0:00:00.658,0:00:02.714 So I've had the great privilege 0:00:02.738,0:00:05.154 of traveling to some incredible places, 0:00:05.178,0:00:09.412 photographing these distant landscapes[br]and remote cultures 0:00:09.436,0:00:10.862 all over the world. 0:00:10.886,0:00:12.296 I love my job. 0:00:12.320,0:00:14.885 But people think it's[br]this string of epiphanies 0:00:14.909,0:00:17.398 and sunrises and rainbows, 0:00:17.422,0:00:20.186 when in reality, it looks[br]more something like this. 0:00:20.210,0:00:21.432 (Laughter) 0:00:21.456,0:00:22.981 This is my office. 0:00:23.473,0:00:26.104 We can't afford the fanciest places[br]to stay at night, 0:00:26.128,0:00:28.966 so we tend to sleep a lot outdoors. 0:00:29.365,0:00:30.794 As long as we can stay dry, 0:00:30.818,0:00:32.219 that's a bonus. 0:00:32.243,0:00:34.648 We also can't afford[br]the fanciest restaurants. 0:00:34.672,0:00:37.592 So we tend to eat[br]whatever's on the local menu. 0:00:38.045,0:00:41.117 And if you're in the Ecuadorian Páramo, 0:00:41.141,0:00:43.903 you're going to eat[br]a large rodent called a cuy. 0:00:43.927,0:00:45.544 (Laughter) 0:00:45.568,0:00:49.186 But what makes our experiences[br]perhaps a little bit different 0:00:49.210,0:00:51.932 and a little more unique[br]than that of the average person 0:00:51.956,0:00:55.412 is that we have this gnawing thing[br]in the back of our mind 0:00:55.436,0:00:59.353 that even in our darkest moments,[br]and those times of despair, 0:00:59.377,0:01:03.279 we think, "Hey, there might be[br]an image to be made here, 0:01:03.303,0:01:05.426 there might be a story to be told." 0:01:06.164,0:01:08.081 And why is storytelling important? 0:01:08.509,0:01:13.039 Well, it helps us to connect with our[br]cultural and our natural heritage. 0:01:13.063,0:01:14.222 And in the Southeast, 0:01:14.246,0:01:17.304 there's an alarming disconnect[br]between the public 0:01:17.328,0:01:21.051 and the natural areas that allow[br]us to be here in the first place. 0:01:21.770,0:01:23.975 We're visual creatures, 0:01:23.999,0:01:27.351 so we use what we see[br]to teach us what we know. 0:01:27.773,0:01:30.171 Now the majority of us[br]aren't going to willingly go 0:01:30.195,0:01:31.847 way down to a swamp. 0:01:32.638,0:01:36.232 So how can we still expect[br]those same people to then advocate 0:01:36.256,0:01:37.974 on behalf of their protection? 0:01:38.410,0:01:39.584 We can't. 0:01:39.608,0:01:43.853 So my job, then, is to use photography[br]as a communication tool, 0:01:43.877,0:01:47.852 to help bridge the gap[br]between the science and the aesthetics, 0:01:47.876,0:01:49.494 to get people talking, 0:01:49.518,0:01:50.887 to get them thinking, 0:01:50.911,0:01:52.568 and to hopefully, ultimately, 0:01:52.592,0:01:53.983 get them caring. 0:01:54.841,0:01:57.751 I started doing this 15 years ago[br]right here in Gainesville, 0:01:57.775,0:01:59.650 right here in my backyard. 0:01:59.674,0:02:02.522 And I fell in love[br]with adventure and discovery, 0:02:02.546,0:02:04.603 going to explore[br]all these different places 0:02:04.627,0:02:06.920 that were just minutes[br]from my front doorstep. 0:02:06.944,0:02:09.532 There are a lot[br]of beautiful places to find. 0:02:09.872,0:02:12.174 Despite all these years that have passed, 0:02:12.198,0:02:14.492 I still see the world[br]through the eyes of a child 0:02:14.516,0:02:17.369 and I try to incorporate[br]that sense of wonderment 0:02:17.393,0:02:22.074 and that sense of curiosity[br]into my photography 0:02:22.098,0:02:23.848 as often as I can. 0:02:25.006,0:02:27.304 And we're pretty lucky[br]because here in the South, 0:02:27.328,0:02:30.400 we're still blessed[br]with a relatively blank canvas 0:02:30.424,0:02:33.608 that we can fill with the most[br]fanciful adventures 0:02:33.632,0:02:36.079 and incredible experiences. 0:02:36.103,0:02:40.047 It's just a matter of how far[br]our imagination will take us. 0:02:40.402,0:02:42.601 See, a lot of people[br]look at this and they say, 0:02:42.625,0:02:44.403 "Oh yeah, wow, that's a pretty tree." 0:02:44.427,0:02:45.898 But I don't just see a tree -- 0:02:45.922,0:02:48.501 I look at this and I see opportunity. 0:02:48.525,0:02:50.122 I see an entire weekend. 0:02:51.122,0:02:53.759 Because when I was a kid,[br]these were the types of images 0:02:53.783,0:02:56.251 that got me off the sofa[br]and dared me to explore, 0:02:56.275,0:02:57.716 dared me to go find the woods 0:02:57.740,0:03:00.635 and put my head underwater[br]and see what we have. 0:03:01.433,0:03:04.234 And folks, I've been photographing[br]all over the world 0:03:04.258,0:03:05.599 and I promise you, 0:03:05.623,0:03:07.118 what we have here in the South, 0:03:07.142,0:03:08.823 what we have in the Sunshine State, 0:03:08.847,0:03:11.142 rivals anything else that I've seen. 0:03:11.943,0:03:15.955 But yet our tourism industry is busy[br]promoting all the wrong things. 0:03:16.698,0:03:19.429 Before most kids are 12,[br]they'll have been to Disney World 0:03:19.453,0:03:21.414 more times than they've been in a canoe 0:03:21.438,0:03:24.280 or camping under a starry sky. 0:03:24.816,0:03:28.363 And I have nothing against Disney[br]or Mickey; I used to go there, too. 0:03:28.387,0:03:31.046 But they're missing out on those[br]fundamental connections 0:03:31.070,0:03:34.292 that create a real sense[br]of pride and ownership 0:03:34.316,0:03:36.419 for the place that they call home. 0:03:37.251,0:03:40.290 And this is compounded by the issue[br]that the landscapes 0:03:40.314,0:03:42.423 that define our natural heritage 0:03:42.447,0:03:45.423 and fuel our aquifer[br]for our drinking water 0:03:45.447,0:03:49.890 have been deemed as scary[br]and dangerous and spooky. 0:03:50.329,0:03:52.082 When our ancestors first came here, 0:03:52.106,0:03:54.742 they warned, "Stay out[br]of these areas, they're haunted. 0:03:54.766,0:03:57.863 They're full of evil spirits and ghosts." 0:03:57.887,0:04:00.233 I don't know where[br]they came up with that idea. 0:04:00.804,0:04:03.436 But it's actually led[br]to a very real disconnect, 0:04:03.460,0:04:05.221 a very real negative mentality 0:04:05.245,0:04:08.823 that has kept the public[br]disinterested, silent, 0:04:08.847,0:04:11.412 and ultimately, our environment at risk. 0:04:12.523,0:04:15.975 We're a state that's surrounded[br]and defined by water, 0:04:15.999,0:04:17.275 and yet for centuries, 0:04:17.299,0:04:19.192 swamps and wetlands have been regarded 0:04:19.216,0:04:21.923 as these obstacles to overcome. 0:04:22.367,0:04:26.349 And so we've treated them[br]as these second-class ecosystems, 0:04:26.373,0:04:28.637 because they have[br]very little monetary value 0:04:28.661,0:04:32.346 and of course, they're known[br]to harbor alligators and snakes -- 0:04:32.370,0:04:35.668 which, I'll admit, these aren't[br]the most cuddly of ambassadors. 0:04:35.692,0:04:36.828 (Laughter) 0:04:36.852,0:04:39.630 So it became assumed, then,[br]that the only good swamp 0:04:39.654,0:04:40.972 was a drained swamp. 0:04:41.364,0:04:42.515 And in fact, 0:04:42.539,0:04:45.950 draining a swamp to make way[br]for agriculture and development 0:04:45.974,0:04:49.887 was considered the very essence[br]of conservation not too long ago. 0:04:50.522,0:04:52.068 But now we're backpedaling, 0:04:52.092,0:04:55.443 because the more we come to learn[br]about these sodden landscapes, 0:04:55.467,0:04:57.433 the more secrets we're starting to unlock 0:04:57.457,0:04:59.820 about interspecies relationships 0:04:59.844,0:05:04.394 and the connectivity of habitats,[br]watersheds and flyways. 0:05:05.040,0:05:07.025 Take this bird, for example: 0:05:07.049,0:05:08.937 this is the prothonotary warbler. 0:05:08.961,0:05:11.147 I love this bird because[br]it's a swamp bird, 0:05:11.171,0:05:12.875 through and through, a swamp bird. 0:05:12.899,0:05:16.547 They nest and they mate and they breed[br]in these old-growth swamps 0:05:16.571,0:05:18.035 in these flooded forests. 0:05:18.059,0:05:20.607 And so after the spring,[br]after they raise their young, 0:05:20.631,0:05:23.436 they then fly thousand of miles[br]over the Gulf of Mexico 0:05:23.460,0:05:25.409 into Central and South America. 0:05:25.806,0:05:27.058 And then after the winter, 0:05:27.082,0:05:29.097 the spring rolls around[br]and they come back. 0:05:29.121,0:05:32.020 They fly thousands of miles[br]over the Gulf of Mexico. 0:05:32.044,0:05:34.950 And where do they go? Where do they land? 0:05:35.474,0:05:37.990 Right back in the same tree. 0:05:38.686,0:05:39.836 That's nuts. 0:05:40.151,0:05:43.498 This is a bird the size[br]of a tennis ball -- 0:05:43.522,0:05:45.199 I mean, that's crazy! 0:05:45.223,0:05:47.773 I used a GPS to get here today, 0:05:47.797,0:05:49.464 and this is my hometown. 0:05:49.488,0:05:50.759 (Laughter) 0:05:50.783,0:05:51.940 It's crazy. 0:05:52.374,0:05:56.064 So what happens, then, when this bird[br]flies over the Gulf of Mexico 0:05:56.088,0:05:57.956 into Central America for the winter 0:05:57.980,0:06:00.421 and then the spring rolls around[br]and it flies back, 0:06:00.445,0:06:03.212 and it comes back to this: 0:06:03.236,0:06:05.130 a freshly sodded golf course? 0:06:05.942,0:06:08.531 This is a narrative that's[br]all too commonly unraveling 0:06:08.555,0:06:09.742 here in this state. 0:06:09.766,0:06:13.005 And this is a natural process[br]that's occurred for thousands of years 0:06:13.029,0:06:14.807 and we're just now learning about it. 0:06:14.831,0:06:17.994 So you can imagine all else we have[br]to learn about these landscapes 0:06:18.018,0:06:19.876 if we just preserve them first. 0:06:19.900,0:06:24.431 Now despite all this rich life[br]that abounds in these swamps, 0:06:24.455,0:06:26.279 they still have a bad name. 0:06:26.828,0:06:30.494 Many people feel uncomfortable[br]with the idea of wading 0:06:30.518,0:06:32.182 into Florida's blackwater. 0:06:32.206,0:06:33.995 I can understand that. 0:06:34.019,0:06:37.160 But what I loved about growing up[br]in the Sunshine State 0:06:37.184,0:06:38.466 is that for so many of us, 0:06:38.490,0:06:42.279 we live with this latent[br]but very palpable fear 0:06:42.303,0:06:44.644 that when we put our toes into the water, 0:06:44.668,0:06:47.650 there might be something much more ancient 0:06:47.674,0:06:49.811 and much more adapted than we are. 0:06:50.664,0:06:55.463 Knowing that you're not top dog[br]is a welcomed discomfort, I think. 0:06:56.082,0:06:59.968 How often in this modern[br]and urban and digital age 0:06:59.992,0:07:03.636 do you actually get the chance[br]to feel vulnerable, 0:07:03.660,0:07:07.826 or consider that the world may not[br]have been made for just us? 0:07:07.850,0:07:09.132 So for the last decade, 0:07:09.156,0:07:12.551 I began seeking out these areas[br]where the concrete yields to forest 0:07:12.575,0:07:14.753 and the pines turn to cypress, 0:07:14.777,0:07:18.422 and I viewed all these[br]mosquitoes and reptiles, 0:07:18.446,0:07:19.945 all these discomforts, 0:07:19.969,0:07:23.501 as affirmations that I'd found[br]true wilderness, 0:07:23.525,0:07:25.685 and I embrace them wholly. 0:07:25.709,0:07:29.112 Now as a conservation photographer[br]obsessed with blackwater, 0:07:29.136,0:07:31.256 it's only fitting that I'd[br]eventually end up 0:07:31.280,0:07:33.457 in the most famous swamp of all: 0:07:33.481,0:07:34.731 the Everglades. 0:07:35.144,0:07:37.113 Growing up here in North Central Florida, 0:07:37.137,0:07:38.867 it always had these enchanted names, 0:07:38.891,0:07:42.233 places like Loxahatchee and Fakahatchee, 0:07:42.257,0:07:44.379 Corkscrew, Big Cypress. 0:07:44.403,0:07:47.943 I started what turned[br]into a five-year project 0:07:47.967,0:07:51.717 to hopefully reintroduce[br]the Everglades in a new light, 0:07:51.741,0:07:53.422 in a more inspired light. 0:07:53.922,0:07:57.147 But I knew this would be a tall order,[br]because here you have an area 0:07:57.171,0:08:00.200 that's roughly a third the size[br]the state of Florida, it's huge. 0:08:00.224,0:08:01.501 And when I say Everglades, 0:08:01.525,0:08:03.993 most people are like,[br]"Oh, yeah, the national park." 0:08:04.017,0:08:09.030 But the Everglades is not just a park;[br]it's an entire watershed, 0:08:09.054,0:08:12.059 starting with the Kissimmee[br]chain of lakes in the north, 0:08:12.083,0:08:14.308 and then as the rains[br]would fall in the summer, 0:08:14.332,0:08:16.964 these downpours would flow[br]into Lake Okeechobee, 0:08:16.988,0:08:20.235 and Lake Okeechobee would fill up[br]and it would overflow its banks 0:08:20.259,0:08:23.533 and spill southward, ever slowly,[br]with the topography, 0:08:23.557,0:08:26.153 and get into the river of grass,[br]the Sawgrass Prairies, 0:08:26.177,0:08:28.222 before meting into the cypress slews, 0:08:28.246,0:08:30.933 until going further south[br]into the mangrove swamps, 0:08:30.957,0:08:34.707 and then finally -- finally --[br]reaching Florida Bay, 0:08:34.731,0:08:36.504 the emerald gem of the Everglades, 0:08:36.528,0:08:37.711 the great estuary, 0:08:37.735,0:08:39.988 the 850 square-mile estuary. 0:08:40.464,0:08:44.797 So sure, the national park[br]is the southern end of this system, 0:08:44.821,0:08:48.124 but all the things that make it unique[br]are these inputs that come in, 0:08:48.148,0:08:50.955 the fresh water that starts[br]100 miles north. 0:08:50.979,0:08:54.244 So no manner of these political[br]or invisible boundaries 0:08:54.268,0:08:58.655 protect the park from polluted water[br]or insufficient water. 0:08:59.242,0:09:02.068 And unfortunately, that's precisely[br]what we've done. 0:09:02.630,0:09:04.163 Over the last 60 years, 0:09:04.187,0:09:07.544 we have drained, we have dammed,[br]we have dredged the Everglades 0:09:07.568,0:09:11.549 to where now only one third of the water[br]that used to reach the bay 0:09:11.573,0:09:13.580 now reaches the bay today. 0:09:14.586,0:09:18.254 So this story is not all sunshine[br]and rainbows, unfortunately. 0:09:18.953,0:09:20.839 For better or for worse, 0:09:20.863,0:09:24.280 the story of the Everglades[br]is intrinsically tied 0:09:24.304,0:09:27.500 to the peaks and the valleys[br]of mankind's relationship 0:09:27.524,0:09:28.864 with the natural world. 0:09:29.255,0:09:31.280 But I'll show you[br]these beautiful pictures, 0:09:31.304,0:09:32.765 because it gets you on board. 0:09:32.789,0:09:35.917 And while I have your attention,[br]I can tell you the real story. 0:09:35.941,0:09:37.892 It's that we're taking this, 0:09:37.916,0:09:40.879 and we're trading it for this, 0:09:40.903,0:09:42.398 at an alarming rate. 0:09:43.358,0:09:45.068 And what's lost on so many people 0:09:45.092,0:09:47.603 is the sheer scale[br]of which we're discussing. 0:09:47.627,0:09:51.055 Because the Everglades is not just[br]responsible for the drinking water 0:09:51.079,0:09:53.283 for 7 million Floridians; 0:09:53.307,0:09:55.845 today it also provides[br]the agricultural fields 0:09:55.869,0:09:58.428 for the year-round tomatoes and oranges 0:09:58.452,0:10:01.283 for over 300 million Americans. 0:10:02.391,0:10:05.705 And it's that same seasonal pulse[br]of water in the summer 0:10:05.729,0:10:09.622 that built the river of grass[br]6,000 years ago. 0:10:10.284,0:10:14.662 Ironically, today, it's also responsible[br]for the over half a million acres 0:10:14.686,0:10:17.141 of the endless river of sugarcane. 0:10:17.899,0:10:20.068 These are the same fields[br]that are responsible 0:10:20.092,0:10:24.116 for dumping exceedingly high levels[br]of fertilizers into the watershed, 0:10:24.140,0:10:26.303 forever changing the system. 0:10:26.749,0:10:29.961 But in order for you to not just[br]understand how this system works, 0:10:29.985,0:10:32.048 but to also get personally[br]connected to it, 0:10:32.072,0:10:35.347 I decided to break the story down[br]into several different narratives. 0:10:35.371,0:10:38.159 And I wanted that story to start[br]in Lake Okeechobee, 0:10:38.183,0:10:40.930 the beating heart of the Everglade system. 0:10:40.954,0:10:43.417 And to do that, I picked an ambassador, 0:10:43.441,0:10:44.690 an iconic species. 0:10:45.204,0:10:47.196 This is the Everglade snail kite. 0:10:47.720,0:10:48.966 It's a great bird, 0:10:48.990,0:10:50.864 and they used to nest in the thousands, 0:10:50.888,0:10:52.691 thousands in the northern Everglades. 0:10:52.715,0:10:56.219 And then they've gone down[br]to about 400 nesting pairs today. 0:10:56.243,0:10:57.588 And why is that? 0:10:57.612,0:11:00.736 Well, it's because they eat[br]one source of food, an apple snail, 0:11:00.760,0:11:04.161 about the size of a ping-pong ball,[br]an aquatic gastropod. 0:11:04.185,0:11:07.410 So as we started damming up[br]the Everglades, 0:11:07.434,0:11:10.911 as we started diking Lake Okeechobee[br]and draining the wetlands, 0:11:10.935,0:11:13.047 we lost the habitat for the snail. 0:11:13.071,0:11:15.863 And thus, the population[br]of the kites declined. 0:11:16.454,0:11:19.950 And so, I wanted a photo that would[br]not only communicate this relationship 0:11:19.974,0:11:23.063 between wetland, snail and bird, 0:11:23.087,0:11:25.336 but I also wanted a photo[br]that would communicate 0:11:25.360,0:11:28.154 how incredible this relationship was, 0:11:28.178,0:11:32.334 and how very important it is[br]that they've come to depend on each other, 0:11:32.358,0:11:34.025 this healthy wetland and this bird. 0:11:34.049,0:11:36.021 And to do that, I brainstormed this idea. 0:11:36.045,0:11:39.283 I started sketching[br]out these plans to make a photo, 0:11:39.307,0:11:42.194 and I sent it to the wildlife biologist[br]down in Okeechobee -- 0:11:42.218,0:11:45.305 this is an endangered bird,[br]so it takes special permission to do. 0:11:45.329,0:11:47.023 So I built this submerged platform 0:11:47.047,0:11:49.529 that would hold snails[br]just right under the water. 0:11:49.553,0:11:54.011 And I spent months planning[br]this crazy idea. 0:11:54.035,0:11:57.011 And I took this platform[br]down to Lake Okeechobee 0:11:57.035,0:11:59.107 and I spent over a week in the water, 0:11:59.131,0:12:02.847 wading waist-deep,[br]9-hour shifts from dawn until dusk, 0:12:02.871,0:12:06.031 to get one image that I thought[br]might communicate this. 0:12:06.055,0:12:08.270 And here's the day that it finally worked: 0:12:08.294,0:12:11.151 [Video: (Mac Stone narrating)[br]After setting up the platform, 0:12:11.175,0:12:13.712 I look off and I see a kite[br]coming over the cattails. 0:12:13.736,0:12:15.658 And I see him scanning and searching. 0:12:15.682,0:12:17.287 And he gets right over the trap, 0:12:17.311,0:12:18.832 and I see that he's seen it. 0:12:18.856,0:12:21.579 And he beelines,[br]he goes straight for the trap. 0:12:21.603,0:12:24.759 And in that moment,[br]all those months of planning, waiting, 0:12:24.783,0:12:26.893 all the sunburn, mosquito bites -- 0:12:26.917,0:12:29.455 suddenly, they're all worth it. 0:12:29.479,0:12:33.394 (Mac Stone in film) Oh my gosh,[br]I can't believe it!] 0:12:33.695,0:12:36.292 You can believe how excited I was[br]when that happened. 0:12:36.316,0:12:37.656 But what the idea was, 0:12:37.680,0:12:39.879 is that for someone[br]who's never seen this bird 0:12:39.903,0:12:41.973 and has no reason to care about it, 0:12:41.997,0:12:44.622 these photos, these new perspectives, 0:12:44.646,0:12:47.768 will help shed a little new light[br]on just one species 0:12:47.792,0:12:52.074 that makes this watershed[br]so incredible, so valuable, so important. 0:12:52.615,0:12:55.538 Now, I know I can't come[br]here to Gainesville 0:12:55.562,0:12:57.808 and talk to you about animals[br]in the Everglades 0:12:57.832,0:12:59.620 without talking about gators. 0:12:59.644,0:13:01.934 I love gators, I grew up loving gators. 0:13:02.361,0:13:05.777 My parents always said I had[br]an unhealthy relationship with gators. 0:13:05.801,0:13:07.269 But what I like about them is, 0:13:07.293,0:13:09.897 they're like the freshwater[br]equivalent of sharks. 0:13:09.921,0:13:11.569 They're feared, they're hated, 0:13:11.593,0:13:13.957 and they are tragically misunderstood. 0:13:14.386,0:13:18.150 Because these are a unique species,[br]they're not just apex predators. 0:13:18.174,0:13:19.464 In the Everglades, 0:13:19.488,0:13:21.982 they are the very architects[br]of the Everglades, 0:13:22.006,0:13:24.149 because as the water drops[br]down in the winter 0:13:24.173,0:13:25.331 during the dry season, 0:13:25.355,0:13:28.377 they start excavating these holes[br]called gator holes. 0:13:28.401,0:13:30.711 And they do this because[br]as the water drops down, 0:13:30.735,0:13:34.122 they'll be able to stay wet[br]and they'll be able to forage. 0:13:34.645,0:13:36.964 And now this isn't just affecting them, 0:13:36.988,0:13:39.221 other animals also depend[br]on this relationship, 0:13:39.245,0:13:41.923 so they become a keystone species as well. 0:13:42.677,0:13:46.912 So how do you make an apex predator,[br]an ancient reptile, 0:13:46.936,0:13:49.414 at once look like it dominates the system, 0:13:49.438,0:13:51.881 but at the same time, look vulnerable? 0:13:52.706,0:13:56.749 Well, you wade into a pit[br]of about 120 of them, 0:13:56.773,0:13:59.179 then you hope that you've made[br]the right decision. 0:13:59.203,0:14:00.967 (Laughter) 0:14:01.955,0:14:03.915 I still have all my fingers, it's cool. 0:14:04.677,0:14:07.379 But I understand, I know[br]I'm not going to rally you guys, 0:14:07.403,0:14:11.013 I'm not going to rally the troops to[br]"Save the Everglades for the gators!" 0:14:11.037,0:14:13.235 It won't happen because[br]they're so ubiquitous, 0:14:13.259,0:14:14.410 we see them now, 0:14:14.434,0:14:17.776 they're one of the great conservation[br]success stories of the US. 0:14:17.800,0:14:21.126 But there is one species in the Everglades[br]that no matter who you are, 0:14:21.150,0:14:24.229 you can't help but love, too,[br]and that's the roseate spoonbill. 0:14:24.253,0:14:27.884 These birds are great, but they've had[br]a really tough time in the Everglades, 0:14:27.908,0:14:31.374 because they started out with thousands[br]of nesting pairs in Florida Bay, 0:14:31.398,0:14:33.461 and at the turn of the 20th century, 0:14:33.485,0:14:37.077 they got down to two -- two nesting pairs. 0:14:37.101,0:14:38.265 And why? 0:14:38.681,0:14:41.577 That's because women thought[br]they looked better on their hats 0:14:41.601,0:14:43.614 then they did flying in the sky. 0:14:44.324,0:14:46.733 Then we banned the plume trade, 0:14:46.757,0:14:48.875 and their numbers started rebounding. 0:14:48.899,0:14:50.924 And as their numbers started rebounding, 0:14:50.948,0:14:52.687 scientists began to pay attention, 0:14:52.711,0:14:54.424 they started studying these birds. 0:14:54.448,0:14:55.933 And what they found out is that 0:14:55.957,0:14:58.115 these birds' behavior[br]is intrinsically tied 0:14:58.139,0:15:01.057 to the annual draw-down[br]cycle of water in the Everglades, 0:15:01.081,0:15:03.760 the thing that defines[br]the Everglades watershed. 0:15:04.291,0:15:05.828 What they found out is that 0:15:05.852,0:15:08.920 these birds started nesting in the winter[br]as the water drew down, 0:15:08.944,0:15:12.524 because they're tactile feeders,[br]so they have to touch whatever they eat. 0:15:12.548,0:15:15.646 And so they wait for these[br]concentrated pools of fish 0:15:15.670,0:15:18.067 to be able to feed enough[br]to feed their young. 0:15:18.877,0:15:21.866 So these birds became the very icon[br]of the Everglades -- 0:15:21.890,0:15:25.382 an indicator species[br]of the overall health of the system. 0:15:25.406,0:15:28.613 And just as their numbers were rebounding[br]in the mid-20th century -- 0:15:28.637,0:15:33.286 shooting up to 900, 1,000, 1,100, 1,200 -- 0:15:33.310,0:15:37.066 just as that started happening, we started[br]draining the southern Everglades. 0:15:37.090,0:15:40.594 And we stopped two-thirds[br]of that water from moving south. 0:15:40.618,0:15:43.117 And it had drastic consequences. 0:15:43.584,0:15:46.198 And just as those numbers[br]started reaching their peak, 0:15:46.222,0:15:49.295 unfortunately, today,[br]the real spoonbill story, 0:15:49.319,0:15:53.936 the real photo of what it looks like[br]is more something like this. 0:15:55.007,0:15:59.623 And we're down to less than 70[br]nesting pairs in Florida Bay today, 0:15:59.647,0:16:02.191 because we've disrupted[br]the system so much. 0:16:02.215,0:16:05.466 So all these different organizations[br]are shouting, they're screaming, 0:16:05.490,0:16:07.505 "The Everglades is fragile! It's fragile!" 0:16:07.529,0:16:08.680 It is not. 0:16:08.704,0:16:10.254 It is resilient. 0:16:10.278,0:16:13.770 Because despite all we've taken,[br]despite all we've done and we've drained 0:16:13.794,0:16:15.633 and we've dammed and we've dredged it, 0:16:15.657,0:16:18.553 pieces of it are still here,[br]waiting to be put back together. 0:16:18.577,0:16:20.831 And this is what I've loved[br]about South Florida, 0:16:20.855,0:16:24.629 that in one place, you have[br]this unstoppable force of mankind 0:16:24.653,0:16:28.088 meeting the immovable object[br]of tropical nature. 0:16:28.973,0:16:32.813 And it's at this new frontier[br]that we are forced with a new appraisal. 0:16:32.837,0:16:34.520 What is wilderness worth? 0:16:35.119,0:16:38.213 What is the value of biodiversity,[br]or our drinking water? 0:16:39.195,0:16:41.628 And fortunately, after decades of debate, 0:16:41.652,0:16:44.619 we're finally starting to act[br]on those questions. 0:16:44.643,0:16:47.000 We're slowly undertaking these projects 0:16:47.024,0:16:49.520 to bring more freshwater back to the bay. 0:16:49.544,0:16:53.199 But it's up to us as citizens,[br]as residents, as stewards 0:16:53.223,0:16:56.178 to hold our elected officials[br]to their promises. 0:16:57.154,0:16:58.987 What can you do to help? 0:16:59.011,0:17:00.266 It's so easy. 0:17:00.290,0:17:02.258 Just get outside, get out there. 0:17:02.282,0:17:04.313 Take your friends out, take your kids out, 0:17:04.337,0:17:05.912 take your family out. 0:17:05.936,0:17:07.598 Hire a fishing guide. 0:17:07.622,0:17:09.605 Show the state that protecting wilderness 0:17:09.629,0:17:13.716 not only makes ecological sense,[br]but economic sense as well. 0:17:14.288,0:17:17.615 It's a lot of fun, just do it --[br]put your feet in the water. 0:17:17.639,0:17:20.153 The swamp will change you, I promise. 0:17:21.351,0:17:23.223 Over the years, we've been so generous 0:17:23.247,0:17:26.317 with these other landscapes[br]around the country, 0:17:26.341,0:17:29.162 cloaking them with this American pride, 0:17:29.186,0:17:31.557 places that we now consider to define us: 0:17:31.581,0:17:34.706 Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone. 0:17:34.730,0:17:37.139 And we use these parks[br]and these natural areas 0:17:37.163,0:17:40.406 as beacons and as cultural compasses. 0:17:41.184,0:17:43.229 And sadly, the Everglades is very commonly 0:17:43.253,0:17:45.169 left out of that conversation. 0:17:45.600,0:17:48.108 But I believe it's every bit[br]as iconic and emblematic 0:17:48.132,0:17:50.005 of who we are as a country 0:17:50.029,0:17:52.530 as any of these other wildernesses. 0:17:52.554,0:17:55.041 It's just a different kind of wild. 0:17:56.057,0:17:57.384 But I'm encouraged, 0:17:57.408,0:18:00.102 because maybe we're finally[br]starting to come around, 0:18:00.126,0:18:02.713 because what was once deemed[br]this swampy wasteland, 0:18:02.737,0:18:04.800 today is a World Heritage site. 0:18:05.404,0:18:08.158 It's a wetland[br]of international importance. 0:18:08.699,0:18:11.502 And we've come a long way[br]in the last 60 years. 0:18:11.526,0:18:15.920 And as the world's largest and most[br]ambitious wetland restoration project, 0:18:15.944,0:18:20.285 the international spotlight[br]is on us in the Sunshine State. 0:18:20.309,0:18:22.042 Because if we can heal this system, 0:18:22.066,0:18:25.515 it's going to become an icon[br]for wetland restoration 0:18:25.539,0:18:26.904 all over the world. 0:18:28.236,0:18:32.782 But it's up to us to decide which legacy[br]we want to attach our flag to. 0:18:33.508,0:18:36.892 They say that the Everglades[br]is our greatest test. 0:18:37.984,0:18:40.654 If we pass it, we get to keep the planet. 0:18:41.565,0:18:42.968 I love that quote, 0:18:42.992,0:18:45.025 because it's a challenge, it's a prod. 0:18:45.049,0:18:46.928 Can we do it? Will we do it? 0:18:46.952,0:18:48.691 We have to, we must. 0:18:49.507,0:18:51.472 But the Everglades is not just a test. 0:18:51.916,0:18:53.535 It's also a gift, 0:18:53.559,0:18:56.426 and ultimately, our responsibility. 0:18:56.959,0:18:58.110 Thank you. 0:18:58.134,0:19:02.000 (Applause)