What makes the Florida Everglades so amazing?

And now, it’s time for Who’s Smarted. Psst, hey, smarty pants, trusty narrator here. Before you try to guess where I am right now, based on the background noises, let me give you a few hints. Ready? First hint, where I am is located in Southern Florida, which, fun fact, is my actual home state here in the United States.

Hint number two, I’m currently in one of the world’s largest tropical wetlands. Hint number three, I’m about to board an airboat, which has a big fan on the back, and is perfect for traveling across this river of grass.

So, were you able to figure out where I am? If you guessed the Everglades, well done. Or maybe you just read the name of this episode. Either way, you’re quite the smarty pants, and we’re about to have quite the adventure here at Everglades National.

Sir, are you going to stand there all day talking to yourself or will you be joining us on the airboat?

Oops, sorry, didn’t mean to hold up the boat. But just for the record, I wasn’t talking to myself. I was talking to the, um, smarty pants. I seem to be talking to myself as there’s nobody else on the boat.

But I could have sworn I heard a voice. Didn’t you hear?

hear someone say, there you go again talking to yourself. I am not.

I’m not talking to myself. I’m talking to the smarty pants. Well, now I’m talking to myself. Or rather, I’m talking to a mysterious voice, since there are no other people on this boat.

That’s right. There are no other people, but you’re far from alone.

Whoa, smarty pants. There’s a large pelican sitting on the bow of the boat. Was that you talking to me?

Hey, he figured it out. Looks like you’re a smarty pants today. The name’s Paco. I’m an associate tour guide here at the Everglades National Park.

I see. Are you going to be driving the boat?

No, I don’t have a boating license, but no worries, it’s a self -driving boat.

There are self -driving airboats!

On a show with talking pelicans? Yes, there are self -driving airboats. Ah, touche. So, when do we start? Right now. So, what brings you and the smarty -pants to these wonderful water -drenched wetlands today?

Well, we’re hoping to see and hear what makes the Everglades such a fascinating and unique place. And along the way, I’d love to know things like, how big are the Everglades? Which animal species are indigenous to the area?

What makes the Everglades such a diverse ecosystem and an important resource to fight climate change? And finally, is it true that the Everglades are the only place on Earth where you can find two giant, deadly reptiles living side by side?

Oh, well, you’ve certainly come to the right guy. I mean bird.

Great, then it’s time for a big, wet, whiff of science and history on… [”

Who’s smart, Ed? Who’s smarted? Who’s smart, is it you?

Is it me? Is it science? Or history? Listen up! Everyone, we make smarting! Lots of fun on who’s smarted!

Oh, hey smarty pants, for this special promo, I’ve journeyed to the land before time, way, way back to when dinos walked the earth. Oh. Let’s see what I can see. Oh, I spotted triceratops and a taurusaurus.

I see an armored ankylosaurus and a smaller theropod named Trudon. And, uh oh, what’s that noise in the bushes? It could be a hungry velociraptor. Or it’s Rex. Or.

Whoa! Hey, trusty, what an awesome surprise seeing you here.

Looks like someone else loves dinos too!

Blippi? Mika? I don’t believe it? What are you two doing here in the Lake Cretaceous era?

Oh! Mika and I never miss a chance to see dinosaurs up close and personal!

Yep, this place is like a real life Jurassic Park without the fences.

and without the danger, I hope. Don’t worry, trusty. We do stuff like this all the time as part of our new podcast, Blippi and Mika’s Road Trip.

Blippi and Mika’s road trip? That sounds amazing!

What’s it about? It’s all about Mika and I exploring the world in our Blippi mobile. And learning new things at every stop. From the Amazon rainforest to the Arctic Circle.

Wow, that sounds like a wild ride. Hey, smarty pants, if you like adventure, check out Blippi and Mika’s road trip podcast with my friends Blippi and Mika. Oh, sounds like the smarty pants are excited about your new show, Blippi and Mika.

Actually, that’s a T -Rex standing behind you!

Don’t run, just walk slowly towards us.

Walking away slowly. Anyway, Smarties, be sure to join Blippi and Mika for each adventure on Blippi and Mika’s Road Trip, available wherever you listen to podcasts. You never know where they’ll wind up next.

So, what do you want to know first, Trustee?

First, I want to know, if there are other pelicans who give tours, I’m still trying to wrap my head around.

Can we just move past that, please? Okay.

Okay, let’s start with a general question. How big is the Everglades and what makes the Everglades so unique?

two questions right sorry don’t be they’re great questions the everglades is known as a subtropical wetland ecosystem that covers about 2 million acres across central and southern Florida whoa that’s huge and get this the Everglades provide water to nearly 8 million people nice also in the Everglades there are only two distinct seasons there’s wet season which runs from May through November in dry season which runs from December through April

And speaking of interesting, I couldn’t help noticing lots of odd -looking plants and vegetation on my drive into the park, especially near the shore. Lots of stuff I usually see growing near rivers, lakes, or ponds.

Good observation. Here in the Everglades, you can find everything from salt -loving razor -sharp saugrass and carnivorous bladderwort to beautiful cypress and scraggly mangrove trees.

That’s quite the combination. Oh, and note to self, stay away from the carnivorous bladder words.

Okay, trusty. We’re gonna head over to that cove coming up on the left side. I want to show you something cool. Great!

The smarty pants and I love Kool and Kool -Aid. It sure is hot here.

Okay, we’re gonna want to keep a distance of about 50 feet or 15 meters from those mangroves There’s a lot happening, especially underwater that even I with my keen vision can’t detect

Gotcha. True or false, smarty pants? Mangroves are trees and shrubs that grow primarily in tropical coastal line swamps, and often flood during high tide. If you said true, he

You’re right. The Everglades Park is home to the largest protected mangrove system in the Western Hemisphere. Ooh, good to know.

But why do mangroves need protecting? Smarty Pants, do you know? Yeah, me neither.

mangroves provide an invaluable service to humans, wildlife, and plants. For starters, they are instrumental in lessening the effects of climate change with the ability to absorb and store carbon dioxide, which ultimately stops greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere.

Ah, I see. Guess how many homes the mangroves in the Everglades National Park can heat thanks to the carbon transference they provide?

think smarty pants? How many homes can the mangroves in the Everglades help heat? Is it A. 2 million homes? B. 10 million homes? Or C. Nearly 20 million homes? The answer is C. Nearly 20 million homes!

Good job if you

And because mangroves have such a strong root system, which is partly above and partly below the water level, they also act as a powerful coastal defense against hurricanes and major storms. While simultaneously providing the ideal breeding grounds for countless species of fish, crabs, shrimp, and other sea life.

Way to go, mangroves!

I also couldn’t help noticing there’s tons of beautiful birds waiting in the shallow

water. It would be hard not to notice them. And you definitely use the right word there, Trusty. They are in fact known as wading birds. The park has primarily three different types of birds. Landbirds, birds of prey, and wading birds.

And within those wading birds, there are 16 different species. Smarty!

What feature do you think all waiting birds have that helps them well?

Waiting birds have long skinny legs which allow them to wade, that’s W -A -D -E, into the shallow waters to catch their food.

I wish my legs were longer so I could reach the snacks on the higher shelves in the supermarket. Anyway, back to birds. What other birds are there?

in the Everglades. You’ve got your white ibis, great blue heron, and great white egrant. Nice.

And what’s that neat looking pink and white bird hanging out near the mangroves that has a beak that looks like a

Mixing spoon that’s a rosiet spoon bill smarty pants

If you look up R -O -S -E -A -T -E Spoonbill, you’ll see it fits its description well. I gotta say, I love how all these different birds peacefully share the same space as they all search for their next meal.

Yep, but you’re not going to catch any pelicans doing that. Oh, no? What do pelicans do? We fly over the water. And when we see a fish that looks about the right size, we dive bomb. Beak first until we scoop up the fish in our big throat pouch while it’s still underwater.

And then when we come to the surface, we swallow it whole. Whoa. And I thought, I’ll be right back.

I was a dramatic eater.

Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom. Okay, trusty, see that opening up there, where the mangroves are starting to creep out of the water? Yeah? Good, now keep your eyes peeled. Um.

What exactly is it I’m looking for?

Be very quiet. Oh boy.

I mean, oh boy. Smarty Pants, we’ll find out what new adventure awaits us right after this quick break and a word from our sponsors. Hola, bonjour, hello, ni hao, ciao. Hey, Smarty fans, I’m learning to say hello in lots of different languages.

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keep looking just under the surface of the water.

Okay, but it might be helpful to know what it is I’m looking for. Also, why are we speaking so softly?

We don’t want to agitate the gators and crocs.

Gators and Crocs!

Just keep your voice down!

Sorry, not sorry. Gators and Crocs, together? Yep. How do we turn this self -driving boat around?

They won’t bother us. Just keep your voice down. You don’t wanna-

I know, I know, I don’t want to agitate them. And by agitate, we mean alarm, excite, or disturb them.

Exactly. Just relax.

Relax! If a gator or croc come near, you can just fly away! I cannot! Can’t you just tell me in the smarty pants interesting facts about the gators and crocs without us having to come face to

I could but where’s the fun in that think of it trusty when it comes to alligators and crocodiles This is a once -in -a -lifetime opportunity. Do you know why? What do you think?

Think smarty pants? True or false? The Everglades is the only place on Earth where you can find both gaiters and crocs in the same area. The answer is true! Shh!

Hurry, don’t eat me. Relax, just stay in the center of the boat. They can’t get to you there.

I’m centering, I’m centering, but wait. I thought alligators preferred freshwater habitats, while crocs preferred saltwater.

They do. However, crocs are adaptable to both fresh and salty water, and the Everglades has both. Fun fact, where we are right now, near the coast, we’re more likely to come across a croc than a gator, because the water here is salty.

Wonderful. Smarty Pants, do you remember the differences between crocs and gators appearance -wise? We actually covered some of this in our Crocs vs. Gators episode, but in case you forgot or didn’t hear it yet, crocodiles have longer, pointier snouts, whereas alligators have shorter, more rounded ones.

Don’t forget their teeth. Right. Do you remember how their mouths and teeth are different? When a gator’s mouth is closed, only their upper teeth are visible, and for the croc, both upper and lower teeth

It can be seen. Nice, trusty. Maybe you could be a tour guide one day.

I’m good with narrating. What the heck? So much for being-

quiet. This is Chad Nickerson reporting live from Everglades National Park.

I should have known.

We had a report of a Florida panther on the loose. At first, I thought it was just a hockey player who got lost on the way to the rink. But it turns out it’s an actual panther, which are indigenous to the Everglades.

These majestic creatures are endangered and protected. They are also quite dangerous. So if you see one, do not try to pet it. Then under no circumstances should you play hockey with it. Okay.

Okay, alligators, crocodiles, and panthers? I am outta here. Chet, toss down the ladder. You got it, trusty. Thanks for the tour, Paco. Catch you on the next one. Do you love Who Smarted, but don’t love all the ads?

We get it, but we also need the ads to pay for the show. However, there is a way you can listen to Who Smarted without any ads while still supporting us. Just subscribe to Who Smarted Plus, and for a few bucks a month, you’ll get every episode ad -free, plus an extra new episode every week and monthly bonus content.

Our annual subscription even comes with a seven -day free trial. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts or on our website, whosmarted .com. Just click subscribe, and teachers click on educators to get Who Smarted Plus for free.

Thanks for smarting with us. A special shout out to Roya in South Orange, New Jersey. Hey, Chet Nickerson used to play hockey at South Mountain Arena. Anyway, we’re happy to hear you love science and are super curious about how our world and bodies work.

Plus, you love knowing more than your parents. Nice, smarty pants. This episode, The Everglades, was written by Dave Wetlands Davis and voiced by Mike Pelican -Prevetti, Adam Crocs Davis, and Jerry Colbert.

Technical direction and sound designed by Josh Greenhair and Han. Our associate producer is Max Manatee -Kamaske. The theme song is by Brian, No Gator Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis.

Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an atomic entertainment production. No Gator, no!

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