大沼泽地国家公园航拍景观，佛罗里达州，美国 Aerial view of Everglades National Park, Florida, USA (© Tetra Images/Getty Images)

大沼泽地国家公园航拍景观，佛罗里达州，美国 Aerial view of Everglades National Park, Florida, USA (© Tetra Images/Getty Images)

顺流而行 Follow the flow

大沼泽地国家公园

今天是美国湿地月的最后一天，但对湿地生态的关注并不应随之结束。每年 5 月举行的这一全国性活动，旨在让更多人了解湿地这一美国最具生产力的重要生态系统之一。而位于佛罗里达州的大沼泽地国家公园，正是展现湿地力量的典型代表。从空中俯瞰，浅水、锯齿草、红树林与蜿蜒水道共同构成广阔景观，淡水从奥基乔比湖缓缓向南流动，塑造出独特生态环境。

大沼泽地国家公园面积约达 150 万英亩，是美国最大的亚热带荒野地区之一，也是众多鸟类、鱼类、爬行动物以及佛罗里达美洲狮等珍稀物种的重要栖息地。除了维持生物多样性，湿地还在生态系统中发挥着关键作用，例如过滤污染物、储存碳、减缓洪水，并为周边社区提供更洁净的水源。美国湿地月也提醒人们，无论从空中还是地面观察，这些水域景观都值得长期保护与关注。

End of American Wetlands Month

Today is the last day of American Wetlands Month, but don't let that bog you down. Take today to shine a spotlight on wetlands. Held throughout May, this national observance shines a spotlight on wetlands—some of the most productive ecosystems in the United States—and few places show their power quite like Everglades National Park. From above, Florida's iconic wetlands unfold as a vast patchwork of shallow water, sawgrass, mangroves, and winding channels, shaped by freshwater slowly flowing south from Lake Okeechobee.

Covering about 1.5 million acres, the Everglades is the largest subtropical wilderness in the country and a vital refuge for birds, fish, reptiles, and rare species such as the Florida panther. Wetlands also work behind the scenes, filtering pollutants, storing carbon, reducing floods, and helping supply clean water to nearby communities.

American Wetlands Month invites us to appreciate these watery landscapes—from above and on the ground—and recognize why protecting them matters long after May ends.