The Lake Wales Ridge

To begin, what is an Ecosystem?

The Lake Wales Ridge is the spine of Ancient Florida.

It runs right down the middle of the State for about 100 miles.

Millions of years ago, after the Seas rose due to Glacial melting,

Florida became a chain of Islands, when the seas receded,

the Islands became the Peninsula that is now Florida.

When they were Islands, they were a most unique Ecosystem,

unlike any other in America, perhaps the world.

These Islands became the Lake Wales Ridge.

Species of plants and animals who once had been

confined by the water, now were free to spread out.

Apparently most of them did not go too far,

 as many of them can still be found here on the Ridge.

We still have in this part of Florida,

a cluster of Species not to be found elsewhere.

If you are new to Florida and want to see the

Lake Wales Ridge, it is not difficult.

Just get on Hi-way 27 near Clermont and go

in either direction for the length of it, which

 is a total of about one hundred and fifty miles.

The Ridge is the highest elevation in the Florida,

a breathtaking 295 feet, but it is quite a remarkable

place and reveals just a glimpse of what it may

have been like here a million years ago.