9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So I've had the great privilege 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of traveling to some incredible places, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 photographing these distant landscapes[br]and remote cultures 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 all over the world. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I love my job. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 People think it's this [br]string of epiphanies 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and sunrises and rainbows. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 When in reality, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it looks more something like this. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 This is my office. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We can't afford the fanciest places[br]to stay at night, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 so we tend to sleep a lot outdoors, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 as long as we can stay dry, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that's a bonus. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We also can't afford [br]the fanciest restaurants. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So we tend to eat whatever's on[br]the local menu. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And if you're in the Ecuadorian Paramo, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 you're going to eat a large rodent[br]called a Cuy. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What makes our experiences, perhaps, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a little bit different [br]and a little more unique 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 than that of the average person 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is that we have this gnawing thing[br]in the back of our mind 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that even in our darkest moments,[br]in those times of despair, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we think, "Hey, there might be[br]an image to be made here, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 there might be a story to be told." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And why is storytelling important? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It helps us connect with our cultural[br]and our natural heritage. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And in the Southeast, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 there's an alarming disconnect[br]between the public 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and the natural areas that allow[br]us to be her win the first place. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We're visual creatures, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 so we use what we see[br]to teach us what we know. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now the majority of us[br]aren't going to go 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 way down into a swamp. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So how can we expect those same people[br]to advocate 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 on behalf of their protection? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We can't. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 My job, then, is to use photography[br]as a communication tool 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to help bridge the gap[br]between the science and the aesthetics. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 To get people talking, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to get them thinking, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and to hopefully, ultimately, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to get them caring. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I started doing this 15 years ago[br]right here in Gainesville, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 right here in my backyard, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I fell in love with [br]adventure and discovery. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Going to explore [br]all these different places 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that were just minutes from[br]my front door step. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 There's a lot of [br]beautiful places to find. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Despite all these years that have passed, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I still see the world through the eyes[br]of a child 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I try to incorporate [br]that sense of wonderment 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and that sense of curiosity[br]into my photography 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 as often as I can. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And we're pretty lucky[br]because here in the South, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we're still blessed with a relatively[br]blank canvas 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that we can fill with [br]the most fanciful adventures 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and incredible experiences. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's just a matter of how far[br]our imagination will take us. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 See, a lot of people look at this[br]and think, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "Oh wow, that's a pretty tree." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But I don't just see a tree, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I look at this and I see opportunity. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I see an entire weekend. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Because when I was a kid, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 these were the types of images[br]that got me off the sofa 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and dared me to explore, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 dared me to go find the woods 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and put my head underwater[br]and see what we have. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And folks, I've been photographing[br]all over the world 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I promise you, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 what we we have here, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 what we have in the Sunshine State 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 rivals anything else that I've seen. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But yet out tourism industry is busy[br]promoting all the wrong things. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Before most kids are 12, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they'll have been to Disney World[br] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 more times than they've been[br]in a canoe 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 or camping under a starry sky. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And I have nothing against Disney[br]or Mickey, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I used to go there, too. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But they're missing out on those[br]fundamental connections 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that create a real sense of pride[br]and ownership 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 for the place that they call home. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And this is compounded by the issue[br]that the landscapes 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that define our natural heritage[br]and fuel our aquifer for our drinking water 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 have been deemed as scary and dangerous[br]and spooky. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 See, when our ancestors first came here, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they warned, "Stay out of these areas,[br]they're haunted. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They're full of evil spirits and ghosts." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I don't know where they came up[br]with that idea. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But it's actually led to [br]a very real disconnect, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a very real negative mentality [br] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that has kept the public disinterested,[br]silent, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and ultimately, our environment at risk. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We're a state that's surrounded [br]and defined by water. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And for centuries, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 swamps and wetlands have been regarded 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 as these obstacles to overcome. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And so we've treated them as[br]second-class ecosystems 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because they have[br]very little monetary value 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and of course, they're known[br]to harbor alligators and snakes, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 which I'll admit, these aren't [br]the most cuddly of ambassadors. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So it became assumed, then, that [br]the only good swamp 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 was a drained swamp. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And in fact, draining a swamp[br]to make way 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 for agriculture and development 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 was considered the very essence [br]of conservation 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 not too long ago. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And now we're backpedaling, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because the more we come to learn[br]about these silent landscapes, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the more secrets we're starting [br]to unlock 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 about interspecies relationships 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and the connectivity of habitats,[br]watersheds and flyways. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Take this bird, for example: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 This is the prothonotary warbler. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I love this bird because [br]it's a swamp bird, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 through and through,[br]a swamp bird. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They nest and they mate and they breed[br]in these old grown (?) swamps 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in these flooded forests. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And so after the spring,[br]after they raise their young, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they then fly thousand of miles[br]over the Gulf of Mexico 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 into Central and South America. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And then after the winter, [br]spring rolls around 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and they come back. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They fly thousands of miles[br]over the Gulf of Mexico. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And where do they go,[br]where do they land? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Right back in the same tree. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That's nuts. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 This is a bird the size [br]of a tennis ball. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I mean, that's crazy. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I used a GPS to get here today, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and this is my hometown. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That's crazy. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So what happens, then, when this bird[br]flies over the Gulf of Mexico 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and into Central America for the winter 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and then the spring rolls around[br]and it flies back, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and it comes back to this: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 A freshly salted golf course. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 This is a narrative that's [br]all too commonly unraveling 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 here in this state. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And this is a natural process[br]that's occurred for thousands of years 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and we're just now learning about it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So you can imagine all else we have[br]to learn about these landscapes 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 if we just preserve them first. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And despite all this rich life [br]that abounds in these swamps, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they still have a bad name. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Many people feel uncomfortable [br]with the idea of wadding 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in Florida's black water. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I can understand that. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But what I loved about growing up [br]in the Sunshine State 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that for so many of us, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we leave with this latent, [br]but very palpable fear 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that when we put our toes into the water, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 there might be something much more ancient 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and much more adapted than we are. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Knowing that you're not top dog[br]is a welcomed discomfort, I think. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 How often in this modern and urban[br]and digital age 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 do you actually have the chance[br]to feel vulnerable, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 or consider that the world may not[br]have been made for just us? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So for the last decade, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I began seeking out these areas[br]where the concrete yields to forest 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and the pines turn to cyprus 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I viewed all these mosquitos[br]and reptiles, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 all these discomforts, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 as affirmations that I'd found [br]true wilderness, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I embraced them wholly. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now as a conservation photographer[br]obsessed with black water, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it's only fitting that I'd eventually[br]end up 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in the most famous swamp of all: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The Evergaldes. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Growing up here, in North-Central Florida, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'd always had these enchanted names, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 places like Loxahatchee and Fakahatchee, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Corkscrew and Big Cypress. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I started what turned[br]into a five-year project 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to hopefully reintroduce the Everglades[br]in a new light, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in a more inspired light. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But I knew this was going to be[br]a tall order 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because here you have an area 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that's roughly a third the size[br]the state of Florida, it huge. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And when I saw Everglades, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 people are like, "Yeah, yeah, yeah[br]the national park." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But the Everglades is not just a park, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it's a watershed, an entire watershed. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's started with the Kissimmee [br]chain of lakes in the north 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and then as the rains would fall[br]during the summer, these downpours, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it would flow into Lake Okeechobee, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and Lake Okeechobee would fill up[br]and it would overflow its banks 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and spill southward, every slowly[br]with the topography 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and get into the river of grass,[br]the Sawgrass Prairies, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 before moving into the Cypress Slews 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 until going further south into [br]the Mangrove swamps 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 until finally, finally reaching[br]Florida Bay, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the emerald gem of the Everglades, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the great estuary, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 850 square-mile estuary. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So sure, the national park is [br]the southern end of this system, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but all the things that make it unique[br]are these inputs that come in, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the fresh water that starts[br]100 miles north. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So no (longer) are these political[br]or invisible boundaries 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 protect the park from polluted water[br]or insufficient water. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And unfortunately, that's precisely [br]what we've done. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Over the last 60 years, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we have drained, we have dammed, [br]we have dredged the Everglades 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to where now only one third[br]that used to reach the bay 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 now reaches the bay today. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So this story is not all[br]sunshine and rainbows, unfortunately. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 For better or for worse, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the story of the Everglades [br]is intrinsically tied 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to the peaks and the valleys[br]of mankind's relationship 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with the natural world. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But I'll show you these beautiful pictures 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because it gets you on-board. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And while I have your attention, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I can tell you the real story, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is that we're taking this, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and we're trading it for this, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 at an alarming rate. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But what's lost on so many people 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is the sheer scale of what[br]we're discussing. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Because the Everglades is not[br]just responsible 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 for the drinking water [br]for 7 million Floridians, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 today is also provide agricultural fields 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 for the year-round tomatoes [br]and oranges for over 300 million Americans. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And it's that same seasonal pulse [br]of water in the summer 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that built the river of grass[br]6,000 years ago. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Ironically, today, is also responsible[br]for the over half a million acres 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of endless river of sugarcane. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 These same fields that are responsible[br]for dumping 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 exceedingly high levels of fertilizers[br]into the watershed 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 are changing the system. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But in order for you guys not just[br]to understand how this system works, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but to also get personally connected to it, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I decided to break the story [br]down 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 into several different narratives, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I wanted that story to start[br]in Lake Okeechobee, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the beating heart of [br]the Everglade system. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And to do that, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I picked an ambassador, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 an iconic speices. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now, this is the Everglade Snail Kite. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's a great bird, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and they used to nest in the thousands, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 thousands, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in the northern Everglades. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And then they've gone down [br]to about 400 nesting pairs today. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And why is that? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Well, it's because they eat [br]one source of food, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 an Apple Snail, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 about the size of a ping-pong ball,[br]an aquatic gastropod. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So as we starting damming up[br]the Everglades, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 as we started diking[br]Lake Okeechobee 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and draining the wetlands, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we lost the habitat for the snail, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and thus, the populate of the Kites declined. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And so, I wanted a photo that would[br]not only communicate this relationship 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 between wetland, snail and bird, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but I also wanted a photo[br]that would communicate 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 how incredible this relationship was 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and how very important it is 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that they've come to depend on each other, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 this healthy wetland and this bird. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And to do that, I brainstormed[br]this idea, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I started sketching out these plans[br]to make a photo. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And I sent it to a wildlife biologist[br]down in Okeechobee -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and this is an endangered bird,[br] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 so it takes special permission to do. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And so I built this submerged platform [br]that would hold snails 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 just right under the water. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And I spent months planning[br]this crazy idea. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And I took this platform down to[br]Lake Okeechobee[br] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I spent a week in the water, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 waiting waist-deep, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 9-hour shifts from dawn until dusk, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 waiting to get one image 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that I thought might communicate this. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And here's the day that I finally worked: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Video: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "After setting up the platform, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I look off and I see a Kite coming[br]off of the cattails, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I see him flying and searching. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And he gets right over the trap, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I see that he's seen it, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and he goes straight for the trap. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And in that moment, all those months[br]of planning, waiting, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 all the sunburn, mosquito bites, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they're all worth it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Oh my gosh, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I can't believe it." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You can believe how excited I was [br]when that happened. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But what the idea was is that for someone[br]whose never seen this bird 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and has no reason to care about it, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the idea is that these photos,[br]these new perspectives 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 will help shed a little new light on 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 just one species that makes[br]this watershed so incredible, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 so valuable, so important. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now, I know I can't come [br]here to Gainesville 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and talk to you about animals [br]and the Everglades 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 without talking to you about gators. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I love gators, I grew up[br]loving gators. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 My parents always said that I had[br]an unhealthy relationship with gators. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But what I like about them is that 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they're like the fresh water equivalent [br]to sharks. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They're feared, they're hated, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and they're tragically misunderstood. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Because these are a unique species, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they're not just apex predators. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In the Everglades, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they are the very architects[br]of the Everglades, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because as the water drops down[br]in the winter 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 during the dry season, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they start excavating these holes[br]called gator holes. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And they do this because [br]as the water drops down, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they'll be able to stay wet and they'll[br]be able to forge. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And now this isn't just affecting them, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 other animals also depend[br]on this relationship, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 so they become a keystone species[br]as well. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So how do you make an apex predator,[br]and ancient reptile, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 at once look like it dominates the system,[br]but at the same time, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 look vulnerable? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Well, you wave into a pit [br]of about 120 of them, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 then you hope that you've made [br]the right decision. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I still have all my fingers, it's cool. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But I understand, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I know I'm not going to rally you guys, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'm not going to rally the troops to,[br]"Save the Everglades for the gators!" 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It won't happen because [br]they're so ubiquitous, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we see them now, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they're one of the great [br]conservation success stories 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of the US. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But there is one species in the Everglades 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that no matter who you are, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 you can't help but love to, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and that's Roseate Spoonbill. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 These birds are great, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but they've had a really tough time[br]in the Everglades 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because they started out with thousands[br]of nesting pairs in Florida Bay. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And at the turn of the 20th century, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they got down to two -- two nesting pairs. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And why? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That's because women thought they[br]looked better on their hats 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 then they did flying in the sky. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Then we banned the plume trade, [br]we banned it, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and their numbers started rebounding. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And as their numbers started rebounding, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 scientists began to pay attention, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they started studying these birds. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They started studying these birds. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And what they found out is that [br]these birds behavior 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is intrinsically tied to the annual draw-down[br]cycle of water in the Evergaldes, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the thing that defines [br]the Everglades watershed. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What they found out is that[br]these birds started nesting in the winter 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 as the water drew down 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because they're tactile feeders, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they have to touch whatever they eat. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And so they wait for these [br]concentrated pools of fish 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to be able to feed enough [br]to feed their young. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So these birds became [br]the very icon of the Everglades, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 an indicator species of the overall health[br]of the system. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And just as their numbers [br]were rebounding in the mid-20th century, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 shooting up to 900, 1,000, [br]11,000, 12,000. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Just as that started happening, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we started draining [br]the southern Everglades. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And we stopped two thirds of that water[br]moving south. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And it had drastic consequences. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And just as those numbers[br]started reaching their peak, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 unfortunately, today,[br]the real spoonbill story, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the real photo of what it looks like[br]is more something like this. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now we're down to less than [br]70 nesting pairs in Florida today 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because we've disrupted[br]the system so much. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So all these different organizations[br]are shouting, they're screaming, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "The Everglades are fragile,[br]they're frágile." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It is not. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It is resilient. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Because despite all we've taken, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 despite all we've done and we've drained[br]and we've dammed 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and we've dredged it, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they're still here,[br]waiting to be put back together. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And this is what I've loved about [br]South Florida is that 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in one place, you have this[br]unstoppable force of mankind 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 meeting the immovable object[br]of tropical nature. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And it's at this new frontier[br]that we're forced with this new appraisal: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What is wilderness worth? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What is the value of biodiversity[br]or our drinking water? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And fortunately, after decades of debate, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we're finally starting to act [br]on those questions. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We're slowly undertaking these projects 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to bring more freshwater [br]back to the bay. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But it's up to us as citizens,[br]as residents, as stewards 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to hold our elected officials[br]to their promises. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What can you do to help? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's so easy. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Just go outside. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Get out there. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Take your friends out,[br]take your kids out, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 take your family out. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Hire a fishing guide. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Show the state that protecting wilderness 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 not only makes ecological sense,[br]but economic sense as well. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's a lot of fun,[br]just do it -- put your feet in the water. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The swamp will change you, I promise. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Over the years, we've been so generous[br] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with these other landscapes[br]around the country, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 cloaking them with this American pride, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 places that we now consider to define us: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And we use these parks[br]and these natural areas 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 as these beacons and these[br]cultural compasses. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And sadly, the Everglades is very commonly 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 left out of that conversation. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But I believe it's every bit as iconic[br]and emblematic 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of who we are as a country 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 as any of these other wildernesses. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's just a different kind of wild. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But I'm encouraged, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because maybe we're finally[br]starting to come around. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Because what was once deemed[br]this swampy wasteland, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 today is a World Heritage site. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's a wetland of [br]international importance. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And we've come a long way[br]in the last 60 years. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And as the world's largest [br]and most ambitious 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 wetland restoration project, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the international spotlight[br]is on us in the Sunshine State. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Becayse if we can heal this system, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it's going to become an icon[br]for wetland restoration 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 all over the world. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But it's up to us to decide [br]which legacy 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we want to attach our flag to. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They say that the Everglades[br]is our greatest test. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 If we pass it, we get to keep[br]the planet. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I love that quote, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because it's a challenge,[br]it's a prod, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 can we do it, will we do it? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We have to, we must. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But the Everglades is not just a test, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it's also a gift, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and ultimately, our responsibility. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Thank you. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Applause)