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Alligator Alcatraz has been in the news since June 2025, when an immigration detention facility intended for the worst of the worst was slated to be built on an improved site inside Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress has been occupied by the Micosukee Indian tribe since the 1840’s, because an impenetrable wilderness kept them from being captured in the Indian Wars in Florida. The site formerly known as Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport was constructed in the early 1970’s for commercial and military use, and as a place to land the space shuttle. Environmental concerns in the late 1970’s /early 1980’s halted further development.  Carol photographing at Fisheating Creek, documenting the moment in 1999 when the land was returned to the people of the State of Florida. Alligator Alcatraz is a catchy name designed to garner attention to the problem of the bad hombres already here, process them for deportation and to act as a deterrent for future illegals. As a native Floridian, I consider the entire media campaign ridiculous. The folks who created the narrative of man-eating pythons and alligators in Florida do not realize that there are cities and towns here, full of regular folks who treasure the Everglades. Generations of Floridians grew up taking airboat rides down the ditch, swamp buggy treks through the cypress forest and slogging on foot through the river of grass.  Florida Man. Generations of Floridians grew up swimming, fishing and even baptizing their young in these headwaters of the Everglades The original settlers lived off the land. On fertile farmland they planted orange trees and pineapples. On grassy ridges they raised cattle and they fished in the lakes, rivers and ocean. They ate swamp cabbage, a delicacy known as hearts of palm, made from the core of young saw palmetto, Florida’s state tree. Frogs legs are Everglades fare… tastes like chicken. They made gopher stew. For the Florida neophyte, that’s not stew made by a “go-fer,” a low wage undocumented worker.  The swamp guide had more alligator teeth around his neck than actual teeth in his mouth.  Alligator Alcatraz is a media concoction reported by those who live in canyons made of concrete, lined by tall buildings that scrape the sky. Their roads are like tunnels in the form of a rat maze. The only wildlife they know are street rats and park pigeons. Though these reporters may have visited Florida, they probably only made it to the Alligator Farm to watch gators in pens jump out of muddy water to snatch a dead chicken on a stick. They leave Florida with a live alligator souvenir, who after a small starring role in the third-grader’s report about what I did this summer, ends up being flushed down the toilet to appear later in a sewer near you.  My friend Bill Hutto and the local guide contemplating the first cold one of the day. The new detention facility is close-by the gallery of nature photographer Clyde Butcher, whose black and white photographs bring the wild lands of the Everglades to life. He spent his life photographing with a large format film camera, wading waist deep in the alligator’s swamp in order to give the viewer an intimate perspective of a pristine environment worthy of preservation. As far as I can tell despite photographing in alligator infested waters, Butcher still has all his limbs intact.  An ancient oak tree serves as waypoint along the creek. Florida is made up of lots of swamp. In predevelopment time Florida was 50% wetland - approx. 20.3 million acres. Now there are only about one-half of the original wetlands remaining. Wildlife need wild lands was the callout for land acquisition, and the State of Florida legislature enacted Preservation 2000 and Forever Florida to help do just that.  A baby gator hidden in the swampy waters. In 1999 I took multiple trips to the headwaters of the Everglades to document the State of Florida’s $43 million purchase of Fisheating Creek, the State’s most pristine wilderness site and unspoiled lands near Lake Okeechobee. Historically the early settlers relied on Florida’s web of creeks and waterways as their primary mode of passage through impenetrable swamp. The purchase of this 52 mile western tributary of Lake Okeechobee returned the land from private ownership back to the people of the State of Florida.  An alligator resting on a large limb is unfazed by our presence. I traveled Fisheating Creek aboard a jon boat with some well-armed locals and a guide who had more alligator teeth around his neck than actual teeth in his mouth. Sentinel oaks and limbs of ancient trees reaching out over the water were the guideposts along the way. As we traveled to remote areas, touched only by Mother Nature, the cameras’ wide angle lens took in the beautiful view, as with open arms, offered a wide embrace for a perfect ecosystem. Back on shore I sampled wild boar stew from the guides’ crusty crock-pot. He lived off the land and provided food for the local women, children and for those who could not provide for themselves.  Governor Jeb Bush recognized Carol for her efforts. The residents of Alligator Alcatraz probably possess more skills to deal with the wildlife in Florida than the media gives them credit for. Show me an Honduran man with a machete, and I will show you a survivor.
There is no place like the Everglades. I appreciate my Florida roots, and I never want to be planted in a concrete jungle. The beauty and the balance between the water and the air and the natural feel of what was… and is left of our environment in Florida is worth saving. Repatriate the inmates and when the job is done, restore this scarred land to nature.
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When I reflect upon my work in the garden, I ask “Am I keeping the plants in the garden alive, or is the garden keeping me alive?” Gardeners nurture their plants by adding water, compost and nutrients, and by removing sunlight-blocking weeds, and in return the plants produce abundant growth, flowers and edibles. Often times homeowners consider ornamental plants solely because they look good, are fast growing or are inexpensive… none or few redeeming qualities for life. Edible landscaping is a concept that replaces ornamental plants in the landscape with plants that produce food for humans. Planting for wildlife is a form of edible landscaping, for the birds, bees, pollinators, small furry creatures, insects and reptiles in our midst. When we plant native plants, we are planting for wildlife.  Carol holding a Soursop fruit. While looking up at the Soursop tree I think of Ronnie, in whose memory the trees were planted The plants growing in our gardens tell a story. It may be as simple as the plant came with the house, or the birds planted the seeds as volunteers. When my sister Lillian comes to visit she always brings cool and unusual plants. She brought fragrant lemongrass which is thriving, and a pomegranate tree which gifts me with delicious fruit. The Vanda orchid “Josephine” she brought came from a 100 year old collection. Oh, the responsibility is huge… thankfully the orchid is very happy near my pond.  Soursop looks prickly, but it is not. Often trees are planted as a living tribute for a family member or friend who is no longer with us. In my yard, that plant is the Soursop, aka Guanabana (Annona muricata) planted for my former photography assistant Ronnie Navarro, who died from cancer. Over the course of his treatment involving chemotherapy and radiation, Ronnie would tell me what he’d learned about a natural anti-cancer alternative from the Soursop tree. Research and anecdotal accounts, not necessarily true or reliable, have shown Soursop leaves and stems consumed as a tea, and by eating the fruit, can benefit you by reducing inflammation and preventing/curing certain types of cancer. Ronnie planned on eating the fruit and drinking the tea as soon as he got out of the hospital. He never got that opportunity.  Soursop leave and fruit. Fruit grows close to the stems all over the tree. The two trees planted in Ronnies honor have now expanded to ten, all from seeds that sprouted near the original trees. Each week I brew a batch of fresh Soursop tea. Maybe I am fighting cancer? The use of Soursop to prevent cancer is no more crazy a concept than traditional medicine’s use of Coumadin, an anticoagulant, which is actually rat poison. If you can use rat poison as a blood thinner, then what’s so strange about having fruit to prevent cancer? The lack of human studies and clinical trials doesn’t stop me from experimenting with Soursop. Food is medicine. The health benefits from growing your own allows you to pick fruits and vegetables at their peak freshness and nutrition, In the Keys (zone 11) tropical fruit trees include Avocado, Mango, Figs, Carambola, Mulberry, Pomegranate, Loquat, and Soursop. Eggplant, okra, turmeric, ginger, lemon grass, pineapples, bananas, papaya, scallions, rosemary and other herbs grow year round. It is best to choose planting locations with early morning and late afternoon sunlight, and avoid the extreme heat. Fruits and vegetables need 6-8 hours of sunlight.  Picking Soursop leaves for tea. The new growth is preferred for the best green tea. Adding stems to the tea increases the strength of the brew. You can learn a lot about the plants that grow in the Keys when speaking with our friends and neighbors who have lived in the Caribbean Islands or Central America. Often the best and only medicines are found growing in their native landscape. Lemongrass is good for head congestion. Boil a pot of water and lemongrass for 5-10 minutes. Remove from the stove, cool until the mixture is warmish. Remove the grass. Sit in a bathtub and pour the water over the head to open sinuses. Aloe Vera calms burns, including sunburn, and helps heal wounds. A sprig of Rosemary in your water makes you smarter… well maybe not, but reading this article might!  Ripe fruit, ready to go. When there is more fruit that I can eat, I share with farm to table chefs and fruit stands  Picked leaves can be used fresh, or dried out. Dried leaves make a stronger tea.  Green soursop leaves are submerged in simmering water to make tea. Though fresh fruit is available only in the summer, the leaves can be consumed as tea year round. Gardens … we nurture the plants and keep them alive, but what about the opposite? Not sure whether I am here to keep the plants alive, or they are here to extend my life? Can plants nurture our spirit as well as provide food and medicine? Truth is written on a stone in my garden: “An Hour in the Garden Puts Life’s Problems in Perspective.” A wise Jewish woman once told me: “ When you speak the name of the deceased, they live. Their name is the key to their soul.” Each time I walk by the Soursop trees planted in Ronnie’s memory, I think of Ronnie, and he lives.  The more I write about nature, the more people identify me with the subject. Every week, I get texts and emails with pictures, links to articles and sometimes even a call to get out here NOW… there’s a huge flock of birds at the three way… referring to the intersection of Card Sound Road at Crocodile Lake in North Key Largo. From Ocean Reef, as you turn north on Card Sound Road, it is the first wetland to the right, and is a productive birding spot.  A huge congregation of wading birds on a cold overcast morning in Crocodile Lake. Photo by Jeanette Rivera. Such was the case on January 31st, about 8:00 am on a really cold morning with overcast sky when I received a call from Jeanette Rivera, naturalist at Ocean Reef, who was heading to work when she spotted a huge congregation of wading birds. She snapped a photo with her iPhone and in it were White Ibis, Great Egret, Cattle Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, White Pelican, Great White Heron, Reddish Egret and Wood Stork. It was just beautiful. Rivera said, “I was in shock that there were so many birds in that one spot! It was really magical… special…I love it!” As you can tell, Jeanette is very passionate about nature. Of the birds present on this morning, the Roseate Spoonbill, Wood Stork, White Pelican, and Great White Heron were a special treat, as they are most typically seen flying overhead, but on this day they were all here! According to Isabella Collamati, Invasive Species Biologist at Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, ‘time of day, time of year, temperature, and tide would probably be the biggest factors for why they chose to gather that day. It all lined up so that the water was deep enough to host enough prey to keep all parties interested, but shallow enough to make the hunting easier.” The birds diet consists of minnows, mullet, and killifish, and they are pickier about size than species.  Observe how the Reddish Egret hunts. They do a “Crazy Dance” using their wings to shade the water for a better view and then give chase until they can strike their prey. Reddish Egrets differ from other egret species, that simply stand and wait for food to come before they strike.     By the time I arrived, some of the birds had already left, but there were still dozens of birds. I had fun photographing the Reddish Egret and it’s distinctive hunting behavior. As it searched for fish, it would do a “crazy dance” as it jumped and hopped back and forth with outstretch wings raised over its head, peering at the water. The wings cast a shadow so they can see the prey better. The Reddish Egret is also one of the rare egrets, with only 2,000 pairs thought to be breeding in the U.S. A Roseate Spoonbill sat grooming on a red mangrove perch. Not sure it was there because the tide had risen and it’s short legs were no longer able to maneuver in the deepening wetland. Spoonbills have the broadened bill-ends full of nerve-endings, to feel for animals when mud-grubbing.  Spoonbills have the broadened bill-ends full of nerve-endings, to feel for animals when mud-grubbing.  Show me a little pink, peach and fuscia you pretty Rosie. Though not a wading bird, I saw a Belted Kingfisher hunting near this shallow wetland. The Kingfisher can regularly be seen perched on the power lines along Card Sound Road. Winter and Spring is nesting season for these birds, though I am not sure where these particular birds were from. Historically wading birds nested in the small Keys and nearby mangrove islands, within Florida Bay, far from human disturbances. The Everglades supports 70-90% of all wading bird nests annually. Wading birds initiated approx 89,514 nests in the Everglades in 2021. The wading bird nesting in 2021 was the highest recorded in 80 years.  The Kingfisher often perches along Card Sound Road. Their “mohawk” style feathers on their head give the kingfisher an air of confidence. Nesting success is highly dependent on the availability of fish and waters shallow enough to concentrate the fish, and water just the right level for the birds to wade in. Wading birds are abandoning their traditional nesting grounds in Florida Bay, and are moving north, partly due to increased salinity and the resulting reduction of species of fish that thrive in brackish water. Salinity of the Florida Bay is a problem, and the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is intended to divert more fresh water through Taylor Slough to Florida Bay to improve the bay's health by reducing salinity. On the mainland Everglades, Madeira Hammock and Paurotis Pond, are locations with a reliable amount of birds and also a short field-trip from the Keys. It is very special living near designated wildlife refuges and national parks, but birds cannot read, and can easily settle in parks and gardens with suitable conditions. Or even can be seen flying overhead… This story was told to me by an avid tennis player Pat Holbrook, about a situation that occurred in mid-serve, requiring a “do-over”. As Pat tossed the ball preparing to serve up a winner, she called “let”… there is a Roseate Spoonbill flying over the tennis court. It is rare to see a Roseate Spoonbill, but never had she seen one flying overhead. An unexpected pause, a brief delay of game… and all the players agreed, nature had served up a winner.
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CAROL ELLIS
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July 2025
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All Rights Reserved.
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