United States · Field notes

Florida

Three details to notice, with the sources behind each story.

geography

Water flows through a sea of grass

In southern Florida’s Everglades, shallow water moves slowly through wide sawgrass marshes. The water spreads across the wetland instead of staying inside a single river channel.

Source: NPS: Everglades grasses · Accessed 2026-10-02

An American alligator resting in Everglades National Park — An alligator in the Florida Everglades.
judygva (back in town and trying to catch up) / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP; no cropping. · CC BY 2.0

nature

A wild cat has a protected home

The Florida panther is a wild cat whose home includes forests and wetlands in the Big Cypress Basin. Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge protects part of that habitat, also giving other native wildlife a place to live.

Source: USFWS: Florida Panther refuge · Accessed 2026-10-02

A Florida panther in its wildlife refuge — A Florida panther in Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge.
USFWS/Southeast / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain. Resized and converted to WebP; no cropping. · Public domain

culture

A dessert gets its own festival

Key West, Florida, celebrates key lime pie with a festival that includes tastings and a pie-eating championship. A local dessert becomes both a food to share and a competition.

Source: Key Lime Festival · Accessed 2026-10-02

A slice of key lime pie on a plate — Key lime pie served in Key West.
Haydn Blackey / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP; no cropping. · CC BY-SA 2.0