The Okefenokee Swamp, on the border of Georgia and Florida, is the largest intact freshwater swamp in the US. Its slow-moving blackwaters are stained by tannins from decaying organic matter and this vast ecosystem, covering 700 square miles, is packed with wildlife. Herons, cranes, bitterns, American alligators, turtles, snakes, frogs, and Florida black bears are among creatures who roam the swamp, which is largely protected by the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. In the early years of the 20th century, part of the swamp was logged, and its peat deposits were mined for use as fuel. Remnants of railroad lines can still be seen crossing swamp waterways as well as other equipment dating from its time as a logging area.
Okefenokee Swamp
Today in History
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Freeloaders of the avian world
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Islands that turned the tide
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Badlands National Parks 45th anniversary
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Is this Minecraft headquarters?
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Travel Sunday: On the Ganges in Varanasi, India
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Maloja, Switzerland
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Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
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A species worth defending
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Nature Photography Day
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A narrow passage
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Saksun, Faroe Islands, Denmark
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A temple, preserved
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Sharp-dressed bug
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Life goes on at the Beatles Ashram
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World Oceans Day
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Rosa Parks Day
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Here’s looking at you, teachers
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Falling for the Canadian Rockies
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Tree of many colors
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Birds and bees, and why they re so important
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National Merry-Go-Round Day
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Mexico celebrates its Independence Day
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International Day of Forests
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Look to the north sky tonight for the Perseids
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North Cascades National Park at 50
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The Big Blue of the Sierra
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Vacuum Chamber 5 at Glenn Research Center
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Inside the Oculus
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Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany
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American bison, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming