The International Secretariat for the Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental treaty on wetlands conservation, has put the Southwest Florida natural gem on its list of Wetlands of International Importance. Corkscrew joins Everglades National Park and Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, the only other places on the list from Florida, and only 22 other U.S. spots on the list. The designation doesn’t confer any additional protections on the swamp but puts the sanctuary on the map as one of the most valuable wetlands on the planet.

“It’s like winning an Oscar,” Corkscrew executive director Ed Carlson said. Corkscrew undertook a year-long application and extensive review process that included data about soils, wetlands maps, endangered species, wildlife and plants found at the 13,000-acre sanctuary off Immokalee Road. Audubon of Florida owns the sanctuary, which was created in 1954 to protect its old cypress forest from loggers. The sanctuary is home to the largest nesting colony of endangered wood storks, and its towering 600-year-old trees comprise the largest remaining virgin bald cypress forest in North America.

More than 200 bird species and 22 species of threatened or endangered orchids live at Corkscrew along with alligators, Florida panthers and black bears. The Ramsar designation includes 2,700 acres that were restored as part of the Panther Island Mitigation Bank and added to the sanctuary along with money for management. The designation marks the first time Ramsar has recognized a mitigation bank.

Every year, more than 100,000 people walk the boardwalk at Corkscrew or visit the sanctuary’s Blair Audubon Center, including 6,000 schoolchildren, according to Audubon. Read more at Marco News.