This enjoyable list originates from a more extensive 2023 piece by
Samantha Neely
, alongside several newly discovered archive photographs.
1. Immokalee means “your home” in the Mikasuki language
The Mikasuki, Hitchiti-Mikasuki, or Hitchiti language falls under the Muskogean language family. By 2014, Mikasuki had
spoken by approximately 290 individuals
in southern Florida.
According to
historians
The area was initially populated by the Calusa people. Centuries afterward, following their migration from northern Florida, it became home to the Seminoles. The settlement was referred to as Gopher Ridge by both the Seminole and Miccosukele nations.
2. The initial national preserve designated by the National Park Service was Big Cypress National Preserve.
Located within the incorporated community of Ochopee, Big Cypress National Preserve spans a vast area exceeding the size of the entire state of Rhode Island and teems with various plant and animal species.
3. The Everglades is the sole location where both alligators and crocodiles live together.
Fans of crocodilians will appreciate the opportunity to observe these creatures in their natural environments.
If you want to know how to distinguish them, alligators feature a wide, round snout whereas crocodiles have a “slender, tapering, triangle-shaped snout,” as stated on SeaWorld’s website.
4. Marco Island stands as the biggest among the Ten Thousand Islands.
In Collier County, inhabitants have access to a series of islands and mangrove islets located between Cape Romano and the outlet of the Lostman’s River. Among these, Marco Island stands out as the biggest, featuring six miles of coastline along with more than 100 miles of waterways spread across its area of 24 square miles.
5. Everglades City is dubbed as the Stone Crab Capital of the World.
The harvesting period for stone crabs runs from October 15 to May 15, during which time Everglades City marks the beginning of the season every year with its yearly Stone Crab Festival in October. When fishermen catch these crabs, they usually take only the claws before releasing them back into the sea where they can grow new ones.
The article initially appeared in the Naples Daily News.
From the Archives: Historic! Five key points about events around Collier County
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