S.W.A.M.P. Wander Celebrates 25 Years of Submerging Students in the Everglades

Music and laughter rose over the swamp on Saturday, October 24,  as dozens arrived at Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery for a chance to dip their toes into the marsh.

The atmosphere was suitably festive, as this year marks the 25th anniversary of the S.W.A.M.P. Wander fundraiser, which raises funds for the Swamp Water And Me Program, a ranger-led educational initiative that lets sixth graders in Collier County walk the swamp and learn about the local environment.

People came from across the county and beyond to explore the swamp, wading up to their waists in the cool, crystal-clear waters for a guided, up-close look at the diverse flora and fauna. Many different animals were out that day, including an alligator known as Big Mama, who remained wading quietly in her pond, feet away from visitors.

Clyde Butcher said the event was all about raising awareness for the program, which educates kids and turns them into advocates for the local environment, a biome found nowhere else in the world.

“One of the things about this Swamp Wanderer event is that it basically gets people in touch with the environment, and they become ambassadors to the Everglades. And it’s very important that we spread the word,” said Butcher. “Most everybody sees Florida from the road, and you can’t really feel it from the road. You have to get physically connected with it. And being on a swamp buggy or a boardwalk is still not like being in the physical of it all.”

Butcher, a famous wildlife photographer with a storied conservation career in the Big Cypress area, has been instrumental in highlighting the preserve through his work. He said that it’s important, through programs like S.W.A.M.P. Wander, to draw attention to the land, especially when the children are young, as a way of building a lifelong appreciation for the environment and a desire to preserve it.

“I’m sitting here in the woods, and I’m saying, what happens if we have global warming? This is all gone. We’re going to be 30, 40 feet of water here. I mean, to me, it really sounds sad to lose this unique ecosystem. This is the only place like this in the world. That’s important to retain, because when it’s gone, it’s gone,” Butcher said.

According to Lisa Andrews, a ranger and the outreach and education coordinator for Big Cypress National Preserve, who first conceptualized the fundraiser, the program has seen potentially around 100,000 students pass through the swamp over the quarter-century it’s been running. Without the fundraiser, she said, keeping the program going wouldn’t be feasible.

She said, though, that it was worth it. During this year’s event alone, she encountered a couple of younger people who had been on the S.W.A.M.P. Wander as kids, who were now pursuing an education and career in the natural sciences.

“It’s pretty rewarding,” Andrews said. “We’ve had teachers that come back who are on the sixth grade program. There’s a young lady who works for the pollution control doing education programs, and she went through the program and is going into the field.  I like to say that’s because we inspired that; I don’t know if that’s true, but I’d like to think so.”

During the fundraiser, visitors could not only walk through the swamp and get an intimate view of the environment, but also view Clyde Butcher’s gallery, meet him in person, enjoy food, hear presentations from local rangers, and listen to music by the Jack Shealy Band.

Butcher’s family is also taking a larger role in the operation of the walk and the gallery, with his grandson Robert Obendorf becoming a member of the Friends of Big Cypress board and helping manage the event. Butcher felt it was important to have his family around to help continue his legacy, so programs like S.W.A.M.P. Wander can continue for many more decades.

“I think it’s pretty important. I’m 84 years old; I’m not going to last another 80 years. So it’s really great to have a family here that will continue this on,” said Butcher.

The walks through the swamp will continue to be hosted at the gallery year-round for those looking for an intimate look at the unique ecosystem, with tickets available for purchase on the gallery’s website.