Guiding visitors and nature lovers through a subtropical paradise, this book celebrates the natural history of one of the most diverse, endangered, and beautiful ecosystems in the world, Florida's Big Cypress Swamp watershed. Jeff Ripple examines the inner workings of this watershed, including its swamps, hardwood hammocks, pinelands, freshwater marshes and wet prairies, mangroves, and the Ten Thousand Island estuarine system. He describes the region's geology, climate, human use (and abuse), and its urgent conservation issues. His account is enhanced by 24 magnificent black-and-white photographs by Clyde Butcher, one of Florida's most acclaimed landscape photographers. A rare union of talent and vision, this book combines the work of two individuals who devote their lives to discovering and recording places in Florida that still are wild and natural.