The Everglades, Vanishing Splendor--An Awakening

Emerging from portals of darkness into vaporous morning  light, like a wary ninja, mired in mist and changing in form, the everglades awakens. From countless creatures, ironically unaware of the threats to their own existence, erupts a chorus of chirps, mating calls and songs.
 
Perhaps today, more than ever before, the life supporting Everglades ecosystem, this seemingly dauntless planetary force, has become an imperiled sub-tropic anvil upon which mismanagement, urban development and the effects of global warming are endlessly impacting. The southerly flowing water from Lake Okeechobee, which historically nourished the Everglades, has long ago been diverted by a network of dams, levees and canals (the "necessities" of urban sprawl) and has resulted in a sporadic and insufficient supply of water to the Everglades' ecosystem, which depends upon it for it's survival.

In the South, the Glades are threatened by flooding due to global warming. The encroachment of salt water is destructive to countless species of plants and animals. It is important to note that due to its closeness to sea level, the Everglades is in a sense a canary in a coal mine, and the alarm has been sounded. That which threatens the Glades will ultimately threaten coastal areas world wide.

The course of rivers and their serpentine flow through time and place, often speaks of man as well as nature---what he values and that which he is willing to forego. Crumbling edifices and misguided intentions have long been strewn along the banks of the vanquished rivers of time. What tale will the future tell of the Everglades?

This, my most recent work, is a lasting display of gratitude to this river, hopefully, endlessly flowing, for what it has given me and for what it has awakened in me. It is a mighty conjurer, which casts a powerful spell, wherein the eternal can somehow be sensed in the moment. It is my hope that my images serve as emissaries whose mission it is to awaken you to the endless wonders  of this unique imperiled land, and in a small way celebrate the beauty and majesty of that which we stand to lose-- a vital connection with the wild and the free. Anthony Almeida

When visiting the Everglades portfolio on this site, kindly consider turning on the volume control on your computer, and clicking on "Slideshow"; you will hear the impassioned voice of Carolyn Antonucci-Almeida, while she sings, "Gone, Gone, Gone",  asong which she composed.  Her stirring voice, in the form of a plaintive prayer, wakens us to the reality of what we stand to lose if the challenges posed by global warming are not addressed.

Please Visit/join "Friends of the Everglades. "In this site, you will find information on the Florida Everglades and on how you can help us all win the fight to protect one of the world's unique natural treasures." www.everglades.org