fbpx

KidsKonnect

Everglades National Park Facts & Worksheets

The American national park known as Everglades National Park safeguards 20% of the original Everglades in South Florida. The said National park protects a vast tropical ecosystem and is the largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi River in the United States.

Search for Worksheets

Worksheets /Social Studies /Geography /Everglades National Park Facts & Worksheets

Premium
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version   Download sample

The American national park known as Everglades National Park safeguards 20% of the original Everglades in South Florida. The said  National park protects a vast tropical ecosystem and is the largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi River in the United States. On average, about a million people go to the park annually; after Death Valley and Yellowstone, Everglades is the largest national park in the 48 contiguous states. 

See the fact file below for more information on Everglades National Park, or you can download our 25-page Everglades National Park worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

DESCRIPTION

  • Most national parks exist to protect rare landscapes, but Everglades National Park was the first to safeguard a delicate ecosystem. 
  • The National Park was established in 1947.
  • The Everglades are the most extensively protected subtropical ecosystem in North America. Approximately  the area of Everglades National Park is about 7,800 square miles. 
  • Some of the critically endangered animals found in the Everglades are American alligator’s, American crocodiles, turtles, and manatees, panthers, and different kinds of birds.
  • The Everglades is a massive, flat seafloor that flooded after the last Ice Age. Its limestone base is a prime location for rapidly accumulating new carbonate layers. It is the most important nesting area for wading birds in North America and home to the largest mangrove ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere. It is the most important nesting area for wading birds in North America and home to the largest mangrove ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere. 
  • The Everglades is home to a wide variety of subtropical wetlands and coastal/marine habitats that are crucial to commercial and recreational fishing, including freshwater marshes, tropical hardwood hammocks, pine rocklands, substantial mangrove forests, saltwater marshes, and seagrass ecosystems. 
  • The Everglades is a massive, flat seafloor that flooded after the last Ice Age. Its limestone base is a prime location for rapidly accumulating new carbonate layers.
  • The park is home to the most significant mangrove habitat in the Western Hemisphere and is the most important nesting ground for tropical wading birds in North America. The park is home to 36 endangered or critically endangered species, including the Florida panther, American crocodile, and West Indian manatee, as well as 350 bird species, 300 fish species, 40 mammal species, and 50 reptile species. The park is responsible for recharging most of the Biscayne Aquifer, the source of fresh water for South Florida.
  • Everglades National Park is an outstanding illustration of functional biological processes. More than twenty species of birds and reptiles are protected here because of the wide variety of aquatic habitats. The Florida panther, the snail kite, the alligator, the crocodile, and the manatee are just a few examples.
  • It is also a vital migration corridor and home to some of North America’s most important wading bird breeding sites.

ECOSYSTEM

  • At the turn of the twentieth century, mountains, geysers, and canyons were universally thought of as natural wonders that should be preserved in national parks. When founded in 1947, the park made history as the first in the United States to focus on protecting regional flora and wildlife rather than geological features. The park is home to nine different ecosystems that are all interconnected but whose sizes vary constantly due to changes in water levels and other causes, as recognized by the National Park Service.
  • The freshwater slough (a deeper body of slow-moving water) is one of the most well-known ecosystems connected to Everglades National Park. These channels drain low-lying areas flooded with fresh water at a hardly noticeable rate of 100 feet daily. Shark River Slough and Taylor Slough are essential to the park’s overall landscapes. 
  • The Everglades are known as the “River of Grass” due to the prevalence of sawgrass that can grow to a height of 6 feet or more and broad-leaved marsh plants; this designation was fixed in the public mind by the title of Marjory Stoneman Douglas’s book (1947), which was the culmination of her years of advocacy for viewing the Everglades ecosystem as more than a “swamp.” 
  • Sloughs in the Everglades are ideal for feeding birds. As a result, they host many species, including herons, egrets, roseate spoonbills (Platalea ajaja), ibises, brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis), limpkins (Aramus guarauna), and snail kites, which feed on apple snails that live in the sawgrass. 
  • Freshwater turtles, alligators, water moccasins, and eastern diamondback rattlesnakes use the sloughs for their abundance of fish, amphibians, and young birds.

ANIMALS LIVING IN EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK

  • Six-Spotted Fishing Spider 

The scientific name for these massive spiders, Dolomedes triton, pays homage to the Greek sea god Triton. They don’t use webs to catch their food; instead, they “fish” for it in the water. These spiders rest their legs on the water’s surface to detect prey. They hunt fish, frogs, insects, and tadpoles by sprinting across the water after spotting them. 

  • Lined Seahorse 

Lined seahorses are one of three types of seahorses found in the coastal waters of South Florida. They are found in coral, mangrove, and seagrass environments. Male seahorses provide parental care for their young. Eggs are laid by females and carried by males until they hatch in a “brood pouch.”

  • Fish Crow

Fish crows blend in with their environment since it is almost impossible to tell them apart from the standard American crow. Fish crows are found in various habitats, including coastal areas, wetlands, estuaries, lakes, rivers, farmland, cities, and suburbs. 

  • North American River Otter

These energetic mammals can function just as well in the water as on land. They are widespread throughout Florida everywhere except the Keys, where saltwater habitats are more common. The banks of waterways such as rivers, creeks, and swamps are where these apex predators construct their burrows.

THREATS TO THE EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK

  • Over a century of intensive urban and agricultural development has halved the wetlands’ size, contaminated the water, deteriorated the ecology, and endangered species in the remaining Everglades by dumping fertilizer into it from upstream agricultural areas.
  • DEVELOPMENT – Fertilizer from upstream areas has poisoned the water, deteriorated the environment, and endangered species in the surviving Everglades. In contrast, urban and agricultural growth over the past century has cut the wetlands’ size in half.
  • INVASIVE SPECIES – Introducing non-native plant and animal species is biological pollution. Threatening the delicate balance of an environment are non-native species introduced from elsewhere, such as the Burmese python, the Brazilian pepper, and the Australian pine.

Everglades National Park Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Everglades National Park across 25 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Everglades National Park. The said  National park protects a vast tropical ecosystem and is the largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi River in the United States.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Everglades National Park
  2. Choose In The Box
  3. Crossword
  4. Special Park
  5. The Aquatic Beasts
  6. The Inhabitants
  7. River of Grass
  8. Nature
  9. The Ecosystem
  10. IG Story: The Green Park
  11. Preserve, Protect And Restore

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Everglades National Park located?

Everglades National Park is located in the southern part of the state of Florida, United States. It covers a vast area of wetlands and spans across Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Collier counties.

What is the unique ecosystem found in Everglades National Park?

Everglades National Park is known for its unique and diverse ecosystem of freshwater marshes, swamps, and mangrove forests. The park’s “River of Grass” is a slow-moving, shallow river system that flows southward, creating a mosaic of habitats that support a wide range of plant and animal species.

What is the significance of the Everglades ecosystem?

The Everglades ecosystem is one of the most ecologically diverse regions in the United States. It provides critical habitat for numerous species, including rare and endangered ones such as the Florida panther, American crocodile, and West Indian manatee. The park also helps maintain water quality and supports the local economy through tourism and recreation.

What are some popular activities for visitors in Everglades National Park?

Visitors to Everglades National Park can enjoy a variety of activities, including birdwatching, wildlife viewing, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, hiking, and taking guided boat tours. The park offers several visitor centers with educational exhibits to learn about the unique ecosystem and its conservation.

What are the conservation challenges faced by Everglades National Park?

Everglades National Park faces various conservation challenges, including water quality and quantity issues due to urban development, agricultural runoff, and invasive species. Efforts to restore natural water flow and habitats, as well as managing invasive species, are ongoing to protect the park’s delicate ecosystem.

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Everglades National Park Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 20, 2023

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

Related Resources