An elegy to the Everglades, the world's largest subtropical wilderness and the land that time didn't forget, by filmmaker Ken Burns

"I thought there wasn't much more to the Everglades than swamp until I toured the park for my National Parks series. We saw the cypress swamps, which have the density and forbiddingness of a jungle; then sawgrass marshes that seemed never-ending as we sped through them on an airboat; and finished at the lush green mangrove islands and islets on the park's exterior. Within a day I'd fallen in love. What's amazing is that a hundred years ago, the area was considered a wasteland: Napoleon Bonaparte Broward won the 1904 gubernatorial race with the slogan 'Drain the Everglades.' Human beings are an inquisitive and sometimes rapacious species: We see a river and think dam, see trees and think boards, see a marsh and think drain it. So the Everglades' very existence is the legacy of a wise people—but the truth, as Terry Tempest Williams said, is that we don't save parks, they save us. The Everglades offers a rare chance to get off the beaten path and to get a taste of primordial Florida, which is a tonic: In a few minutes, you can go from frenetic Miami to something that would exist with or without humanity. Our so-called civilized ways can make us snobby and arrogant about the wild. It's good to be reminded of the kind of pristine, elemental, and essential nature that exists in places like the Everglades. To visit the park is to surrender yourself, and to remind you of your insignificance while connecting you to everyone else."

Voluntouring in the Everglades

Mandarin Oriental, Miami
The granddaddy of 'Glades voluntourism, the M.O.'s Everglades Package allows green-thumb guests to plant trees and remove all things harmful—including non-native flowers, which damage the indigenous ecosystem—from the 1.5-million-acre national park. The reward for a morning's hard work is a naturalist-led slog through the park's shallow, marshy waters (305-913-8383; two-night package, $698-$978 for two people, including breakfasts, one lunch, and a hybrid car for a day).

Ritz-Carlton Orlando,Grande Lakes
Prefer that the recipients of your charity be warm and fuzzy? The Ritz-Carlton's Give Back Getaways cater to panthers at the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge in the Everglades' Big Cypress National Preserve: Track the cats, clear trails, tally plants and wildlife, or build houses for bats. There's occasionally an ecosystem protection option as well, which can involve building reefs (407-206-2400; doubles, $319-$718; half-day tour, $75 adults, $25 children 12 and under).

Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort and Club
Not all ecotours require exertion: Guests who sign up for Fairmont's NaviGator package automatically donate to the Everglades Restoration fund, and can rest easy during an airboat safari, boat cruise, wildlife drive, and nature walk. Driving a hybrid gets you free valet parking (305-932-6200; two-night package, $928 for two people, including lunch).