What has changed at Everglades NP in 5 years? Lots.

Mosquitos…at least so far this visit they are quite manageable with just a short flare up in the twilight hours.  Our last visit they were thick all the time and ran us indoors at least part of every day.

There are nearly No ground mammals due to the invasive Burmese Pythons.

Eco Lake is a different place.  Hurricane tidal surge carried salt water well inland into what was a lovely little fresh water lake, home to many wading birds.  No more.  Salt-poisoned vegetation stands bare on the banks.  The surface of the pond is alive with marsh bugs and clogged with periphyton, an algae mat the looks sort of like soggy breadsticks.  Icky looking but it is nature doing its thing.

They are actually working at repairing the historical pink visitor center building to serve that purpose once again; perhaps as soon as late summer 2022.  That will be nice.  They are still in a dinky temporary building.

Construction on the long-planned hotel has resumed.  The concrete pillar foundation now supports a shipping-container-style construction.  They are adding the roof now with posted completion this summer.  Looks unlikely to me.  The restaurant section is even further behind.

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