Going Green Has Never Been Easier!
Apr 9, 2009 8:02 pm US/Eastern
The Old Man And The Everglades
THE EVERGLADES (CBS4) ―
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Michael Booth loves his paradise located in land shared by alligators, birds and tropical trees.
CBS
If you ever wonder what happened to Peter Pan's Lost Boys, cast your mind's eye no farther than an island in the Everglades. That's where Michael Booth, 61, has lived for 32 years. His white beard gives him the look of a tropical Santa Claus. In the middle of his 10 acres of land he's been just about as jolly.
You see why I love this spot," he told CBS4's Michael Williams as they looked out over a tranquil pond surrounded by fruit trees and filled with the sounds of birds and alligators. Booth says he bought the property in 1977, and for years he grew organic vegetables in the rich Everglades soil. "I'm famous," he boasted, "for my broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, beets."
In short, a man born on Miami Beach and raised in Coral Gable has been happiest surrounded by solitude between October and June. Even he cleared out during rainy season. Now, though, he is being forced to move out permanently.
The Everglades National Park was given authority to expand its boundaries in 1989, and Booth's little piece of paradise fell inside the redrawn map. He held out for years, but the park has finally taken over his land through the process of eminent domain. The price tag, he says, was $75,000.
Booth loses his chuckle when he thinks about it, but he packed up to leave this week, however begrudgingly. He said, "It is more money. It is worth more than money to me. You can have the land. I will stay here."
In the end he won't stay of course. He'll let go of a place rich in nature and Indian history. The Tequesta Indians roamed this land thousands of years ago, and Booth proudly displayed the artifacts he's dug up over time.
Pointing to one old piece of pottery he described the intricate design, as he offers a look at a bygone era. The Everglades National Park says it recognizes the genuine archaeological value of the site and promises it will be preserved.
"I'd like to see a one story museum," Booth offers, "so kids could come learn about the history of the people once here."
Like the ancient Indians who once called the place home, this self-proclaimed king of the Everglades hopes that long after he's gone someone will still be able glimpse the spirit of a man who loved and lived in harmony with the land.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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