Swamp Celebration

The Alliance for Florida’s National Parks is hosting its annual Swamp Celebration once again at famed photographer Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery on October 23 -24.

This two-day fundraising affair gives attendees an exclusive opportunity to explore the private property surrounding Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery within Big Cypress National Preserve through guided swamp walks.

Although within the boundaries of the public lands of Big Cypress National Preserve, Clyde Butcher’s gallery remains private property and only a special few each year are able to experience the wonders of the cypress domes that lay beyond the gallery building itself.

These adventurous outings are in support of Big Cypress National Preserve’s youth environmental education program, which serves every 6th-grade student in Collier County each year. With funding from The Alliance for Florida’s National Parks, around 3,000 kids are able to experience the natural and wild wonders of southwest Florida through this program.

For the 2020-2021 school year, The Alliance for Florida’s National Parks helped Big Cypress National Preserve’s team transition to offering 100% virtual programming to these students, so that Collier County 6th graders still had the opportunity to experience the many habitats, as well as the wildlife and plant life, that are thriving on the Preserve.

In its almost 20 years, The Alliance has distributed more than $10 million dollars to Florida’s four national parks – Everglades, Dry Tortugas, and Biscayne National Parks, as well as Big Cypress National Preserve. In addition to Big Cypress’ youth environmental education program, The Alliance has also provided support for its python research program, which has led to the removal of 66 pythons from within its boundaries; a forest recovery study, which aims to identify how the land has bounced back from its previous logging days; and the rehabilitation of the historical Cal Stone’s backcountry campsite – as well as many other projects.

During the Swamp Celebration, swamp walks will take place on Saturday, October 23, and Sunday, October 24, from 8 am – 3 pm each day. Each walk will be spaced 30 minutes apart and will be limited to 10 adults. Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery is located at 52388 Tamiami Trail East. Tickets for adults are $75 and tickets for children are $25. More information can be found at https://swampcelebration2021.eventbrite.com.