Across the Everglades, Again
Paddling coast to coast, a scientist tracks an 1897 expedition — and new contaminants
When University of Florida scientist Tracie Baker set off on a canoe journey across Florida, she was both making history and recreating it.
Baker was part of the Willoughby Expedition, which traced the 1897 journey of explorer Hugh L. Willoughby from the Gulf Coast across the Everglades. Emerging in Miami after 7 days and 130 miles of paddling, Baker became the first non-Indigenous woman to complete the coast-to-coast trek. Analysis of the samples she took along the way will shed light on the health of the Everglades, which support not only native species but tourism and fishing, as well as providing storm protection and fresh water for millions of Floridians.
01 / 06
1
Squeezing into canoes stuffed with gear and lab equipment, the explorers headed inland on the Harney River, paddling past manatees and sharks.
2
Each night, after up to 12 hours of paddling, Baker, an environmental toxicologist in UF's College of Public Health and Health Professions, cleaned her collecting gear and prepared the next day’s sampling equipment before taking refuge from swarms of mosquitoes. The upside? "Seeing sunsets and sunrises from horizon to horizon, and the beautiful stars at night."
3
Along with repeating Willoughby's water chemistry tests, Baker sampled for contaminants unknown in his time, from pesticides and PFAS “forever chemicals” to traces of personal care products and pharmaceuticals.
4
In the most remote areas, the explorers had to fight their way through thick sawgrass, trying to follow airboat trails.
"A wrong turn could have cost us days."
5
As the team emerged into the Tamiami Canal, local students joined the expedition for two and a half days of hands-on science lessons. The explorers also gave virtual talks to Miami-Dade and Palm Beach County students throughout the week.
6
When Baker (pictured with expedition teammate and UF graduate Harvey Oyer III) arrived in Miami, the 130-mile journey was done, but the science was just beginning. With other UF researchers, she's evaluating the samples for antibiotic-resistance genes and environmental DNA from endangered and invasive species, along with potential contaminants.
Sampling and analysis funded by UF and Florida Power and Light.