The book, one of The Rivers of America Series , continues to be in print, selling more than 10,000 copies a year. Also, in 1947, Mrs. Douglas helped lead the campaign to have the central core of the Everglades preserved as Everglades National Park. In 1969, Mrs. Douglas spearheaded The Friends of the Everglades, a conservation organization of 5,000 members, a testament to the importance of the Everglades.
Membership still costs only one dollar a year.
The Everglades in South Florida is one of the most magnificent parcels of land and water in the United States. It's hot, humid and romantic. Thousands of species of birds, reptiles, mammals, insects, fish and flowers inhabit this semi-tropical southernmost tip of the mainland. Just a few are egrets, herons, black bears, white-tailed deer, Florida panthers, palm trees, skinks, alligators and a variety of sea turtles. Originally more than 4,000 square miles, the Everglades today has shrunk to less than half this size as a result of extensive drainage, over-construction and pollution.