标签 佛罗里达 下的文章
从庞塞德莱昂河口向灯塔望去，佛罗里达州 Looking inland from Ponce de León Inlet toward the lighthouse, Florida (© Jason Sponseller/Shutterstock)
从庞塞德莱昂河口向灯塔望去，佛罗里达州 Looking inland from Ponce de León Inlet toward the lighthouse, Florida (© Jason Sponseller/Shutterstock)
Pascua Florida Day
We're at the Ponce de León Inlet Light in Central Florida for Pascua Florida Day, which marks the anniversary of the Spanish explorer's arrival here in 1513. Believing it to be an island, Ponce de León claimed the land for Spain and named it 'La Florida'—because of the verdant landscape and also because it was during the Easter season, which the Spaniards called 'Pascua Florida' (Festival of Flowers). According to legend, Ponce de León arrived here in search of the Fountain of Youth, a mythical water source said to restore the youth of those who drink or bathe in its waters. While that mission was unsuccessful, his name lives on in history–and on this lighthouse and the inlet where it shines.
西耶斯塔海滩鸟瞰图，佛罗里达西耶斯塔岛 Aerial view of Siesta Beach, Siesta Key, Florida (© Julie Palermo/Getty Images)
西耶斯塔海滩鸟瞰图，佛罗里达西耶斯塔岛 Aerial view of Siesta Beach, Siesta Key, Florida (© Julie Palermo/Getty Images)
Fiesta at Siesta
Here we are in mid-March already, the time of year when college-aged revelers invade the world's beaches, like this one on Florida's Siesta Key. Located in Sarasota County off the state's western shore, the island beach is a fixture on lists of America's top beaches, a standout even in a state where soft, welcoming sands compose over half the 1,200-mile coastline.
Using the onset of spring as an excuse to cut loose is nothing new, going back at least to the ancient Greeks and Romans. But spring break as we know it originated in the 1930s, when Fort Lauderdale began welcoming college swim teams for training. In March 1961, over 50,000 young people vacationed in the city. By the '70s, rising prices and increasing consternation of locals began driving the party from Fort Lauderdale to other Florida beaches, and eventually everywhere else. Tourist-vs.-townie tensions still go strong in spring break hotspots, but the party goes even stronger: throughout the spring break season, airlines can expect to serve around 400,000 more passengers each day than usual in the US alone.
松木国家森林，佛罗里达州 Pine Log State Forest, Florida (© plainpicture/Cavan Images)
松木国家森林，佛罗里达州 Pine Log State Forest, Florida (© plainpicture/Cavan Images)
In praise of bogs, swamps, and marshes
Swamps and bogs probably aren’t the first that comes to mind when it comes to America’s celebrated landscapes. That’s a shame, since wetlands like these play a crucial role in the health of our ecosystems. In addition to providing unique habitat to the many species that call wetlands home, they filter water, provide a natural buffer from storms, absorb flood waters, and capture carbon from the atmosphere—helping to protect our planet from climate change.
Each year in the month of May, environmental groups and partners celebrate the humble bog as part of American Wetlands Month. You can find some of the country’s healthiest examples of wetlands in Florida, home to swamps, which are dominated by forests, and marshes, which are home to grasses, rushes, and weeds. Today’s homepage comes from Pine Log State Forest, located near the town of Ebro in the Florida Panhandle. Established in 1936, it’s Florida’s oldest state forest, and a fine place to explore.
