Priority Mail : Florida Everglades Forever Stamp 2023
Stamp Details:
- Part of the American Landmarks Series
- Honors the Florida Everglades
- Covers the $9.65 Priority Mail rate
- Issued without a First Day Ceremony
Purpose of the Stamp:
This stamp was issued to cover the Priority Mail rate, celebrating the iconic and ecologically significant Florida Everglades.
Design Insights:
The artwork, created by Dan Cosgrove, is a stunning digital illustration based on photographs. It showcases a sawgrass marsh at sunset, featuring cypress trees, a great egret in flight, and a great blue heron fishing in the shallows. An American alligator is partially submerged, while in the background, a flock of roseate spoonbills and other waterbirds take flight over the marsh, capturing the vibrant and diverse wildlife of the Everglades.
Issuance Information:
Though Homestead, Florida, was the designated First Day City, the stamp was released without a formal First Day of Issue Ceremony.
About the American Landmarks Series:
The American Landmarks Series began in 2008 with the release of stamps depicting Mount Rushmore and Hoover Dam. Since then, nearly every year has seen the addition of two new stamps, all featuring vivid digital illustrations by Dan Cosgrove. These stamps offer a visual tour of some of America's most iconic landmarks.
Historical Significance:
The Florida Everglades are a renowned natural area in the southeastern United States. Originating near Orlando at the Kissimmee River, the Everglades flow through Lake Okeechobee and continue south to the Florida Bay. Designated a Wetland Area of Global Importance by UNESCO in the 1970s, the Everglades have been the focus of extensive conservation efforts.
The southern portion of the Everglades is protected as Everglades National Park, which preserves about 20 percent of the original area. It is the largest tropical wilderness in the United States, the largest wilderness east of the Mississippi River, and the third-largest national park in the continental US, following Death Valley and Yellowstone. Notably, it was the first national park established to protect a threatened ecosystem.
Home to a vast network of wetlands, forests, and rivers, the Florida Everglades support numerous species, including 36 that are threatened or protected, such as the Florida panther, American crocodile, and West Indian manatee. The park also shelters its most famous reptile, the American alligator. With its rich biodiversity, scenic landscapes, and extensive waterways, the Everglades attract over a million visitors each year.
