America's Everglades

Exploring Lake Okeechobee

Audubon has worked for over a century to protect and restore America's Everglades. Famous for its abundance of bird life, the Everglades has faced many challenges. From the murder of Audubon Warden Guy Bradley by plume hunters as he fought to protect some of the Everglades’ iconic species, to the nearly devastating changes from the twentieth-century efforts to ditch, dike, and drain the watershed for development and agriculture, the Everglades is only now beginning to recover.

The most ambitious ecosystem restoration plan ever attempted is underway to provide the River of Grass with clean freshwater in the right place at the right time. Audubon's work to restore the Everglades is focused on implementing the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) and other restoration projects to achieve ecological benefits and restore the characteristic abundance of wildlife. A great example is the 1,000-acre marsh and prairie restoration underway at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; the heart of the Western Everglades.

Our science and policy staff works throughout the ecosystem to ensure that sound science underpins plans for restoration and that projects stay focused on increasing target bird populations as a measure of success. The Audubon Florida state office, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, and Florida’s 45 chapters work with other partners and local, state, and federal decision-makers to build widespread support for this effort.

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Here are some of the overall goals of Audubon's Everglades work:

  • Restore freshwater flows to Florida Bay through Everglades National Park to improve the conditions for the Roseate Spoonbill and other wading birds by reversing the effects of harmful flood control and water supply projects.
  • Improve the hydrology of the Northern Everglades while improving the quality of water entering Lake Okeechobee, using the Southern Bald Eagle as an indicator of progress toward reaching these goals.
  • Manage Lake Okeechobee in a way that balances the needs of consumptive users and the environment and reduce the pollutants flowing south from Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades Agricultural Area. Restore flows through the Water Conservation Areas that connect Lake Okeechobee and Everglades National Park using the Everglade Snail Kite, Roseate Spoonbill, and other wading birds as indicator species.
  • Protect and restore the watershed of Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, the Big Cypress National Preserve, and surrounding areas in the Western Everglades. Restoration and conservation activities in this area, which is a key part of the native habitat for the Wood Stork, can be measured by that species’ population in the region.

Learn more about Audubon's work in the Greater Everglades, explore our current and past State of the Everglades Reports.

Northern Everglades
Conservation

Northern Everglades

The Northern Everglades encompasses the Lake Okeechobee watershed, the 3.3 million acre part of the ecosystem that serves as the headwaters of the Everglades.

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Lake Okeechobee and the Central Everglades
Conservation

Lake Okeechobee and the Central Everglades

Lake Okeechobee is the liquid heart of the Central Everglades.

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Florida Bay
Conservation

Florida Bay

The Everglades Science Center at Tavernier was established in the Florida Keys in 1938.

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Audubon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Chapters & Centers

Audubon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Experience the heart of the Western Everglades.

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Everglades Science
Conservation

Everglades Science

One of Audubon Florida’s greatest contributions for the Everglades is our research and monitoring that provides information about some of the most important issues related to the health of the ecosystem.

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State of the Everglades Report
About Us

State of the Everglades Report

Get the latest news from the River of Grass in this bi-annual review.

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News & Updates

Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual Nearing the Finish Line
Everglades

Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual Nearing the Finish Line

After years of research, drafting, and comment, the implementation of the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM) is on the horizon.

Florida Bay Spoonbills Struggle with Sea Level Rise During Nesting Season
Everglades

Florida Bay Spoonbills Struggle with Sea Level Rise During Nesting Season

The Roseate Spoonbill is considered an umbrella species and an indicator of overall Everglades and Florida Bay health.

Restoration Blueprint Charts a Path Forward for Keys Ecosystems
Everglades

Restoration Blueprint Charts a Path Forward for Keys Ecosystems

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary needs more protection. The critical natural resources within its borders face threats from increased boating, fishing, and diving pressure, as well as from ocean acidification and warming, pollution, and habitat loss from sea level rise and intense storm events.

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Does Its Job after Hurricane Ian
Everglades

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Does Its Job after Hurricane Ian

Hurricane Ian significantly changed the shape of Southwest Florida’s coastline and the lives of many who live near it. Fortunately, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary’s iconic boardwalk and Blair Visitor Center sustained only minor damage.

Snail Count for Snail Kites
Everglades

Snail Count for Snail Kites

The Florida apple snail population declined after two severe droughts in the early 2000s. How did Snail Kites, who rely on the species as their sole food source, survive?

Miami-Dade County Fails to Hold Urban Development Boundary Line
Everglades

Miami-Dade County Fails to Hold Urban Development Boundary Line

Miami’s health, quality of life, and economy depend upon a healthy Everglades and Biscayne Bay.

Audubon Uses its Science to Inform Southwest Florida Everglades Restoration and Regional Water Policy
Everglades

Audubon Uses its Science to Inform Southwest Florida Everglades Restoration and Regional Water Policy

In 2020, Audubon scientists made a startling discovery: water is quickly disappearing from Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

Audubon Travels to Washington, D.C. to Talk Everglades
Everglades

Audubon Travels to Washington, D.C. to Talk Everglades

Audubon traveled to Capitol Hill this past fall to be a voice for Everglades restoration in South Florida.

Where Do the Roseate Spoonbills Go? Now We Know!
Everglades

Where Do the Roseate Spoonbills Go? Now We Know!

New technology uncovers the mystery of Roseate Spoonbill movement.

Visiting Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Chapters & Centers

Visiting Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Open daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. with the last admission at 1 p.m.

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