I guess this may be a bit strange to share, but I was so intrigued with these trees that make up the Everglades. The Mangrove trees. They are a native of Florida and it is estimated that they cover 469,000 acres of coastline. (Thank you Google!)
The day we went out with Jeff, we covered 66 miles of shoreline. We were on the ocean as well as the Gulf of Mexico. Wally and I had both been picturing the Everglades as a huge swamp land…like we saw on “Gentle Ben” years ago. The swamps and marshes do exist, but most of the Everglades is quite different. We enjoyed the many, many canals and waterways. Some are man made to help with the flooding of water, and many are natural. Although Jeff has a lot of knowledge of the Everglades, he also has a handy GPS. It helped me have perspective of this water world.
This top screen shows a close up of all the waterways we were in. The white is the water.
This bottom screen shows the tip of Florida, just upside down! The line just above and veering to the right are the Florida Keys. (Not really Florida, according to Jeff) 
The trees drop pods that contain seeds into the water. They get swept hither and yon with the tide but when they eventually land in the soft soil they quickly take root. The root system survives the salty and brackish water and protects the shore line. They grow above the water to take in oxygen.
I read many interesting things about the Mangroves. They are an important part of the eco system and those who study it are amazed at how the Mangroves have “adapted” to this or “adapted to that. I too am amazed…at my wonderful God Who designed all of creation, including these trees along the tropical shore lines!
Yep, it’s a lot of pictures of twisty trees…and I have one or two that I did not include. But, like I said, I was intrigued!
1 comment:
I can see why you were intrigued. It's a different kind of beauty. Thanks for sharing!
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