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Missing Hunter Found Alive in Big Cypress National Preserve

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on November 20, 2009 - 4:25pm
A deer hunter who survived four days in the snake- and alligator-infested sloughs of Big Cypress National Preserve by drinking swamp water and eating a catfish was found in relatively good condition Friday, officials said.

Search Now In Its Third Day for Missing Hunter At Big Cypress National Preserve

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on November 19, 2009 - 8:12am
Searchers headed out for a third day Thursday morning to look for a 30-year-old hunter who walked away from his camp Monday in Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida.

Search Under Way For Missing Hunter In Big Cypress National Preserve

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on November 18, 2009 - 11:20am
An intensive search is under way in Big Cypress National Preserve for a hunter who walked away from his camp and hasn't been seen since.

To Drill Or Not To Drill For Oil Beneath Big Cypress National Preserve, That Is The Question

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on November 4, 2009 - 3:36am
If there weren't enough controversial issues swirling about Big Cypress National Preserve, a cash-strapped Miami-Dade County has been mulling the possibility of drilling for oil beneath the preserve.

Road Work to Close Section of Road At Big Cypress National Preserve

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on October 28, 2009 - 11:02am
Big Cypress National Preserve Superintendent Pedro Ramos says that as of noon on November 2 the portion of Loop Road south of the Gator Hook Strand site and west of the Loop Road Education Center will be closed to vehicle traffic.

New USGS Study Says We Have Good Reason to Worry About Giant Snakes Loose in America

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on October 16, 2009 - 3:35am
A new USGS report with a long title has this short take-away message: All nine giant constrictor species capable of colonizing areas of the United States pose moderate to severe ecological risks, and some pose a credible risk to humans.

Eradicating Everglades Pythons Will be a Formidable Task

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on July 20, 2009 - 2:01am
Federal officials are finally fast-tracking efforts to eradicate Burmese pythons from the Everglades. If this can be done, and that’s a very big if, it will take teamwork, technology, hard work, and good luck.

Big Cypress National Preserve Proposal Would Greatly Expand Hunting, ORV Use To the Detriment of Florida Panthers

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on July 12, 2009 - 2:18am
A proposal drafted by planners at Big Cypress National Preserve would greatly expand hunting and off-road vehicle use in the preserve, moves that would pose a "moderate adverse" impact to the endangered Florida panther.

National Park Quiz 62: Paired Parks

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on July 8, 2009 - 3:00am
This week’s quiz deals with National Park System units that are linked to each other in some way. Answers are at the end. If we catch you peeking, we’ll make you write on the whiteboard 100 times: “The efficient enzymatic resolution of conduritol B and C derivatives is an important step in synthesizing all possible enantiomeric pairs of conduritol stereoisomers.”

Predictions for the 2009 Wildfire Season

Submitted by Jim Burnett on May 11, 2009 - 3:26am
What might 2009 hold for wildfires, in parks and other areas? Experts at the National Interagency Fire Center have issued a fire season outlook for the next several months that provides an educated guess.

Where There's Smoke There's...a Closed Interstate Highway Known as Alligator Alley

Submitted by Jim Burnett on April 25, 2009 - 3:12am
Smoke from a wildfire in Big Cypress National Preserve has prompted closure of a major interstate highway connecting the east and west coasts of Florida. The shutdown of Interstate 75, also known as Alligator Alley, is into its fourth day, and may continue through the weekend.

National Park Mystery Plant 2: There’s Good Reason They Call This Thing "the Death Apple”

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on April 24, 2009 - 4:00am
This tree, which can be found growing in a few of our national parks, is one you’ll want to treat with respect. Its various parts are full of toxins that can irritate your skin, temporarily blind you, make you very sick, or even kill you.

Might The Obama Administration be More Invested in Everglades Restoration Than Its Predecessor?

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on April 19, 2009 - 2:30am
Different administrations in Washington have different sets of priorities. While the Bush administration talked about helping restore the massive Everglades ecosystem, the Obama administration is sending signals it will work harder to push the project forward.

NPCA: Health of Everglades National Park Requires a Longer Bridge Along the Tamiami Trail

Submitted by jadornato on April 18, 2008 - 6:24am
Once seen as an innovative project for its time, in 1929, Tamiami Trail was built along the northern edge of what was to become Everglades National Park and through Big Cypress National Preserve. It fulfilled the dream to create passage across the Everglades from Tampa to Miami. Today, many people feel much differently about the road that currently impedes the natural flow of water through the historic River of Grass.

Words on the Wilderness: A History of Place Names in South Florida's National Parks

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on January 3, 2008 - 7:19pm
You ever wonder where place names originate? I mean, Hog Key Campsite in Everglades National Park? And University Dock in Biscayne National Park? What were they thinking?

Groups Sue Park Service Over ORV Use in Big Cypress National Preserve

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on December 22, 2007 - 9:46am
A coalition of seven groups is suing the National Park Service over its decision to reauthorize off-road vehicle use in an area of Big Cypress National Preserve, saying the move directly impacts sensitive Florida panther habitat.

Big Cypress National Preserve: Is More ORV Access In Bear Island Unit Wise?

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on December 7, 2007 - 3:30am
Snowmobiles, off-road vehicles, and personal watercraft are perhaps the most polarizing recreational issues within the national park system. In this guest column, the specter of greater ORV access in Big Cypress National Preserve's Bear Island Unit is examined.

Big Cypress National Preserve: The Latest Battleground Over ORVs in the Parks

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on October 29, 2007 - 12:00pm
In the not-too-distant future the swampy landscape of Big Cypress National Preserve will become a key battlefield over off-road vehicle use on the national park system.

Just Another Snake Story

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on July 24, 2007 - 8:06am
Non-native pythons, once thought to be someone's pets, are running amuck in Everglades National Park and other parts of south Florida. In the latest story on this dilemma, from the New York Times, park biologists express amazement over the reptile's diet.

Repairing Rainier: A Question of Values

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on June 24, 2007 - 11:09pm
While park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga wants to rebuild a section of the road, the storm redesigned the Carbon River, in some places sculpting deep pools valuable to bull trout, a species protected by the Endangered Species Act.