Imagine you are flying above Florida, looking down at the winding (and in some places straight) Kissimmee River, the enormous Lake Okeechobee, the patchwork quilt of farmlands, the watery green Everglades, and the urban sprawl of houses and roads. For those of us who are not superheroes with the ability to fly, the students participating in our Digital WAVE program can give you that opportunity. They have been learning about climate change and the water pathways throughout south Florida, and have created a 3D virtual south Florida to illustrate these crucial environmental issues. Take a photo tour of south Florida with us, and you will be amazed at the progress amd creativity of these young people. (Click on each image to see a larger picture.)

The beginning stages of our virtual Florida

The final product - our virtual south Florida!

A close-up of the Everglades

A close-up of urban Miami

Do you see south Florida in our Digital Wave island? Students have teamed up in groups to represent different regions of south Florida, which you can see outlined by 5 plots of land. We have: the Kissimmee River and the upper lakes… Lake Okeechobee, Farmlands, and Water Conservation Areas… Coasts and Estuaries… the Everglades… and Urban Areas. Groups will work together to research their region, how water flows through it, and how the region and water sources may be affected by climate change. Another twist? The groups have to work with each other, because water in one region doesn’t stay in that region, it flows from one region to the other. Stay tuned for more progress!