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(♪♪♪♪♪)

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NARRATOR: 
Florida's legendary Everglades

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are now crawling with unwanted, 
destructive invaders,

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threatening the very survival 
of native plants and animals.

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Join author Charles J. Kropke

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as he explores the war 
on invasive species

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on Battleground Everglades .

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SPONSORSHIP NARRATOR: 
Major funding for this program 
is provided

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by Eleanor Goldstein.

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Interactive Learning 
& Technology, LLC.

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Additional funding provided 
by...

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(♪♪♪♪♪)

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NARRATOR: 
They slither and devour 
natural wildlife,

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root up soil, 
spreading disease,

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overwhelm and destroy 
native habitats.

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Countless non-native plants, 
animals, reptiles,

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and insects are wreaking havoc 
on the rare landscapes

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of the Everglades,

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changing this precious resource 
forever.

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(♪♪♪♪♪)

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The battle against invasive 
exotic plants and animals

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has gone on in the state 
of Florida for decades.

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This place, the Arthur R. 
Marshall, Loxahatchee National

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Wildlife Refuge, 
may be ground zero.

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Despite spending millions 
of dollars each year,

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eradication of invasive exotics 
is a problem.

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And still, more come 
to our subtropical wilderness.

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NARRATOR: 
Florida's welcoming climate 
has created the largest invasive

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species crisis in the 
continental United States.

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Once here, 
intruding species can thrive,

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unchallenged by the natural 
predators

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of their home environment.

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(Snorts)

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NARRATOR: 
But the Sunshine State is 
fighting back, introducing

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another kind of predator: 
human hunters.

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Look at you! 
MAN 1: Woah!

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Ho-oh, my God.

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That's gotta be atleast... 
(Man laughing)

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MAN 1: 
I don't know, 17 feet?

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NARRATOR: 
Actually, this snake was just 
under 15 ½ feet;

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a Burmese python hiding deep 
in the Everglades.

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The capture was part 
of Florida's stepped-up efforts

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to aggressively reduce the snake 
population

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Florida's python hunter 
program has authorized

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a total of 25 seasoned hunters 
to capture and kill

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the pythons

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forever removing them 
from the ecosystem.

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The Sunshine State has more 
non-native reptile

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and amphibian species than 
anywhere else in the world.

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More than 80% arrived here 
as part of the pet industry.

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But the deadliest invader has 
been the Burmese python.

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First seen in the Everglades 
in 1980s, the population has

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exploded, 
decimating native mammals.

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One study reported that 
roadside sightings of raccoons,

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rabbits, foxes, 
and other local wildlife

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have dropped by more than 90% 
in the last few decades.

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MAN 1: 
Wow!

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(Laughing)

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NARRATOR: 
Wildlife experts blame 
the huge pythons

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for destroying populations 
of small animals

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and wading birds 
who for centuries have called

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the Everglades home.

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The snakes are not venomous, 
but they do bite.

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They kill their prey by 
constriction.

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Wrapping their bodies 
around their victims

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and squeezing the life 
out of them.

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The state's lieutenant governor 
assisted with this capture.

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Snakes have a very unique 
pattern...

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NARRATOR: 
But he couldn't have done it 
without Tom Rahill

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and his group of military vets 
and first responders

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called the Swamp Apes.

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TOM: 
I started the Swamp Apes 
Organization to help veterans

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deal with various challenges 
they may have returning

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from their service 
to the country.

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We welcome all veterans.

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And many of our veterans had 
joined us or are just here

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strictly for the adventure.

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But the common bond with 
the veterans is

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that they wanna help 
the wilderness.

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NARRATOR: 
On this buggy south Florida 
summer evening

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Tom and his team are on the hunt 
for pythons,

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searching burrows 
and armadillo nests, looking

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for any evidence 
of the big snakes.

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He's joined by Rams, 
a combat vet

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who served two tours of duty 
in Iraq.

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Rams' largest catch to date 
was a feisty 7-footer.

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He says his time 
with the Swamp Apes has helped

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him cope better with 
the emotional wounds of war.

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RAMS: 
When you first get out 
of the military,

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it's a little hard 
to communicate

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as you did before 
you went in.

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So when Tom and the others take 
us out there and kinda

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give you an extra push 
to communicate with people

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um, as you used to before, 
it helps a lot.

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So knowing what you do,

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would you encourage other 
veterans to join the Swamp Apes?

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Absolutely.

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I have brought out numerous 
other veterans before.

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For the most part, 
a lot of them do enjoy

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being out here helping out.

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You have to be part of 
a team to come out here

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and hunt pythons.

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'Cause we're looking after 
each other.

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We're looking after 
everybody's back

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when you're out here.

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And it gives you a sense of 
purpose,

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'cause of what we're doing 
as well.

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MAN 2: 
Okay, what have we got here, 
Tom?

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TOM: 
Hey, man, I think we got a--

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a potential python nest.

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NARRATOR: 
Tom and Rams are joined 
by Omar Gomez.

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Omar, a former paramedic 
diagnosed with PTSD,

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says he's found focus 
and meaning here

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in the Everglades.

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And the program helped me a lot, 
you know to kinda get back

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into it, and function back out 
in society, and at home,

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and everywhere else.

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And I just thump it.

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And I can hear the hollowness 
and I can follow--

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NARRATOR: 
Omar's biggest catch 
was a pregnant

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13½ footer

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carrying 67 eggs inside her.

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OMAR: 
That's one snake with minus, 
you know 67 possible

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other snakes.

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I mean that's just-- you get up, 
you think to yourself,

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"I'm gonna change 
the Everglades today,

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by removing one python."

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And you can literally say that, 
with that big 13-footer you know

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pulled out you know, 
that's a big change.

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Right here, you know.

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NARRATOR: 
Omar's passion 
for the Everglades elicits

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different reactions 
from family and friends.

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Some think you're crazy,

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some think it's the best thing 
that has ever been--

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you know, put out there for me.

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Uh, I can say as far as my wife 
is concerned,

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she's a big supporter of this.

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She's seen all the changes 
in me.

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Uh, same thing as my folks 
you know, back in home.

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You know, they have seen a lot 
of changes, positive changes.

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And if anything is good 
for someone,

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I think you can to say 
to yourself,

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"This is probably something 
that's gonna be affective."

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This is something that maybe 
someone else can be using

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in their family 
to help them out,

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you know, 
through some hard times.

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NARRATOR: 
The hunters get paid 
for the snakes,

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$8 dollars and 10 cents 
an hour, plus $50 dollars

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for the first 4 feet 
and $25 per foot after that.

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That can add up, but Tom says 
the Swamp Apes don't do it

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for the money.

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TOM: 
They have this sense of duty 
to country.

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They have this altruistic 
philanthropic attitude.

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They're giving up their lives.

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They did that in the military 
service

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and now they have a chance 
again to do that

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and to be celebrated 
for giving.

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And in this case, they're 
helping the environment.

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RAMS: 
Yeah.

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Yeah, I don't see anything.

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NARRATOR: 
The python nest turned out 
to be an empty hole.

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So the Swamp Apes 
gather their gear and prepare

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to hit the road.

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TOM: 
Where this road T-bones, 
we're gonna be on a long

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north-south running Levy-- 
CHARLES: 
Okay, yeah.

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About 23 miles from 
the Everglades Holiday Park

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all the way down to where 
the Valujet Memorial is.

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CHARLES: 
I see.

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NARRATOR: 
Daylight has now turned 
into night

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and they journey deep into 
the Everglades.

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Since it's summertime, 
late night is usually

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the best time to find 
the pythons,

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because of the somewhat 
cooler temperatures.

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Tom and his team know 
what they're looking for.

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Already the Swamp Apes have 
removed hundreds of pythons

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from the Everglades.

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But that's not nearly enough.

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Estimates put the number

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of snake invaders somewhere 
between tens of thousands

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to nearly a quarter million.

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CHARLES: 
So Tom, you've been doing 
this for several years now.

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What have you seen from the 
veterans here in the field

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and you know, what do you hear 
from them after the experience?

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TOM: 
Some of the difficulties 
that they've had

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from their return to civilian 
life are minimized after

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coming out and participating 
in our program for a long time.

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Nightmares in particular, 
they no longer have nightmares

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of their war service 
and their trauma.

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They have dreams of pythons.

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NARRATOR: 
They didn't find one 
on this night.

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But the Swamp Apes don't 
give up.

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RAMS: 
Alright, everybody ready?

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NARRATOR: 
The stakes are too high. 
RAMS: Yeah.

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NARRATOR: 
The invaders too lethal 
to the native wildlife.

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RAMS: 
Easy, easy, easy, easy.

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Here we go, 
it's right underneath me.

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TOM: 
Got him? 
RAMS: Yeah.

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TOM: 
Alright, good job.

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RAMS: 
Oh God almighty, 
come here, baby.

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(Grunting) 
(Indiscernible speech)

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RAMS: 
What?

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TOM: 
You wanna take this?

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RAMS: 
I got this. 
TOM: Slide it back, okay?

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RAMS: 
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

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Just stretch him out.

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NARRATOR: 
This snake was a pregnant 
15-footer carrying 61 eggs.

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With each capture, 
the Swamp Apes

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fulfill their mission 
of helping preserve

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the delicate balance 
of the ecosystem

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and heal the trauma that haunts 
some us military veterans.

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While south Florida's invasive 
pythons have captured

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national media attention, a far 
more common sight is this,

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feral hogs.

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The feral hog population 
in Florida is currently

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estimated at more than 500,000.

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Only Texas has more 
of these dangerous

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and disruptive animals.

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We only have 24 square 
miles left.

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NARRATOR: 
Sam Dorfman is with the 
Grassy Waters Preserve

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in West Palm Beach, Florida

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and he knows full well 
the destruction

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feral hogs can cause 
in their search for food.

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They come through.

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And as they're rooting around, 
they disturb the soil.

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And when they do that, 
they take that very fragile

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few inches of soil 
they turn it over.

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When that sun hits it, 
dries it up.

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The wind, causes erosion 
also creates an opportunity

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for invasive plants 
to get in there. 
CHARLES: Yeah.

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NARRATOR: 
They also expose the roots 
of native trees which makes

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the trees extremely vulnerable 
in the next big storm.

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Feral hogs date back to 1539 
when Hernando de Soto landed

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on the west coast of Florida 
with 13 sow hogs from Cuba.

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Within one year,

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they had reportedly increased 
to 300.

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You've made your trap 
and you put corn in it, right?

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Yes, sir.

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NARRATOR: 
Certified wildlife biologist 
Brian Shoch

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tracks and captures feral hogs 
for many government agencies.

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.in areas where the hogs 
are creating problems.

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00:12:00,433 --> 00:12:04,533
NARRATOR: 
He says the feral hogs can 
cause up to $800-million

242
00:12:04,633 --> 00:12:06,300
in damage every year.

243
00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:09,566
And they have the potential to 
severely affect agriculture

244
00:12:09,666 --> 00:12:12,000
throughout the United States.

245
00:12:12,100 --> 00:12:14,200
BRIAN: 
They actually, in the state 
of Florida

246
00:12:14,300 --> 00:12:19,133
are known to harbor at least 
46 different parasitic

247
00:12:19,233 --> 00:12:21,733
and infectious diseases.

248
00:12:21,833 --> 00:12:26,733
Not to mention they are a vector 
for numerous

249
00:12:26,833 --> 00:12:30,600
foreign animal diseases that 
could be devastating

250
00:12:30,700 --> 00:12:32,700
to the agricultural community.

251
00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:37,700
It could not only devastate 
Florida's agricultural economy

252
00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:40,200
but have a tremendous impact

253
00:12:40,300 --> 00:12:44,000
on our national agricultural 
economy as well.

254
00:12:44,100 --> 00:12:47,666
NARRATOR: 
Feral hogs reproduce at 
a remarkable rate,

255
00:12:47,766 --> 00:12:51,566
anywhere from 18 to 22 
offspring a season.

256
00:12:51,666 --> 00:12:53,733
They are big 
and aggressive enough to forage

257
00:12:53,833 --> 00:12:55,933
through a particular 
food source,

258
00:12:56,033 --> 00:12:59,433
leaving little leftover 
for native wildlife.

259
00:12:59,533 --> 00:13:02,533
The saw palmetto berries 
are a good example.

260
00:13:02,633 --> 00:13:04,933
So they'll come in here 
and all these different plants,

261
00:13:05,033 --> 00:13:07,600
they will route through 
this area and kind of

262
00:13:07,700 --> 00:13:08,600
chew these up.

263
00:13:08,700 --> 00:13:11,500
And again this is you know, 
the saw palmetto

264
00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:14,666
are utilized heavily by 
native wildlife,

265
00:13:14,766 --> 00:13:17,300
by white-tailed deer, 
by turkeys,

266
00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:20,566
by black bears, 
by raccoons, and well, possums.

267
00:13:20,666 --> 00:13:25,566
So again, when you have a very 
prolific large mammalian species

268
00:13:25,666 --> 00:13:29,833
that is focused on resource, 
it can outcompete

269
00:13:29,933 --> 00:13:31,900
our native wild life.

270
00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:34,600
NARRATOR: 
Tracking and capturing 
the hogs can help to remove them

271
00:13:34,700 --> 00:13:37,533
from the wild, but that 
won't help in places like

272
00:13:37,633 --> 00:13:39,700
the Grassy Waters Preserve.

273
00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:42,933
Sam Dorfman estimates there 
are several hundred hogs present

274
00:13:43,033 --> 00:13:45,066
here at any one time.

275
00:13:45,166 --> 00:13:47,066
Government and sport hunters 
will target them

276
00:13:47,166 --> 00:13:50,433
in the wild, but hunters 
are not allowed to track prey

277
00:13:50,533 --> 00:13:51,900
in the preserve.

278
00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:55,566
Native alligators however have 
no such restrictions.

279
00:13:56,633 --> 00:13:59,933
So we hope during 
the wet season

280
00:14:00,033 --> 00:14:02,900
that these populations of hogs 
are more isolated.

281
00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:05,266
They can't do vast amounts 
of damage.

282
00:14:05,366 --> 00:14:07,333
And that the alligators are 
gonna do their job,

283
00:14:07,433 --> 00:14:08,766
as an apex predator.

284
00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:13,066
NARRATOR: 
Florida is also the entry 
point for nearly three-fourths

285
00:14:13,166 --> 00:14:15,800
of all plants imported 
in the US

286
00:14:15,900 --> 00:14:19,400
and many are taking over 
intricately-balanced ecosystems

287
00:14:19,500 --> 00:14:21,533
developed over thousands 
of years.

288
00:14:21,633 --> 00:14:28,100
(♪♪♪♪♪)

289
00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:32,000
NARRATOR: 
Stretching over 147,000 acres,

290
00:14:32,100 --> 00:14:35,033
the Loxahatchee National 
Wildlife Refuge

291
00:14:35,133 --> 00:14:37,100
protects the northernmost 
remnant

292
00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:39,200
of the historic Everglades 
ecosystem.

293
00:14:42,333 --> 00:14:45,700
It's a haven for rare 
and endangered native species,

294
00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:48,300
as well as flocks 
of migrating birds.

295
00:14:50,566 --> 00:14:53,233
But the refuge is battling 
an overwhelming threat

296
00:14:53,333 --> 00:14:55,033
from invasive plants,

297
00:14:55,133 --> 00:14:58,233
including one which could 
destroy critical parts

298
00:14:58,333 --> 00:14:59,866
of this habitat.

299
00:14:59,966 --> 00:15:02,566
Rebekah, the average person 
probably can't recognize that

300
00:15:02,666 --> 00:15:06,100
there is an invasive exotic 
that's pretty bad on the list

301
00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:07,700
that's right here behind us.

302
00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:09,333
Can you tell us what it is?

303
00:15:09,433 --> 00:15:13,000
Behind us you can see 
the lime green vine that

304
00:15:13,100 --> 00:15:14,366
tends to stand out.

305
00:15:14,466 --> 00:15:17,433
It's a slightly different color 
from the rest of the vegetation,

306
00:15:17,533 --> 00:15:21,366
is a plant called lygodium, 
or old world climbing fern.

307
00:15:21,466 --> 00:15:24,000
And it's really causing a lot 
of ecological damage here

308
00:15:24,100 --> 00:15:25,133
in the refuge.

309
00:15:25,233 --> 00:15:28,100
How did old world 
climbing ferns get here

310
00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:29,966
in south Florida 
in the first place?

311
00:15:30,066 --> 00:15:33,100
Lygodium arrived 
in south Florida through

312
00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:34,500
the nursery industry.

313
00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:37,700
And it was sold for landscaping 
purposes to homeowners

314
00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:40,233
who really liked it, 
because it was fast-growing,

315
00:15:40,333 --> 00:15:42,533
it was very hardy, 
difficult to kill

316
00:15:42,633 --> 00:15:45,266
and it looks very beautiful 
trellising up in your yard,

317
00:15:45,366 --> 00:15:46,533
on your house.

318
00:15:46,633 --> 00:15:48,566
This fern is very good 
at surviving

319
00:15:48,666 --> 00:15:50,333
and spreading itself around.

320
00:15:50,433 --> 00:15:52,166
It's spread by spores.

321
00:15:52,266 --> 00:15:54,833
And they can get into 
the wind currents

322
00:15:54,933 --> 00:15:58,566
and spread up to 40 miles, 
even more during a big storm,

323
00:15:58,666 --> 00:16:00,033
like a hurricane.

324
00:16:00,133 --> 00:16:02,766
How pervasive is 
the old world climbing fern

325
00:16:02,866 --> 00:16:05,300
in the refuge?

326
00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:09,133
Unfortunately, 
we have nearly 102,000 acres of,

327
00:16:09,233 --> 00:16:14,133
almost 142,000 acres that 
are impacted by lygodium.

328
00:16:14,233 --> 00:16:16,466
We actually have to canvass 
the entire refuge,

329
00:16:16,566 --> 00:16:20,466
looking for the fern 
to kill it before it takes over.

330
00:16:20,566 --> 00:16:22,466
CHARLES: 
So how do you get rid of this?

331
00:16:22,566 --> 00:16:26,033
What do you do to eradicate 
this vine?

332
00:16:26,133 --> 00:16:27,666
It's very difficult to fight.

333
00:16:27,766 --> 00:16:29,133
We still haven't found 
a chemical

334
00:16:29,233 --> 00:16:30,466
that will actually kill it.

335
00:16:30,566 --> 00:16:33,633
We can knock it back by 
manually cutting

336
00:16:33,733 --> 00:16:36,233
and spraying with herbicides.

337
00:16:36,333 --> 00:16:38,533
The problem is that it just 
knocks it back.

338
00:16:38,633 --> 00:16:39,933
It doesn't kill the rhizomes.

339
00:16:40,033 --> 00:16:42,000
So we have to be back out 
in six months

340
00:16:42,100 --> 00:16:44,533
or a year retreating 
the regrowth

341
00:16:44,633 --> 00:16:46,866
or otherwise we'll be 
in the exact same position

342
00:16:46,966 --> 00:16:49,600
we were before we treated it.

343
00:16:49,700 --> 00:16:50,900
CHARLES: 
Why don't we go out 
and check out some

344
00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:52,266
of this lygodium?

345
00:16:52,366 --> 00:16:58,566
(♪♪♪♪♪)

346
00:16:58,666 --> 00:17:01,066
CHARLES: 
So, this stuff kind of stinks.

347
00:17:01,166 --> 00:17:02,133
Yeah, there's--

348
00:17:02,233 --> 00:17:04,300
It definitely has 
its own unique smell.

349
00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:08,400
And there's so much of it, 
it can be overwhelming.

350
00:17:08,500 --> 00:17:10,466
But you can see that this plant 
can grow both

351
00:17:10,566 --> 00:17:11,966
down on the ground,

352
00:17:12,066 --> 00:17:15,433
and then, all the way up 
into the canopy of the trees.

353
00:17:15,533 --> 00:17:17,500
And that is really one 
of the reasons

354
00:17:17,600 --> 00:17:19,566
that it's so damaging.

355
00:17:19,666 --> 00:17:22,833
Because you can see how densely 
it grows here--

356
00:17:22,933 --> 00:17:24,200
CHARLES: 
Wow.

357
00:17:24,300 --> 00:17:27,633
REBEKAH: 
Preventing access to the 
tree island from any wildlife.

358
00:17:27,733 --> 00:17:30,366
Eventually, it can cover 
all the native vegetation.

359
00:17:30,466 --> 00:17:33,166
You can see it's trying 
to start out, crowd out some

360
00:17:33,266 --> 00:17:34,800
of the native ferns here.

361
00:17:34,900 --> 00:17:37,700
Ultimately, all of the native 
vegetation would die.

362
00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:41,333
And you would just be left with 
thick mats of lygodium.

363
00:17:44,066 --> 00:17:48,766
Here in this tree behind us, 
you can see both live and dead,

364
00:17:48,866 --> 00:17:50,500
the brown lygodium.

365
00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:53,866
Basically creating a ladder 
into the top of that tree.

366
00:17:53,966 --> 00:17:57,133
So naturally the fire would 
not get into the tops

367
00:17:57,233 --> 00:17:58,166
of the trees.

368
00:17:58,266 --> 00:18:00,266
But the lygodium has now 
provided fuel

369
00:18:00,366 --> 00:18:01,733
all the way to the crown of 
the trees,

370
00:18:01,833 --> 00:18:05,966
which can actually kill 
the trees during a natural fire.

371
00:18:06,066 --> 00:18:09,166
So once the lygodium kills 
a tree island,

372
00:18:09,266 --> 00:18:11,833
what does that mean 
for the refuge?

373
00:18:11,933 --> 00:18:14,633
REBEKAH: 
Well, in Loxahatchee, 
it means a lot.

374
00:18:14,733 --> 00:18:16,700
There's a lot 
of ecological implications.

375
00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:20,233
One thing is that the habitat 
here in Lox,

376
00:18:20,333 --> 00:18:22,933
we have the highest density 
of tree islands throughout

377
00:18:23,033 --> 00:18:24,533
the entire Everglades.

378
00:18:24,633 --> 00:18:27,733
So losing our tree islands 
changes

379
00:18:27,833 --> 00:18:31,800
the fundamental structure of 
this refuge.

380
00:18:31,900 --> 00:18:34,600
And then, 
from a wildlife perspective,

381
00:18:34,700 --> 00:18:37,400
the wildlife in the Everglades 
depend really heavily

382
00:18:37,500 --> 00:18:41,400
on the tree islands, because 
it is the only upland area in,

383
00:18:41,500 --> 00:18:42,800
you know-- 
CHARLES: 
That they can forage--

384
00:18:42,900 --> 00:18:44,833
REBEKAH: 
...vast acres of water.

385
00:18:44,933 --> 00:18:47,100
And so the deer are dependent 
upon them.

386
00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:48,900
Alligators nest on them.

387
00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:52,533
You know, wading birds roost 
and nest on them as well.

388
00:18:52,633 --> 00:18:55,166
So without the tree islands, 
we would see a collapse

389
00:18:55,266 --> 00:18:57,366
in our wildlife population, 
because they depend

390
00:18:57,466 --> 00:18:59,000
so heavily upon these islands.

391
00:18:59,100 --> 00:19:02,200
The lygodium renders them 
basically useless

392
00:19:02,300 --> 00:19:04,000
for our wildlife. 
Yeah.

393
00:19:07,933 --> 00:19:11,133
NARRATOR: 
A short airboat ride soon 
reveals other invasive plants

394
00:19:11,233 --> 00:19:13,366
wreaking environmental havoc.

395
00:19:13,466 --> 00:19:16,266
Fighting this battle requires 
an army of government

396
00:19:16,366 --> 00:19:19,400
and non-profit agencies working 
together.

397
00:19:21,500 --> 00:19:23,833
Biologist 
Kristina Serbesoff-King

398
00:19:23,933 --> 00:19:25,400
of The Nature Conservancy

399
00:19:25,500 --> 00:19:28,200
specializes 
in invasive species,

400
00:19:28,300 --> 00:19:32,333
including the melaleuca tree, 
an import from Australia.

401
00:19:32,433 --> 00:19:34,000
The seed capsules look nothing 
like that.

402
00:19:34,100 --> 00:19:35,500
They're so like 
maybe fewer of them.

403
00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:36,733
Right.

404
00:19:36,833 --> 00:19:39,133
NARRATOR: 
Originally imported as a 
decorative tree,

405
00:19:39,233 --> 00:19:42,533
it's enormous capacity 
for absorbing water was once

406
00:19:42,633 --> 00:19:45,700
considered a way to dry out 
the Everglades.

407
00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:47,766
The one gentleman got a lot 
of seeds.

408
00:19:47,866 --> 00:19:50,833
It was a nursery here in Davie, 
Florida, and actually went up

409
00:19:50,933 --> 00:19:53,233
in the 1930s, 
flew over the Everglades,

410
00:19:53,333 --> 00:19:55,100
and sprinkled seeds out 
of his plane.

411
00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:57,366
So that's one of the biggest 
introductions,

412
00:19:57,466 --> 00:19:59,200
which is probably what caused 
you know, a larger number

413
00:19:59,300 --> 00:20:01,066
of seeds to be out 
close to each,

414
00:20:01,166 --> 00:20:03,633
and allowed these plants to 
really wildly reproduce.

415
00:20:04,633 --> 00:20:08,500
NARRATOR: 
Today, melaleuca has spread 
all the way north to Orlando.

416
00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:12,066
Dense stands of trees have 
choked wide open marshes,

417
00:20:12,166 --> 00:20:14,633
making it harder for birds 
to find food.

418
00:20:15,633 --> 00:20:19,100
Scientists are harnessing 
many tools to fight back.

419
00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:21,066
KRISTINA: 
A lot of what we do,

420
00:20:21,166 --> 00:20:23,633
in invasive plant control or 
weed control across the world,

421
00:20:23,733 --> 00:20:25,233
is called "Integrated 
Pest Management".

422
00:20:25,333 --> 00:20:27,366
So we're trying to find 
a whole bunch of different ways.

423
00:20:27,466 --> 00:20:29,766
So we'll cut 'em, 
we treat em' with herbicides,

424
00:20:29,866 --> 00:20:32,300
we try to find natural 
predators like the insects,

425
00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:34,766
biological controls that 
we can release on 'em.

426
00:20:34,866 --> 00:20:36,600
Thinking that all of those 
pressures together

427
00:20:36,700 --> 00:20:38,566
can help us reduce 
the population.

428
00:20:38,666 --> 00:20:40,200
So Kris, I have a personal 
experience

429
00:20:40,300 --> 00:20:41,766
with the melaleuca.

430
00:20:41,866 --> 00:20:45,800
Back in my twenties, 
I was a member of

431
00:20:45,900 --> 00:20:47,933
the Everglades Restoration 
Movement.

432
00:20:48,033 --> 00:20:52,400
And we were just tired of 
the talk, and talk, and talk

433
00:20:52,500 --> 00:20:54,033
about the restoring 
the Everglades.

434
00:20:54,133 --> 00:20:57,566
And we decided that 
all we wanted was action.

435
00:20:57,666 --> 00:21:00,966
We weren't going to lobby, 
we weren't going to raise funds.

436
00:21:01,066 --> 00:21:02,300
On the weekends, because 
we were you know,

437
00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:03,933
weekend warriors.

438
00:21:04,033 --> 00:21:06,700
We were cutting 
tens of thousands melaleuca

439
00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:09,266
from plucking them out of the 
you know, the ground

440
00:21:09,366 --> 00:21:11,200
the little-- 
to cutting trees that were

441
00:21:11,300 --> 00:21:12,600
this big around, you know.

442
00:21:12,700 --> 00:21:16,700
After 10 years, we saw some 
very dramatic things.

443
00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:19,566
We saw, the sponge-like affect.

444
00:21:19,666 --> 00:21:23,466
We saw waters actually returning 
as the trees dropped,

445
00:21:23,566 --> 00:21:28,033
water tables rose and the 
glades took on its normal look.

446
00:21:34,333 --> 00:21:37,033
NARRATOR: 
Wetlands aren't the only 
places reshaped

447
00:21:37,133 --> 00:21:38,933
by invasive plants.

448
00:21:39,033 --> 00:21:43,066
Drier landscapes can be infested 
by Brazilian pepper.

449
00:21:43,166 --> 00:21:45,400
Imported for its 
bright red berries,

450
00:21:45,500 --> 00:21:48,033
these fast-spreading, 
dense trees crowd out

451
00:21:48,133 --> 00:21:50,500
native species.

452
00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:52,166
It creates a dense 
monoculture, which means

453
00:21:52,266 --> 00:21:54,800
when it grows, it grows so 
tightly that

454
00:21:54,900 --> 00:21:56,100
the only plant found

455
00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:58,166
in the entire area 
is Brazilian pepper.

456
00:21:58,266 --> 00:22:00,800
So there's no diversity, 
there's no other plants

457
00:22:00,900 --> 00:22:03,433
that are growing underneath it 
or amongst it

458
00:22:03,533 --> 00:22:04,900
and so-- you know, 
that creates

459
00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:08,366
a lot of different things, 
it shades out our native plants

460
00:22:08,466 --> 00:22:10,466
but also our wildlife, 
you know aren't quite--

461
00:22:10,566 --> 00:22:13,066
It's not the food 
they necessarily need or want.

462
00:22:13,166 --> 00:22:15,266
And so we've really changed 
that whole system to something

463
00:22:15,366 --> 00:22:17,266
that's not as desirable.

464
00:22:17,366 --> 00:22:19,900
NARRATOR: 
Once considered a way to 
beautify Florida,

465
00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:23,433
invasive plants now pose 
a never-ending threat.

466
00:22:23,533 --> 00:22:26,666
Only constant vigilance 
and on-going funding

467
00:22:26,766 --> 00:22:29,066
will keep them under control.

468
00:22:29,166 --> 00:22:34,066
Old world climbing ferns, 
melaleuca, quin-- quinaria,

469
00:22:34,166 --> 00:22:36,300
you know, Brazilian pepper these 
problems are gonna be with us

470
00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:38,400
for a long time aren't they?

471
00:22:38,500 --> 00:22:39,633
Yes.

472
00:22:39,733 --> 00:22:43,366
You know, it's not all dismal 
though, we've got a quite

473
00:22:43,466 --> 00:22:45,600
a great group of people out here 
working on it.

474
00:22:45,700 --> 00:22:47,666
We have tools that we can 
employ,

475
00:22:47,766 --> 00:22:49,600
there's additional science and 
research going on.

476
00:22:49,700 --> 00:22:51,166
But they will be with us for 
a long time.

477
00:22:51,266 --> 00:22:53,033
I mean, they're gonna be 
with us forever.

478
00:22:53,133 --> 00:22:54,700
And we have to think of them 
that way,

479
00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:56,733
that even when we get 'em to low 
levels,

480
00:22:56,833 --> 00:22:58,133
we need continued funding

481
00:22:58,233 --> 00:22:59,300
and we're gonna have to be 
out here,

482
00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:00,766
you know, 
keeping that maintenance,

483
00:23:00,866 --> 00:23:03,133
keeping 'em at a low level, 
so that the wildlife can thrive.

484
00:23:03,233 --> 00:23:04,933
So which one do you fear 
the most?

485
00:23:05,033 --> 00:23:06,100
Right, good question.

486
00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:07,233
So of those three?

487
00:23:07,333 --> 00:23:08,933
None of 'em, 
it's the next one.

488
00:23:09,033 --> 00:23:11,933
Every one of those came in 
for some purposeful introduction

489
00:23:12,033 --> 00:23:14,300
which kinda gives an insight 
if we could really look

490
00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:16,200
at the next one to prevent 
and there's good science

491
00:23:16,300 --> 00:23:18,766
or predictive science 
on how a plant becomes invasive,

492
00:23:18,866 --> 00:23:21,366
what characteristics 
make it invasive.

493
00:23:21,466 --> 00:23:23,000
We could predict 
the next one and keep it from

494
00:23:23,100 --> 00:23:24,900
having to battle that one 
the next time.

495
00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:26,133
I guess our fight continues.

496
00:23:26,233 --> 00:23:27,333
Yeah.

497
00:23:27,433 --> 00:23:34,666
(♪♪♪♪♪)

498
00:23:34,766 --> 00:23:37,366
NARRATOR: 
Florida's tropical waters 
have also become home

499
00:23:37,466 --> 00:23:39,733
to invasive fish species,

500
00:23:39,833 --> 00:23:43,500
now threatening delicate 
marine environments.

501
00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:45,933
The lionfish, 
native to South Pacific

502
00:23:46,033 --> 00:23:48,600
and Indian oceans, 
is a vicious predator

503
00:23:48,700 --> 00:23:50,766
of native reef fish.

504
00:23:50,866 --> 00:23:55,766
These invaders target local fish 
species which graze on algae.

505
00:23:55,866 --> 00:23:59,933
Losing these important grazers 
may cause algae to overgrow

506
00:24:00,033 --> 00:24:04,866
coral reefs and reduce habitat 
for corals and sponges.

507
00:24:04,966 --> 00:24:07,933
So far, only a few lionfish 
have appeared

508
00:24:08,033 --> 00:24:11,200
in the protected waters 
of Florida Bay.

509
00:24:11,300 --> 00:24:15,433
Scientists are carefully 
monitoring and removing lionfish

510
00:24:15,533 --> 00:24:17,766
from the park waters.

511
00:24:17,866 --> 00:24:21,200
Snorkel and diving enthusiasts 
have also been encouraged

512
00:24:21,300 --> 00:24:24,400
to hunt lionfish by netting 
or spearing.

513
00:24:24,500 --> 00:24:30,466
(♪♪♪♪♪)

514
00:24:30,566 --> 00:24:33,766
NARRATOR: 
The Everglade's intricate web 
of unique ecosystems

515
00:24:33,866 --> 00:24:36,700
has given rise 
to an irreplaceable diversity

516
00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:38,433
of plants and animals.

517
00:24:38,533 --> 00:24:40,966
Now, it's increasingly 
under pressure

518
00:24:41,066 --> 00:24:43,000
by invasive intruders.

519
00:24:43,100 --> 00:24:45,300
But what can be done?

520
00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:50,533
While dozens of government 
and non-profit agencies

521
00:24:50,633 --> 00:24:52,500
are battling invasives,

522
00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:56,733
environmental experts recommend 
these helpful steps:

523
00:24:56,833 --> 00:25:00,600
Don't release unwanted 
exotic pets into the wild,

524
00:25:00,700 --> 00:25:02,266
turn them in to agencies like

525
00:25:02,366 --> 00:25:05,700
the Florida Fish and Wildlife 
Conservation Commission.

526
00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:08,733
Check boat trailer, 
hulls, and propellers,

527
00:25:08,833 --> 00:25:11,966
or hiking boots 
for invasive intruders.

528
00:25:12,066 --> 00:25:16,066
Replace invasive yard plants 
with native species.

529
00:25:16,166 --> 00:25:21,000
And report invasive plants 
and animals at ivegot1.org.

530
00:25:21,100 --> 00:25:23,900
There's even a free app 
for smartphones.

531
00:25:27,100 --> 00:25:31,366
CHARLES: 
Original Florida, 
native Florida was blessed

532
00:25:31,466 --> 00:25:35,600
with incredible biodiversity 
and breathtaking beauty.

533
00:25:35,700 --> 00:25:38,233
But invasive exotic plants 
and animals

534
00:25:38,333 --> 00:25:41,166
have started to cost us 
that heritage.

535
00:25:41,266 --> 00:25:45,333
We need to act quickly 
and need to act aggressively.

536
00:25:45,433 --> 00:25:49,033
If not, we stand to lose 
all of this.

537
00:25:49,133 --> 00:25:55,133
(♪♪♪♪♪)

538
00:25:56,500 --> 00:26:16,466
(♪♪♪♪♪)

539
00:26:16,566 --> 00:26:36,566
(♪♪♪♪♪)