Rare Forest in Florida, Home to Over 20 Protected Species, To Be Bulldozed for Walmart Development

Walmart has decided to build a shopping center in one of the few places in Miami, where one of the most beautiful and cleanest coastal forests, spread over 140 hectares, is located.

These 20 species of different animals and plants, each unique in its own way, located in the depths of this beautiful pine forest in Miami, is threatened with extinction.

Only 2 percent is preserved from the territory of the forest, ranging from Miami to Homestead, a distance to a ridge that was previously 55 kilometers long covered with beautiful forest. Most of the territory is now paved to build a new Walmart market.

It is even more tragic is that 138 acre is planned to be added to build a luxury complex with 900 apartments, within the complex, there will be LA Fitness and Walmart market. This would mean absolute disregard for the forest, and destruction of that small part of the natural wealth that remains.

This astonishing and unique creation of a combination of a pine forest that grows on the seabed, covered with limestone, is an ideal environment for creating one of the most beautiful animals and plant species that exist, and they managed to adapt their lifestyle to this healthy and beautiful nature.

The importance of this forest is reflected in the fact that here are some of the most unique butterfly types, such as the gray Bartram’s Hairstreak and the bright orange Florida Leafwing, a particularly interesting is the gray Bartram’s Hairstreak butterfly that has gentle white lines on its edges and the wings themselves are gray with two beautiful small circles of rust.

Of course, we must not forget the beetle that has the same name as the city, Miami Tiger Beetle, which has beautiful colors that spill over and which was also considered to be extinct.

This forest in Florida is home to a beautiful bat, it’s a so-called covered bat, which is perhaps one of the rarest living mammals, and it shares his home, this beautiful forest, along with the powerful bald eagle.

Here, in this forest, there is the endemic species Deltoid Spurge, which is actually a medicinal plant, and it is especially interesting that in this forest, as many as 55 species of plants were discovered, thanks to an extensive study of 2015.

Wildlife Service and Federal Fish received a lawsuit in 2017 for allowing building by environmental NGOs, the Tropical Audubon Society, the South Florida Wildlands Association, the Miami Pine Rocklands Coalition, and the Center for Biological Diversity.

Unfortunately, the construction began because on June 10, the case was dropped and closed by a district judge from Miami-Dade.

The Health Nut News website highlights: “Developers are ignoring the fact that the precious Florida pine Rocklands are part of a natural system that helps keep the air clean and the groundwater fresh. Walmart can’t do that.”