In recent years, the Burmese python has gotten a lot of attention as the non-native, highly invasive, and rapidly proliferating species wreaking havoc on the Everglades ecosystem. But what if something else has been unleashed into the ‘Glades, something even scarier than a giant snake? That’s the terrifying question that local author Tom McGrath asks in his new novel, The Corridor. Without spoiling the reveal, I can say that although this is a work of fiction, the premise is all too real.
The Everglades
Once covering nearly 11,000 square miles (over 7 million acres), the Everglades is often compared to a grassy slow-moving river. Stretching over much of southern Florida, untold numbers of different species of plant and animal life representing both temperate and tropical climates once flourished within its mangroves and marshes. By the early 1900’s, however, the drainage process that transformed wetland to developable land had begun to severely damage the Everglades ecosystem and the species it supported. In 1947, with support of many early conservationists, scientists, and other advocates, Everglades National Park was established to conserve the natural landscape and prevent further degradation of its land, plants, and animals.
Everglades National Park: Enduring but Still Endangered
Currently the Everglades National Park is a 1.5-million-acre wetlands preserve made up of coastal mangroves, sawgrass marshes, and pine flatwoods. Its size is diminished but it’s still teeming with plant and animal life, including a number of legally protected species like the Cape Sable thoroughwort and the Florida bristle, as well as alligators, roseate spoonbills, endangered leatherback turtles, Florida panthers, and West Indian manatees. As the National Park Service notes, “The optimal growing conditions that are prevalent throughout south Florida foster a lush growth of plant life that sustains a diverse complex of flora.” Unfortunately, the landmark legislation establishing the park slowed but did not completely eliminate potential dangers. Today, the Everglades continue to be threatened by numerous forces including the effects of climate change, agricultural runoff, and the introduction of non-native plants and animals.
The Corridor Introduces a New Danger!
As the National Park Service reports, non-native species typically lack natural predators so they can outcompete native species. They can multiply unchecked while using up valuable resources such as sunlight, water and nutrients. Native species suffer from this intense competition. Plus exotic introductions, like the Burmese Python, can pose grave danger to humans. But, those pythons aren’t the only invasive species wreaking havoc on the Florida Everglades as a result of Florida’s exotic pet trade. The Corridor’s author, Tom McGrath, builds on that reality to spin a compelling eco-suspense story. His goal was to “tell a good story” that had “meaning beyond simple adventure.” To do this, The Corridor introduces readers to a group of investigators, including a biologist, a park ranger, a museum reconstructor, and two journalists as they head deep into the Everglades looking to solve the mystery of a dangerous new addition to the Park, while politicians and opportunists try to turn the situation to their advantage. As a longtime (now-retired) professor of Biology and a principle investigator for the long-running Bahamian Reef Survey, McGrath has the scientific background to tackle this subject but he also has the storytelling ability to make it into a good yarn.
The Corridor is available to borrow from local libraries and to purchase at Haslam’s Book store as well as online retailers. McGrath is also available to speak at local schools or book groups. Connect with him at [email protected].
