[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:00.86,0:00:02.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I've had the great privilege
Dialogue: 0,0:00:02.94,0:00:05.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of traveling to some incredible places,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:05.38,0:00:09.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,photographing these \Ndistant landscapes and remote cultures
Dialogue: 0,0:00:09.64,0:00:11.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all over the world.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:11.09,0:00:12.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I love my job.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:12.52,0:00:15.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But people think it's this \Nstring of epiphanies
Dialogue: 0,0:00:15.11,0:00:17.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and sunrises and rainbows.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:17.65,0:00:18.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When in reality,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:18.75,0:00:20.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it looks more something like this.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:20.44,0:00:21.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:00:21.66,0:00:23.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is my office.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:23.77,0:00:26.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We can't afford the fanciest places\Nto stay at night,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:26.33,0:00:29.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so we tend to sleep a lot outdoors,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:29.82,0:00:31.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as long as we can stay dry,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:31.11,0:00:32.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that's a bonus.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:32.44,0:00:34.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We also can't afford \Nthe fanciest restaurants.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:34.87,0:00:38.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So we tend to eat whatever's on\Nthe local menu.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:38.47,0:00:41.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And if you're in the Ecuadorian Paramo,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:41.51,0:00:44.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you're going to eat \Na large rodent called a Cuy.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:44.36,0:00:45.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:00:45.77,0:00:48.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What makes our experiences, perhaps,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:48.52,0:00:50.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a little bit different \Nand a little more unique
Dialogue: 0,0:00:50.77,0:00:52.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,than that of the average person
Dialogue: 0,0:00:52.32,0:00:55.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is that we have this gnawing thing\Nin the back of our mind
Dialogue: 0,0:00:55.64,0:00:59.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that even in our darkest moments,\Nand those times of despair,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:59.58,0:01:03.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we think, "Hey, there might be\Nan image to be made here,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:03.50,0:01:06.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there might be a story to be told."
Dialogue: 0,0:01:06.36,0:01:08.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And why is storytelling important?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:08.71,0:01:13.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It helps us to connect with \Nour cultural and our natural heritage.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:13.38,0:01:14.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And in the Southeast,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.61,0:01:17.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there's an alarming disconnect\Nbetween the public
Dialogue: 0,0:01:17.53,0:01:21.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the natural areas that allow\Nus to be here in the first place.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:21.97,0:01:24.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We're visual creatures,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:24.20,0:01:28.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so we use what we see\Nto teach us what we know.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:28.07,0:01:30.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now the majority of us\Naren't going to willingly go
Dialogue: 0,0:01:30.70,0:01:32.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,wade out into a swamp.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:32.08,0:01:36.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So how can we expect \Nthose same people to advocate
Dialogue: 0,0:01:36.46,0:01:38.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on behalf of their protection?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:38.61,0:01:39.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We can't.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:39.81,0:01:44.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So my job, then, is to use photography\Nas a communication tool
Dialogue: 0,0:01:44.08,0:01:48.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to help bridge the gap\Nbetween the science and the aesthetics
Dialogue: 0,0:01:48.08,0:01:49.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to get people talking,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:49.72,0:01:51.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to get them thinking,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.11,0:01:52.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and to hopefully, ultimately,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:52.79,0:01:55.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,get them caring.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:55.04,0:01:58.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I started doing this 15 years ago\Nright here in Gainesville,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:58.07,0:01:59.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,right here in my backyard,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:59.87,0:02:02.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I fell in love with \Nadventure and discovery.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:02.52,0:02:04.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Going to explore \Nall these different places
Dialogue: 0,0:02:04.65,0:02:07.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that were just minutes from\Nmy front door step.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:07.14,0:02:10.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There's a lot of \Nbeautiful places to find.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:10.07,0:02:12.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Despite all these years that have passed,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:12.29,0:02:14.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I still see the world through\Nthe eyes of a child
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.59,0:02:17.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I try to incorporate \Nthat sense of wonderment
Dialogue: 0,0:02:17.56,0:02:22.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and that sense of curiosity\Ninto my photography
Dialogue: 0,0:02:22.30,0:02:25.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as often as I can.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:25.27,0:02:27.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And we're pretty lucky\Nbecause here in the South,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:27.53,0:02:30.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we're still blessed with \Na relatively blank canvas
Dialogue: 0,0:02:30.63,0:02:33.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that we can fill with \Nthe most fanciful adventures
Dialogue: 0,0:02:33.83,0:02:36.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and incredible experiences.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:36.30,0:02:40.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's just a matter of how far\Nour imagination will take us.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:40.25,0:02:42.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,See, a lot of people look at this\Nand they say,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:42.83,0:02:44.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Oh wow, that's a pretty tree."
Dialogue: 0,0:02:44.51,0:02:46.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But I don't just see a tree,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:46.12,0:02:48.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I look at this and I see opportunity.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:48.70,0:02:50.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I see an entire weekend.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:50.97,0:02:52.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because when I was a kid,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:52.30,0:02:55.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,these were the types of images\Nthat got me off the sofa
Dialogue: 0,0:02:55.28,0:02:56.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and dared me to explore,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:56.52,0:02:57.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,dared me to go find the woods
Dialogue: 0,0:02:57.98,0:03:01.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and put my head underwater\Nand see what we have.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.63,0:03:04.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And folks, I've been photographing\Nall over the world
Dialogue: 0,0:03:04.46,0:03:05.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I promise you,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:05.82,0:03:07.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what we we have\Nhere in the South
Dialogue: 0,0:03:07.63,0:03:09.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what we have \Nin the Sunshine State
Dialogue: 0,0:03:09.52,0:03:12.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,rivals anything else that I've seen.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:12.14,0:03:16.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But yet our tourism industry is busy\Npromoting all the wrong things.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:16.98,0:03:18.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Before most kids are 12,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:18.13,0:03:19.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they'll have been to Disney World\N
Dialogue: 0,0:03:19.45,0:03:21.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,more times than they've \Nbeen in a canoe
Dialogue: 0,0:03:21.76,0:03:24.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or camping under a starry sky.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:24.48,0:03:26.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I have nothing against \NDisney or Mickey,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:26.65,0:03:28.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I used to go there, too.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:28.36,0:03:31.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But they're missing out on those\Nfundamental connections
Dialogue: 0,0:03:31.03,0:03:34.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that create a real sense \Nof pride and ownership
Dialogue: 0,0:03:34.52,0:03:37.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for the place that they call home.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:37.45,0:03:40.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And this is compounded by the issue\Nthat the landscapes
Dialogue: 0,0:03:40.51,0:03:42.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that define our natural heritage\N
Dialogue: 0,0:03:42.65,0:03:45.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and fuel our aquifer \Nfor our drinking water
Dialogue: 0,0:03:45.65,0:03:50.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,have been deemed as scary \Nand dangerous and spooky.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:50.09,0:03:52.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When our ancestors first came here,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:52.31,0:03:54.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they warned, "Stay out \Nof these areas, they're haunted.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:54.97,0:03:58.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They're full of evil spirits and ghosts."
Dialogue: 0,0:03:58.09,0:04:00.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I don't know where they came up\Nwith that idea.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:00.51,0:04:03.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But it's actually led to \Na very real disconnect,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:03.66,0:04:05.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a very real negative mentality \N
Dialogue: 0,0:04:05.54,0:04:08.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that has kept the public\Ndisinterested, silent,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:08.94,0:04:12.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and ultimately, our environment at risk.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:12.83,0:04:16.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We're a state that's surrounded \Nand defined by water.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:16.11,0:04:17.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And yet for centuries,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:17.50,0:04:19.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,swamps and wetlands\Nhave been regarded
Dialogue: 0,0:04:19.42,0:04:22.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as these obstacles to overcome.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:22.62,0:04:26.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so we've treated them as\Nsecond-class ecosystems
Dialogue: 0,0:04:26.65,0:04:28.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because they have\Nvery little monetary value
Dialogue: 0,0:04:28.86,0:04:32.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and of course, they're known\Nto harbor alligators and snakes,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:32.57,0:04:35.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which I'll admit, these aren't \Nthe most cuddly of ambassadors.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:35.77,0:04:37.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:04:37.09,0:04:39.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So it became assumed, then, that \Nthe only good swamp
Dialogue: 0,0:04:39.83,0:04:41.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was a drained swamp.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:41.56,0:04:43.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And in fact, draining a swamp\N
Dialogue: 0,0:04:43.51,0:04:46.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to make way for \Nagriculture and development
Dialogue: 0,0:04:46.03,0:04:48.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was considered the very essence \Nof conservation
Dialogue: 0,0:04:48.59,0:04:50.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,not too long ago.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:50.80,0:04:52.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And now we're backpedaling,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:52.27,0:04:55.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because the more we come to learn\Nabout these silent landscapes,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:55.52,0:04:57.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the more secrets \Nwe're starting to unlock
Dialogue: 0,0:04:57.58,0:05:00.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about interspecies relationships
Dialogue: 0,0:05:00.04,0:05:04.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the connectivity of habitats,\Nwatersheds and flyways.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:04.59,0:05:07.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Take this bird, for example:
Dialogue: 0,0:05:07.25,0:05:09.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is the prothonotary warbler.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:09.24,0:05:11.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I love this bird because \Nit's a swamp bird,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:11.35,0:05:13.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,through and through,\Na swamp bird.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:13.17,0:05:16.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They nest and they mate and they breed\Nin these old grown swamps
Dialogue: 0,0:05:16.80,0:05:18.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in these flooded forests.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:18.28,0:05:20.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so after the spring,\Nafter they raise their young,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:20.96,0:05:23.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they then fly thousand of miles\Nover the Gulf of Mexico
Dialogue: 0,0:05:23.66,0:05:26.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,into Central and South America.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:26.04,0:05:28.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And then after the winter, \Nspring rolls around
Dialogue: 0,0:05:28.35,0:05:29.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they come back.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:29.32,0:05:32.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They fly thousands of miles\Nover the Gulf of Mexico.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:32.24,0:05:35.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And where do they go,\Nwhere do they land?:
Dialogue: 0,0:05:35.73,0:05:38.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Right back in the same tree.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:38.92,0:05:40.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's nuts.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:40.35,0:05:43.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is a bird the size \Nof a tennis ball.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:43.73,0:05:45.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I mean, that's crazy.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:45.42,0:05:48.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I used a GPS to get here today,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:48.08,0:05:49.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and this is my hometown.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:49.73,0:05:51.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:05:51.36,0:05:52.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's crazy.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:52.57,0:05:56.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So what happens, then, when this bird\Nflies over the Gulf of Mexico
Dialogue: 0,0:05:56.29,0:05:58.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,into Central America for the winter
Dialogue: 0,0:05:58.16,0:06:00.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then the spring rolls around\Nand it flies back,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:00.64,0:06:03.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it comes back to this:
Dialogue: 0,0:06:03.44,0:06:06.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A freshly salted golf course.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:06.19,0:06:08.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is a narrative that's \Nall too commonly unraveling
Dialogue: 0,0:06:08.66,0:06:09.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,here in this state.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:09.56,0:06:10.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And this is a natural process\N
Dialogue: 0,0:06:10.98,0:06:12.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that's occurred for thousands of years
Dialogue: 0,0:06:12.85,0:06:15.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we're just now learning about it.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:15.06,0:06:18.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So you can imagine all else we have\Nto learn about these landscapes
Dialogue: 0,0:06:18.24,0:06:20.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,if we just preserve them first.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:20.16,0:06:24.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,now despite all this rich life \Nthat abounds in these swamps,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:24.66,0:06:27.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they still have a bad name.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:27.03,0:06:30.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Many people feel uncomfortable \Nwith the idea of wadding
Dialogue: 0,0:06:30.72,0:06:32.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,into Florida's blackwater.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:32.54,0:06:34.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I can understand that.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:34.29,0:06:37.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But what I loved about growing up \Nin the Sunshine State
Dialogue: 0,0:06:37.38,0:06:38.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is that for so many of us,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:38.69,0:06:42.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we live with this latent, \Nbut very palpable fear
Dialogue: 0,0:06:42.50,0:06:44.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that when we put our toes into the water,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:44.87,0:06:47.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there might be something much more ancient
Dialogue: 0,0:06:47.87,0:06:50.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and much more adapted than we are.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:50.86,0:06:56.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Knowing that you're not top dog\Nis a welcomed discomfort, I think.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:56.40,0:07:00.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,How often in this modern\Nand urban and digital age
Dialogue: 0,0:07:00.19,0:07:03.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,do you actually get the chance\Nto feel vulnerable,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:03.86,0:07:08.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or consider that the world may not\Nhave been made for just us?
Dialogue: 0,0:07:08.05,0:07:09.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So for the last decade,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:09.36,0:07:12.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I began seeking out these areas\Nwhere the concrete yields to forest
Dialogue: 0,0:07:12.72,0:07:14.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the pines turn to cyprus
Dialogue: 0,0:07:14.98,0:07:18.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I viewed all these \Nmosquitos and reptiles
Dialogue: 0,0:07:18.65,0:07:20.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all these discomforts,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:20.17,0:07:23.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as affirmations that I'd found \Ntrue wilderness,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:23.72,0:07:25.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I embraced them wholly.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:25.91,0:07:28.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now as a conservation photographer\Nobsessed with blackwater,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:28.98,0:07:31.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's only fitting that I'd \Neventually end up
Dialogue: 0,0:07:31.21,0:07:33.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the most famous swamp of all:
Dialogue: 0,0:07:33.68,0:07:35.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The Evergaldes.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:35.20,0:07:37.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Growing up here \Nin North-Central Florida,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:37.18,0:07:39.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'd always had these \Nenchanted names,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:39.11,0:07:42.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,places like Loxahatchee and Fakahatchee,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:42.46,0:07:44.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Corkscrew, Big Cypress.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:44.60,0:07:48.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I started what turned\Ninto a five-year project
Dialogue: 0,0:07:48.17,0:07:52.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to hopefully reintroduce \Nthe Everglades in a new light,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:52.28,0:07:53.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in a more inspired light.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:53.86,0:07:56.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But I knew this was going \Nto be a tall order
Dialogue: 0,0:07:56.06,0:07:57.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because here you have an area
Dialogue: 0,0:07:57.70,0:07:59.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that's roughly a third the size\Nthe state of Florida, it's huge.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:59.88,0:08:01.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And when I saw Everglades,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:01.74,0:08:04.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,people are like, "Yeah, yeah, yeah\Nthe national park."
Dialogue: 0,0:08:04.40,0:08:05.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But the Everglades is not just a park,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:05.70,0:08:08.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's a watershed, an entire watershed.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:08.23,0:08:11.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's started with the Kissimmee \Nchain of lakes in the north
Dialogue: 0,0:08:11.79,0:08:15.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then as the rains would fall\Nduring the summer, these downpours,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:15.10,0:08:17.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it would flow into Lake Okeechobee,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:17.19,0:08:20.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and Lake Okeechobee would fill up\Nand it would overflow its banks
Dialogue: 0,0:08:20.53,0:08:23.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and spill southward, every slowly\Nwith the topography
Dialogue: 0,0:08:23.94,0:08:26.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and get into the river of grass,\Nthe Sawgrass Prairies,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:26.30,0:08:28.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,before moving into the Cypress Slews
Dialogue: 0,0:08:28.45,0:08:30.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,until going further south into \Nthe Mangrove swamps
Dialogue: 0,0:08:30.100,0:08:35.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,until finally, finally reaching\NFlorida Bay,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:35.02,0:08:36.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the emerald gem of the Everglades,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:36.73,0:08:37.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the great estuary,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:37.86,0:08:40.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,850 square-mile estuary.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:40.66,0:08:45.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So sure, the national park is \Nthe southern end of this system,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:45.02,0:08:48.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but all the things that make it unique\Nare these inputs that come in,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:48.35,0:08:51.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the fresh water that starts\N100 miles north.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:51.08,0:08:54.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So no (longer) are these political\Nor invisible boundaries
Dialogue: 0,0:08:54.47,0:08:59.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,protect the park from polluted water\Nor insufficient water.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:59.53,0:09:02.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And unfortunately, that's precisely \Nwhat we've done.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:02.42,0:09:04.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Over the last 60 years,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:04.52,0:09:07.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we have drained, we have dammed, \Nwe have dredged the Everglades
Dialogue: 0,0:09:07.98,0:09:12.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to where now only one third of the water\Nthat used to reach the bay
Dialogue: 0,0:09:12.57,0:09:14.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,now reaches the bay today.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:14.79,0:09:17.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So this story is not all\Nsunshine and rainbows, unfortunately.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:17.70,0:09:20.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For better or for worse,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:20.16,0:09:24.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the story of the Everglades \Nis intrinsically tied
Dialogue: 0,0:09:24.48,0:09:27.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to the peaks and the valleys\Nof mankind's relationship
Dialogue: 0,0:09:27.79,0:09:29.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with the natural world.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:29.02,0:09:31.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But I'll show you these beautiful pictures
Dialogue: 0,0:09:31.02,0:09:32.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because it gets you onboard.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:32.63,0:09:34.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And while I have your attention,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:34.20,0:09:36.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I can tell you the real story,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:36.14,0:09:38.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is that we're taking this,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:38.25,0:09:41.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we're trading it for this,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:41.19,0:09:43.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,at an alarming rate.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:43.60,0:09:45.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And what's lost on so many people
Dialogue: 0,0:09:45.29,0:09:47.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is the sheer scale of what\Nwe're discussing.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:47.67,0:09:49.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because the Everglades is not\Njust responsible
Dialogue: 0,0:09:49.88,0:09:53.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for the drinking water \Nfor 7 million Floridians,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:53.51,0:09:56.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,today it also provide agricultural fields
Dialogue: 0,0:09:56.07,0:09:59.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for the year-round tomatoes and oranges\N
Dialogue: 0,0:09:59.59,0:10:02.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for over 300 million Americans.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:02.59,0:10:05.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it's that same seasonal pulse \Nof water in the summer
Dialogue: 0,0:10:05.93,0:10:10.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that built the river of grass\N6,000 years ago.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:10.48,0:10:14.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Ironically, today, is also responsible\Nfor the over half a million acres
Dialogue: 0,0:10:14.89,0:10:18.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of endless river of sugarcane.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:18.18,0:10:20.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These same fields that are responsible\N
Dialogue: 0,0:10:20.24,0:10:24.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for dumping exceedingly high levels \Nof fertilizers into the watershed,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:24.44,0:10:26.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,forever changing the system.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:26.50,0:10:29.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But in order for you guys not just\Nto understand how this system works,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:29.96,0:10:32.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but to also get personally \Nconnected to it,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:32.33,0:10:35.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I decided to break the story down\Ninto several different narratives.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:35.66,0:10:38.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I wanted that story to start\Nin Lake Okeechobee,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:38.38,0:10:41.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the beating heart of \Nthe Everglade system.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:41.20,0:10:42.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And to do that,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:42.04,0:10:43.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I picked an ambassador,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:43.64,0:10:45.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,an iconic speices.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:45.58,0:10:48.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, this is the Everglade Snail Kite.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:48.04,0:10:49.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's a great bird,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:49.03,0:10:51.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they used to nest in the thousands,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:51.02,0:10:52.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,thousands in the northern Everglades.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:52.89,0:10:56.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And then they've gone down \Nto about 400 nesting pairs today.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:56.44,0:10:57.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And why is that?
Dialogue: 0,0:10:57.81,0:11:00.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, it's because they eat \None source of food,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:00.07,0:11:00.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,an Apple Snail,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:00.96,0:11:04.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about the size of a ping-pong ball,\Nan aquatic gastropod.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:04.46,0:11:07.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So as we starting damming up\Nthe Everglades,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:07.59,0:11:09.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as we started diking\NLake Okeechobee
Dialogue: 0,0:11:09.73,0:11:11.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and draining the wetlands,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:11.14,0:11:13.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we lost the habitat for the snail.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:13.27,0:11:16.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And thus, the population \Nof the Kites declined.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:16.65,0:11:20.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so, I wanted a photo that would\Nnot only communicate this relationship
Dialogue: 0,0:11:20.12,0:11:23.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,between wetland, snail and bird,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:23.29,0:11:25.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but I also wanted a photo\Nthat would communicate
Dialogue: 0,0:11:25.54,0:11:28.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,how incredible this relationship was
Dialogue: 0,0:11:28.38,0:11:30.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and how very important it is
Dialogue: 0,0:11:30.56,0:11:32.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that they've come to depend on each other,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:32.88,0:11:34.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,this healthy wetland and this bird.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:34.22,0:11:36.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And to do that, I brainstormed this idea\N
Dialogue: 0,0:11:36.64,0:11:39.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I started sketching out these plans\Nto make a photo.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:39.32,0:11:42.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I sent it to a wildlife biologist\Ndown in Okeechobee --
Dialogue: 0,0:11:42.09,0:11:43.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and this is an endangered bird,\N
Dialogue: 0,0:11:43.60,0:11:45.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so it takes special permission to do.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:45.39,0:11:47.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so I built this submerged platform \N
Dialogue: 0,0:11:47.30,0:11:49.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that would hold snails \Njust right under the water.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:49.75,0:11:54.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I spent months planning\Nthis crazy idea.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:54.26,0:11:57.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I took this platform down to\NLake Okeechobee\N
Dialogue: 0,0:11:57.24,0:11:59.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I spent a week in the water,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:59.34,0:12:00.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,waiting waist-deep,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:00.86,0:12:03.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,9-hour shifts from dawn until dusk,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:03.07,0:12:06.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,waiting to get one image that I thought\Nmight communicate this.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:06.66,0:12:08.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And here's the day\Nthat I finally worked:
Dialogue: 0,0:12:08.94,0:12:11.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Video: "After setting up the platform,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:11.33,0:12:13.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I look off and I see a Kite coming\Noff of the cattails.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:13.94,0:12:15.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I see him scanning and searching.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:15.88,0:12:17.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And he gets right over the trap,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:17.51,0:12:19.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I see that he's seen it.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:19.06,0:12:21.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And he beelines, \Nhe goes straight for the trap.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:21.80,0:12:25.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And in that moment, all those months\Nof planning, waiting,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:25.52,0:12:27.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all the sunburn, mosquito bites,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:27.12,0:12:29.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,suddenly, they're all worth it.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:29.80,0:12:31.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,'Oh my gosh,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:31.14,0:12:33.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I can't believe it'."]
Dialogue: 0,0:12:33.38,0:12:36.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You can believe how excited I was \Nwhen that happened.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:36.52,0:12:40.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But what the idea was is that for someone\Nwhose never seen this bird
Dialogue: 0,0:12:40.10,0:12:42.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and has no reason to care about it,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:42.15,0:12:44.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the idea is that these photos,\Nthese new perspectives
Dialogue: 0,0:12:44.85,0:12:46.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,will help shed a little new light on
Dialogue: 0,0:12:46.77,0:12:50.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,just one species that makes\Nthis watershed so incredible,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:50.08,0:12:52.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so valuable, so important.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:52.82,0:12:55.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, I know I can't come \Nhere to Gainesville
Dialogue: 0,0:12:55.15,0:12:57.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and talk to you about animals \Nin the Everglades
Dialogue: 0,0:12:57.53,0:12:59.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,without talking to you about gators.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:59.84,0:13:02.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I love gators, I grew up\Nloving gators.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:02.56,0:13:06.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,My parents always said that I had\Nan unhealthy relationship with gators.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:06.00,0:13:07.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But what I like about them is that
Dialogue: 0,0:13:07.72,0:13:10.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they're like the fresh water \Nequivalent to sharks.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:10.12,0:13:12.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They're feared, they're hated,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:12.02,0:13:14.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they're tragically misunderstood.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:14.44,0:13:16.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because these are a unique species,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:16.29,0:13:18.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they're not just apex predators.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:18.35,0:13:19.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In the Everglades,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:19.42,0:13:22.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they are the very architects\Nof the Everglades,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:22.21,0:13:24.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because as the water drops down\Nin the winter
Dialogue: 0,0:13:24.37,0:13:25.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,during the dry season,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:25.52,0:13:28.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they start excavating these holes\Ncalled gator holes.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:28.36,0:13:30.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And they do this because \Nas the water drops down,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:30.94,0:13:34.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they'll be able to stay wet \Nand they'll be able to forge.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:34.84,0:13:37.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And now this isn't just affecting them,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:37.19,0:13:39.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,other animals also depend\Non this relationship,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:39.44,0:13:42.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so they become a keystone species as well.\N
Dialogue: 0,0:13:42.88,0:13:46.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So how do you make an apex predator,\Nand ancient reptile,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:46.26,0:13:50.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,at once look like it dominates the system,\N
Dialogue: 0,0:13:50.69,0:13:53.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but at the same time, look vulnerable?
Dialogue: 0,0:13:53.22,0:13:56.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, you wade into a pit \Nof about 120 of them,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:56.46,0:13:58.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,then you hope that you've made \Nthe right decision.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:58.90,0:14:02.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:14:02.06,0:14:03.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I still have all my fingers, it's cool.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:03.100,0:14:05.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But I understand,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:05.47,0:14:07.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I know I'm not going to rally you guys,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:07.60,0:14:11.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm not going to rally the troops to,\N"Save the Everglades for the gators!"
Dialogue: 0,0:14:11.31,0:14:13.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It won't happen because \Nthey're so ubiquitous,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:13.57,0:14:14.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we see them now,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:14.77,0:14:17.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they're one of the great conservation\Nsuccess stories of the US.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:17.80,0:14:21.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But there is one species in the Everglades\Nthat no matter who you are,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:21.16,0:14:22.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you can't help but love to,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:22.60,0:14:24.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and that's the Roseate Spoonbill.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:24.45,0:14:25.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These birds are great,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:25.52,0:14:28.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but they've had a really tough time\Nin the Everglades
Dialogue: 0,0:14:28.05,0:14:31.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because they started out with thousands\Nof nesting pairs in Florida Bay.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:31.58,0:14:33.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And at the turn of the 20th century,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:33.68,0:14:37.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they got down to two -- two nesting pairs.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:37.30,0:14:38.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And why?
Dialogue: 0,0:14:38.61,0:14:41.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's because women thought they\Nlooked better on their hats
Dialogue: 0,0:14:41.67,0:14:44.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,then they did flying in the sky.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:44.52,0:14:46.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Then we banned the plume trade, \Nwe banned it,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:46.96,0:14:49.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and their numbers started rebounding.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:49.10,0:14:51.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And as their numbers started rebounding,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:51.15,0:14:53.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,scientists began to pay attention,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:53.01,0:14:54.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they started studying these birds.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:54.65,0:14:57.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And what they found out is that \Nthese birds' behavior
Dialogue: 0,0:14:57.21,0:15:01.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is intrinsically tied to the annual draw-down\Ncycle of water in the Evergaldes,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:01.38,0:15:04.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the thing that defines \Nthe Everglades watershed.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:04.03,0:15:07.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What they found out is that\Nthese birds started nesting in the winter
Dialogue: 0,0:15:07.24,0:15:08.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as the water drew down
Dialogue: 0,0:15:08.61,0:15:10.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because they're tactile feeders,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:10.20,0:15:12.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so they have to touch whatever they eat.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:12.75,0:15:15.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so they wait for these \Nconcentrated pools of fish
Dialogue: 0,0:15:15.87,0:15:19.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to be able to feed enough \Nto feed their young.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:19.25,0:15:22.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So these birds became \Nthe very icon of the Everglades,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:22.09,0:15:25.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,an indicator species of the overall health\Nof the system.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:25.22,0:15:28.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And just as their numbers \Nwere rebounding in the mid-20th century,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:28.81,0:15:32.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,shooting up to 900, 1,000, \N11,000, 12,000.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:32.93,0:15:34.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Just as that started happening,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:34.75,0:15:37.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we started draining \Nthe southern Everglades.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:37.20,0:15:40.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And we stopped two thirds \Nof that water from moving south.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:40.82,0:15:43.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it had drastic consequences.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:43.32,0:15:46.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And just as those numbers\Nstarted reaching their peak,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:46.14,0:15:49.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,unfortunately, today,\Nthe real Spoonbill story,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:49.52,0:15:55.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the real photo of what it looks like\Nis more something like this.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:55.21,0:15:59.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And we're down to less than \N70 nesting pairs in Florida Bay today
Dialogue: 0,0:15:59.85,0:16:01.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because we've disrupted\Nthe system so much.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:01.96,0:16:05.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So all these different organizations\Nare shouting, they're screaming,
Dialogue: 0,0:16:05.21,0:16:07.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"The Everglades is fragile,\Nit's fragile."
Dialogue: 0,0:16:07.42,0:16:08.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It is not.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:08.82,0:16:10.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It is resilient.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:10.22,0:16:11.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because despite all we've taken,
Dialogue: 0,0:16:11.98,0:16:14.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,despite all we've done and we've drained\N
Dialogue: 0,0:16:14.44,0:16:16.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we've dammed \Nand we've dredged it,
Dialogue: 0,0:16:16.40,0:16:18.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,pieces of it are still here,\Nwaiting to be put back together.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:18.97,0:16:21.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And this is what I've loved about \NSouth Florida is that
Dialogue: 0,0:16:21.65,0:16:24.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in one place, you have this\Nunstoppable force of mankind
Dialogue: 0,0:16:24.85,0:16:29.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,meeting the immovable object\Nof tropical nature.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:29.17,0:16:33.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it's at this new frontier that\Nwe are forced with this new appraisal:
Dialogue: 0,0:16:33.04,0:16:35.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What is wilderness worth?
Dialogue: 0,0:16:35.32,0:16:39.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What is the value of biodiversity\Nor our drinking water?
Dialogue: 0,0:16:39.40,0:16:41.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And fortunately, after decades of debate,
Dialogue: 0,0:16:41.85,0:16:44.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we're finally starting to act \Non those questions.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:44.91,0:16:47.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We're slowly undertaking these projects
Dialogue: 0,0:16:47.48,0:16:49.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to bring more freshwater \Nback to the bay.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:49.79,0:16:53.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But it's up to us as citizens,\Nas residents, as stewards
Dialogue: 0,0:16:53.42,0:16:57.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to hold our elected officials\Nto their promises.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:57.44,0:16:59.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What can you do to help?
Dialogue: 0,0:16:59.21,0:17:00.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's so easy.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:00.49,0:17:02.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Just go outside,\Nget out there.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:02.10,0:17:04.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Take your friends out,\Ntake your kids out,
Dialogue: 0,0:17:04.17,0:17:06.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,take your family out.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:06.14,0:17:07.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Hire a fishing guide.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:07.61,0:17:09.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Show the state that protecting wilderness
Dialogue: 0,0:17:09.67,0:17:14.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,not only makes ecological sense,\Nbut economic sense as well.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:14.46,0:17:17.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's a lot of fun,\Njust do it -- put your feet in the water.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:17.84,0:17:21.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The swamp will change you, I promise.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:21.58,0:17:23.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Over the years, we've been so generous\N
Dialogue: 0,0:17:23.45,0:17:26.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with these other landscapes\Naround the country,
Dialogue: 0,0:17:26.54,0:17:29.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,cloaking them with this American pride,
Dialogue: 0,0:17:29.39,0:17:31.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,places that we now consider to define us:
Dialogue: 0,0:17:31.92,0:17:34.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:34.93,0:17:37.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And we use these parks\Nand these natural areas
Dialogue: 0,0:17:37.36,0:17:41.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as these beacons and as\Ncultural compasses.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:41.17,0:17:43.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And sadly, the Everglades is very commonly
Dialogue: 0,0:17:43.34,0:17:45.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,left out of that conversation.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:45.37,0:17:48.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But I believe it's every bit as iconic\Nand emblematic
Dialogue: 0,0:17:48.39,0:17:50.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of who we are as a country
Dialogue: 0,0:17:50.23,0:17:52.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as any of these other wildernesses.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:52.73,0:17:56.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's just a different kind of wild.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:56.26,0:17:57.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But I'm encouraged,
Dialogue: 0,0:17:57.61,0:18:00.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because maybe we're finally\Nstarting to come around.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:00.33,0:18:02.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because what was once deemed\Nthis swampy wasteland,
Dialogue: 0,0:18:02.94,0:18:05.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,today is a World Heritage site.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:05.60,0:18:08.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's a wetland of \Ninternational importance.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:08.90,0:18:11.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And we've come a long way\Nin the last 60 years.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:11.45,0:18:13.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And as the world's largest \Nand most ambitious
Dialogue: 0,0:18:13.98,0:18:16.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,wetland restoration project,
Dialogue: 0,0:18:16.14,0:18:20.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the international spotlight\Nis on us in the Sunshine State.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:20.51,0:18:22.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because if we can heal this system,
Dialogue: 0,0:18:22.27,0:18:25.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's going to become an icon\Nfor wetland restoration
Dialogue: 0,0:18:25.66,0:18:28.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all over the world.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:28.44,0:18:30.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But it's up to us to decide \Nwhich legacy
Dialogue: 0,0:18:30.88,0:18:33.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we want to attach our flag to.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:33.71,0:18:38.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They say that the Everglades\Nis our greatest test.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:38.18,0:18:41.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If we pass it, we get to keep\Nthe planet.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:41.76,0:18:43.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I love that quote,
Dialogue: 0,0:18:43.19,0:18:45.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because it's a challenge,\Nit's a prod:
Dialogue: 0,0:18:45.15,0:18:47.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Can we do it, will we do it?
Dialogue: 0,0:18:47.15,0:18:49.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We have to, we must.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:49.71,0:18:52.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But the Everglades is not just a test,
Dialogue: 0,0:18:52.07,0:18:53.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's also a gift,
Dialogue: 0,0:18:53.76,0:18:56.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and ultimately, our responsibility.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:56.63,0:18:57.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thank you.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:57.56,0:19:00.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Applause)