Okefenokee facts for kids

The Okefenokee Swamp is a huge, watery wetland found across the border of Georgia and Florida in the United States. It's not just any swamp; it's also a special National Wildlife Refuge and a U.S. wilderness area, meaning it's protected for nature.

This amazing place covers about 438,000 acres (1,770 km²). It's filled with a spongy material called peat and is known as the biggest "blackwater" swamp in North America. The name "Okefenokee" comes from a Native American language and means "land of trembling earth," which is a great way to describe how some parts of the swamp can feel! In 1974, it was named a National Natural Landmark, and it's even considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia.

The Okefenokee Swamp formed over 6,500 years ago. It grew in a shallow bowl-shaped area that was once part of an ancient coastline. A slightly higher strip of land called Trail Ridge borders the swamp. This ridge might have been old sand dunes or an island long ago. Most of the swamp's water, about 90%, flows into the Suwanee River, which then travels southwest all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

History of the Okefenokee Swamp

The Okefenokee has a rich history, from its early residents to attempts to change it.

Early Residents: The Swampers

For a long time, people known as "Swampers" lived in the Okefenokee. Most of these residents had English backgrounds. Because they lived in such an isolated area, they kept using old Elizabethan English words and ways of speaking well into the 1900s.

Attempts to Drain the Swamp

In the late 1800s, a large ditch called the Suwanee Canal was dug across the swamp. The idea was to try and drain the Okefenokee, but this effort failed. After the company that dug the canal went out of business, a family from Philadelphia, the Hebards, bought most of the swamp. They harvested cypress trees from 1909 to 1927. Other logging companies also built railroad lines into the swamp until 1942. You can still see some remains of these old railroads in the swamp's waterways today.

Protecting the Okefenokee

Today, most of the Okefenokee Swamp is part of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. This refuge covers about 403,000 acres (1630 km²) and helps protect the swamp's unique environment and the animals that live there. The Okefenokee Swamp Alliance is a group dedicated to making sure this amazing swamp stays preserved for the future.

Wildfires in the Okefenokee

Wildfires can sometimes happen in the Okefenokee Swamp, often started by natural events like lightning.

The 2007 Wildfire

One large wildfire started on May 5, 2007, when lightning struck near the center of the Refuge. This fire later joined with another fire that began on April 16 near Waycross, Georgia, when a tree fell on a power line. By May 31, a huge area of more than 600,000 acres (935 square miles) had burned in the region. These fires are a natural part of the swamp's ecosystem, but they can be very large.

Images for kids

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  Aerial view of wetlands in Okefenokee

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  One of the canals in the Okefenokee Swamp

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  Map of Okefenokee Swamp

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  An American alligator lounges on a log in the Okefenokee Swamp.