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Unique, Rare and Endangered Species of Florida Everglades Highlighted on Stamps

Posted on: Wednesday, 4 October 2006, 12:00 CDT

NAPLES, Fla., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- To raise awareness of the diverse species inhabiting the fragile environment of the world's largest subtropical marshland -- the Florida Everglades -- the U.S. Postal Service dedicated the Nature of America: Southern Florida Wetland stamp pane and stamped postal cards today. The stamps and cards depict strikingly beautiful images of 21 plants and animals found in southern Florida wetland areas. The stamp pane, which can be used as a "flash card," has information on the back listing common and scientific names (attached).

The ceremony took place at the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens against a backdrop of many of the plants and creatures depicted on the sheet. The sheet of 10 First-Class 39-cent stamps, available for $3.90, and 10 stamped postal cards selling for $7.95, are available in Naples Post Offices today, and nationwide, Thursday, Oct. 5.

"The Southern Florida Wetland stamps celebrate a primeval environment, a fragile meeting ground of land and water that is home to a fantastic array of life, including rare and endangered species such as the American crocodile, Florida panther and Cape Sable seaside sparrow," said Anthony Vegliante, Chief Human Resources Officer and Executive Vice President, U.S. Postal Service.

Joining Vegliante in the dedication was President of the Naples Zoo Board of Directors Larry Richardson.

"It is exciting to be able to see southern Florida portrayed in such beautiful artwork," said Richardson. "So many of these stamps feature endangered or rare creatures and plants, so now when people get to behold these stamps they will also be seeing something to cherish and save for future generations."

Special guests included Zoo Director David Tetzlaff and his brother, Tim, current zoo operators and sons of the zoo's founders, Larry and Nancy Jane Tetzlaff, and 200 elementary school students.

The students encountered most of the species shown on the stamp pane by participating in a "Zoo Safari" hosted by: Big Cypress National Preserve, Collier County Audubon Society, Collier County Environmental Services Department, Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Corkscrew Swamp Audubon Sanctuary, Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed Land and Water Trust, Everglades National Park, Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Florida Wildlife Federation, Friends of the Florida Panther Refuge, the J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Naples Botanical Garden, National Wildlife Federation, Rookery Bay Estuarine Research Reserve, Safari Club and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Stamp artist John D. Dawson, an internationally-known wildlife artist from Hilo, HI, consulted with scientists and devoted countless hours to research, field observations and specimen studies to create this spectacular artwork. The seven other panes in the Nature of America commemorative stamp series, also illustrated by Dawson, include: Sonoran Desert (1999), Pacific Coast Rain Forest (2000), Great Plains Prairie (2001), Longleaf Pine Forest (2002), Arctic Tundra (2003), Pacific Coral Reef (2004) and Northeast Deciduous Forest (2005).

Wetlands are places where shallow water constantly saturates the soil or regularly covers it, and are characterized by life-forms that differ from those of nearby highlands. They can take the form of marshes, swamps, bogs, strands and forests near water. Each is defined by the dominant vegetation, average water level and salinity of the water. The seasonal ebb and flow of water determines the kinds of life-forms found in a wetland. In southern Florida, plants and animals are well adapted to water-level changes that correspond to alternating wet and dry seasons. Although some species require freshwater habitats, others are more salt tolerant.

The subtropical wetlands of southern Florida are remnants of a great wilderness that, until a century ago, stretched unbroken, for hundreds of miles. They still include some of the most extensive saw grass marshes and mangrove swamps in the world -- wetlands that support a remarkable number of species. The stamp pane depicts a wetland community where freshwater blends with salt water along the coast, and so the art includes both freshwater and coastal species.

Much of southern Florida's natural wealth is protected in several major conservation areas, including Everglades National Park, a 1.5-million-acre wilderness preserve noted for vast marshes and mangrove swamps. The park officially opened in 1947, the same year pioneering conservationist Marjory Stoneman Douglas first published her best-selling book, The Everglades: River of Grass. The word "river" refers to the shallow body of water that slowly flows through the marshes toward the coast. The "grass" is primarily saw grass, a sharp-edged member of the sedge family.

Insects, such as dragonflies and butterflies, thrive in the wetlands of southern Florida, along with hundreds of species of birds. Great egrets, wood storks, white ibises, roseate spoonbills and other wading birds feast on fish, frogs and other small animals. Eagles hunt from above, along with snail kites, an endangered species dependent on large, colorful apple snails for food. Cape Sable seaside sparrows, an extremely rare species, weave nests a few inches above the ground and survive on seeds and insects.

Reptiles in the region include the American alligator, which is typically found in marshes, swamps, ponds and other wetland areas of nine southern states. The American crocodile is found only in southernmost Florida, primarily in brackish and salt water areas of the Everglades and Florida Keys. On the stamp pane, a young alligator eyes several spoonbills while a crocodile basks at the water's edge. An indigo snake can be seen in the foreground.

The Florida panther, one of the rarest animals shown on the stamp pane, is a long-tailed cat reaching more than six feet in length. It preys on deer and smaller animals found in elevated areas. Another long-tailed mammal, the Everglades mink, inhabits freshwater shores and has a diet that includes birds, rodents, frogs and fish.

A variety of trees flourish on natural rises known as hammocks. Examples include royal palms and West Indian mahoganies, whose crowns filter sunlight and provide the indirect lighting favored by orchids and bromeliads. More trees border coastal areas, especially in the southwest. On the stamp pane, the exposed roots of salt-tolerant mangroves shelter marine organisms and help stabilize the shores of this unique and fragile land.

How to Order First-Day-of-Issue Postmark

Customers have 30 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark either by mail or by visiting Naples' Post Offices. They may purchase new stamps at The Postal Store Web site at http://www.usps.com/shop, by telephone at +1-800-STAMP-24 and at their local Post Office. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes, to themselves or others, and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

SOUTHERN FLORIDA WETLAND STAMPS POSTMASTER NAPLES MAIN POST OFFICE 1200 GOODLETTE RD N NAPLES FL 34102-9998

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by Nov. 3, 2006.

How to Order First-Day Covers

Stamp Fulfillment Services also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first day of issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling +1-800-STAMP-24 or writing to:

INFORMATION FULFILLMENT DEPT 6270 US POSTAL SERVICE PO BOX 219014 KANSAS CITY MO 64121-9014 Philatelic Products This stamp issue has five philatelic products: * Item 567462, First-Day Cover (Full Pane) - $6.40. * Item 567464, Canceled Full Pane - $6.40. * Item 567466, Stamped Postal Cards - $7.95. * Item 567484, Uncut Press Sheet - $31.20. * Item 567493, Cancellation Keepsake (Pane w/Full Pane First-Day Cover) - $10.30.

Since 1775, the United States Postal Service and its predecessor, the Post Office Department, have connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail. An independent federal agency that visits more than 144 million homes and businesses every day, the Postal Service is the only service provider delivering to every address in the nation. It receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of $70 billion, it is the world's leading provider of mailing and delivery services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. The U.S. Postal Service delivers more than 46 percent of the world's mail volume -- some 212 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year -- and serves ten million customers each day at its 37,000 retail locations nationwide.

Nature of America: Southern Florida Wetland educational material on the back of the stamp pane

A description of the wetland and a numbered key to the artwork appear on the back of the stamp pane along with a corresponding list of common and scientific names for the species.

"The subtropical wetlands of southern Florida are remnants of a great wilderness that stretched, unbroken, for hundreds of miles until about a century ago. They still include some of the most extensive saw grass marshes and mangrove swamps in the world -- wetlands that support a remarkable number of species.

"In southern Florida, plants and animals are well adapted to water-level changes that correspond to alternating wet and dry seasons. Although some species require freshwater habitats, others are more salt tolerant. This stamp pane depicts a wetland community where freshwater mingles with salt water along the coast, and so the art includes both freshwater and coastal species.

"Much of southern Florida's natural wealth is protected in Everglades National Park, a 1.5-million-acre preserve noted for its vast marshes and mangrove swamps. The park's wetlands are home to hundreds of bird species and such rare creatures as the Florida panther and Everglades mink. Its wetlands are also havens for the elusive American crocodile and the more common American alligator -- such as the youngster eyeing spoonbills at the center of the scene."

1. Royal Palm (Roystonea regia) 2. Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) 3. American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) 4. Everglades Mink (Mustela vison) 5. Saw Grass (Cladium jamaicense) 6. West Indian Mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni) 7. Great Egret (Ardea alba) 8. Halloween Pennant Dragonfly (Celithemis eponina) 9. Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus) 10. Wood Stork (Mycteria Americana) 11. Roseate Spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja) 12. American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) 13. Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) 14. Florida Panther (Puma concolor) 15. Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charitonius) 16. Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon corais) 17. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 18. Giant Wild Pine (Tillandsia utriculata) 19. White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) 20. Cowhorn Orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum) 21. Leafy Vanilla Orchid (Vanilla phaeantha)

U.S. Postal Service

CONTACT: Mark Saunders of the U.S. Postal Service, +1-202-268-6524,Cell: +1-202-320-0782, mark.r.saunders@usps.gov

Web site: http://www.usps.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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