01/11/2025
On this National Day of Mourning, it’s fitting to reflect on the moment in November 1978 when President Jimmy Carter signed the legislation that formally established the Everglades Wilderness.
This designation, the highest form of federal land protection, gave Everglades National Park the responsibility to preserve the five key qualities of wilderness character: untrammeled, natural, undeveloped, opportunities for solitude or primitive and unconfined recreation, and other features of value (ecological, geological, educational, scenic, historic) that the area may contain.
Later renamed the Marjory Stoneman Douglass Wilderness, this a place where we can find refuge and solace in challenging times. It’s where we can feel small yet connected to something greater. It’s a place where, sometimes, silence speaks louder than words.
For more information on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness: https://www.nps.gov/ever/wilderness.htm
For more information about other National Park Service Sites shaped by President Jimmy Carter: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/shaping-nps-carter-presidency.htm
NPS Photo, G.Gardner
