Field notes
Everglades field notes
Short pieces from our guides on the animals we see, the places we go and the people who made this company. No listicles, no SEO filler — just what we noticed this week.
In memoriam: Captain Bob Cowlishaw (1941–2021)
The herpetologist who bought a five-year-old ecotour company in 1996, hired a nervous young guide from a classified ad, and gave the family tour its name.
The Florida softshell turtle
A leathery shell, a snorkel for a neck and the most prolific egg layer in North America. You will usually meet one on the airboat ride.
Bald eagles in a cabbage palmetto
Two bald eagles have been using the same cabbage palmetto at Lake Trafford for years. It is an odd perch for a bird with a six-foot wingspan.
The great white heron
It looks like a Great Egret until you get close. The Great White Heron is a subspecies of the Great Blue, and we see the same bird at Lake Trafford most years.
Read less, see more
The best way to understand the Everglades is to spend a day in it.