Earlier this week, Hendry-Glades Audubon Society celebrated 5 successful years of conducting bird-watching tours in a stormwater treatment area that flows into the Everglades. The tours are conducted in conjunction with South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and have been wildly successful with local birders. From the SFWMD press release:

Audubon volunteers, with support from the District, have led 108 individual tours with more than 4,250 birders and photographers from across the world at the site in Hendry County. Stormwater Treatment Areas are the water-cleaning workhorses of Everglades restoration, and many have become renowned havens for wildlife.

More than 187 species of birds — from endangered Everglades snail kites to great egrets — and tens of thousands of individual birds have been documented at STA-5 alone. To enhance the experience at the wetland, the District constructed a multipurpose bird watching platform that is fully accessible to disabled residents and visitors.

For a full schedule of excursions into this incredible wildlife viewing area, please click here.