It seems we’ve been locked in the urban gridlock so long, we’ve lost the ability to recognize wild places any longer ---especially when the wilderness is in our midst, as it is on Virginia Key.
In just over 100 years, Miami went from “a city with ‘too much nature’ to one where nature has been marginalized,” according the Miami Parks and Public Spaces Master Plan. The plan identifies Virginia Key as one of those last wild places.
The island’s wilderness doesn’t reveal itself on a drive-by along the Rickenbacker Causeway, though from the peak of the bridge you can glimpse the green heart of the place. But, when 700 of the island’s 1,000 acres is the state-designated Sadowski Critical Wildlife Area, you can bet it’s there.
It’s also something that should be nurtured and protected, according to the city’s parks masterplan. Here’s why:
For much of its early history the wilderness surrounding Miami was treated as an obstacle to progress: The Everglades needed to be filled in and tamed as soon as possible so that the city could grow and prosper.....Today, however, Miami may be unique among American cities, with a continuous urban grid surrounded by near-wilderness, the protected Everglades and Biscayne national parks. From the “river of grass” at the west to the shining waters of Biscayne Bay at the east, these dramatic contrasts have always been an important part of the image of Miami, celebrated in postcard views of the skyline from the bay and alligators swimming in the Everglades. It is a theme that can and should be celebrated throughout the park system.”
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