list is: common egret, snowy egret, tri-colored heron, blue-winged teal, common gallinule, coot, pied-billed grebe and wood stork.