Part 9/10:
With the advent of drug trafficking in the 1980s, community members faced legal and moral dilemmas profoundly at odds with the legacy of their forebears. Nonetheless, after the significant law enforcement crackdowns, the community gradually stabilized and found a new pathway focusing on tourism and preserving their ecosystem.
Towards Renewal
Today, Everglades City and Chokoloskee Island stand as remarkable destinations, redefining themselves from mere outposts to attractive spots for visitors seeking adventure and immersion in nature. A sliver of the old company town remains, but there’s an acknowledgment that the landscapes have irrevocably changed, not just ecologically but culturally and economically.