everglades

A reservoir project that could help address water challenges in the Everglades is one step closer to being built.

Congressional committees on Thursday approved a bill that, if passed, would authorize construction of a $1.4 billion water storage reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee. The reservoir would help reduce water discharges from Lake Okeechobee that contribute to algae blooms on Florida’s coasts; it would also increase water flow south to Florida Bay.

Florida is marking a milestone in its attempt to control an infestation of Burmese pythons in the Everglades.

The state has been paying a select group of hunters to kill the invasive snakes on state lands in South Florida since March 2017. On Tuesday, the 1,000th Burmese python collected in that program will be weighed in at the South Florida Water Management District's field office in Homestead.

The record rain that pounded South Florida last year and left the state a sodden mess had a silver lining: an explosion of wading birds.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas championed Everglades conservation for the latter half of the 20th century. Her relentless advocacy has lately become associated with the high school bearing her name in Parkland, where the Feb. 14 shooting killed 17 people.

Palm Beach County's prized natural areas -- protected areas of dunes, wetlands, scrub and flatwood forests -- could lose money for maintenance in the next few years because of changes to funding sources.

Wood storks, roseate spoonbills, ibises and egrets are among the many birds that fly, paddle and wade through the Everglades.

They draw visitors, particularly photographers, to the ecosystem. But the Everglades' birds are important for another reason: The health of wading bird communities says a lot about progress on Everglades restoration.

Scientists have long known that climate change is threatening the Everglades. But outdoor enthusiasts and environmental advocates have often looked at the two as separate issues.

Steve Messam describes his city, Belle Glade, as having two main exports:

"Sugar," he said, "and wide receivers."

Local lore has it that National Football League standouts -- including Super Bowl-winning wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Santonio Holmes -- hone their speed by chasing rabbits through burning fields, as controlled fires strip sugarcane of excess leaves in preparation for the harvest.