Q&A for Kids
Photo credit: Shannon Duffy
Wetlands: Weird Wild and Wonderful
Let your child show off what they have learned. Please take a few minutes to ask your child these questions:
Where does the Everglades begin? At Lake Okeechobee? Or just south of Orlando in the Kissimmee chain of Lakes?
Answer: The Everglades watershed (the area of land drained by the Everglades) begins just south of Orlando, in the Kissimmee chain of lakes and the Kissimmee River
Is the Everglades very deep? Or is it a shallow, slow moving river?
Answer: The Everglades (south of Lake Okeechobee) was historically characterized by sheetflow of water—a very shallow and slow moving river flowing towards Florida Bay
What manmade "rivers" were created to drain the Everglades?
Answer: There are over 1,000 miles of canals and 150 water control structures that drain the Everglades. On average 1.7 billion gallons of fresh water are dumped to tide every day
What are wetland soils like?
Answer: Wetland soils have developed in no--or low--oxygen conditions. They have different bacteria than dry soils. Leaves, twigs and organic materials cannot decompose well and build up in the soil. These soils can either be peat soils or muck soils.
Where do cypress trees like to grow?
Answer: Cypress trees can grow in very wet conditions, such as swamps.
How do wood storks find their food?
Answer: Wood storks find food by sense of touch or 'tacto-location.'
What jobs do wetlands do for people? How is a wetland like a sponge? How is a wetland like a spaghetti strainer?
Answer: Wetlands provide a number of ecological services. They absorb water like a sponge during the wet season; and release that water very slowly during the dry season. Wetlands filter water like a strainer—removing natural and manmade pollutants. Wetlands provide a home to a variety of plants and animals. Wetlands provide food to wildlife and to humans. Wetlands help provide us with fresh water. Wetlands are a great place for recreation: boating, hiking, wildlife observation. Wetlands are a place of beauty.
What kind of rock is underneath Florida? Where do people in south Florida get their drinking water from?
Answer: Limestone. Millions of people in south Florida get their drinking water from the aquifers, or underground rivers, that flow within this limestone layer. Much of that water arrives in the aquifer thanks to recharge areas such as the Everglades.
How much water can you save by turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth?
Answer: You can save up to 10 gallons of water per day. Learn other ways to reduce your water usage! En Español!