We are all aware that Naples is located in Collier County in Southwest Florida, but how much do you really know about them? For instance, did you know that according to the U.S. Census Bureau there are a total of 2,305 square miles (or almost 1.5 million acres) in the county, making it the second largest county in the state of Florida. Of this total, 2,025 square miles, or almost 88%, is land with the remaining 280 square miles being water.
The county has 4 national protected areas:
Big Cypress National Preserve: It makes up most of the entire southeastern portion of the county and it is one of the first national preserves in the United States National Park System when it was established in 1974. Consisting of over 720,000 acres, the preserve is governed by the National Park Service. It is the home of numerous wildlife such as alligators, the Florida Panther, Florida Black Bear, as well as to nine federally listed endangered species including the West Indian Manatee and the Florida Sandhill Crane.
Everglades National Park: Extending into the southern part of the county, it is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. Established in 1934 to protect the quickly vanishing Everglades and dedicated in 1947, more than 350 species of birds, 300 species of fresh and saltwater fish, 50 species of reptiles and 40 species of mammals call the park home. The park is also the habitat for 36 species designated as threatened or protected including the Florida Panther, American Crocodile and West Indian Manatee. It also contains the largest mangrove ecosystem in the western hemisphere. Situated in three Florida counties, the entire park consists of roughly 1.5 million acres.
Florida Panther Natural Wildlife Refuge: These 26,400 acres are part of the U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System and are located east of Naples and entirely within Collier County. Established in 1989 under the Endangered Species Act by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the main purpose of which is to protect the only cougar species found east of the Mississippi River, the Florida Panther. However the refuge is also home to fox squirrels, bobcats, Florida Black Bears, alligators and wood storks.
Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge: Situated 20 miles southeast of Naples, the number of these islands and mangrove islets in the refuge is actually...http://chrisanddick.wordpress.com
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