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Taking place on December 6th, the 2025 Swamp Heritage Festival celebrates Big Cypress National Preserve while also highlighting the thousands of years of inhabitants that preceded and protected this area before it was formally set aside. This year, we hope to inspire visitors to see Big Cypress as a place where ‘Art Meets the Wild’. Through artistic talks, cultural demonstrations, local musicians, thrilling stories, and hands-on activities, we will explore the ways in which people have found endless inspiration in the swamp. We strive to provide opportunities to learn about the difference lens’s that people look through to see Big Cypress National Preserve. In 2025, we hope to show that Big Cypress is a place of wild wonder, and awe that just may inspire you too! EVENT SCHEDULE 10:15 - Welcome from Superintendent Tom Forsyth 10:30 - Speaker: Clyde Butcher - An amazing and well-known photographer known for his large-format black and white landscapes and his long career documenting the Everglades and other natural environments! 11:10 - Musician: Cypress Billie - A talented musician and songwriter from the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, who is influenced by bands with a variety of musical styles. Billie uses musical storytelling to reflect on his own life and experiences in the Everglades! 12:15 - Speaker: Anthony Sleiman - This Miami-based photographer and filmmaker captures the magic of the night sky over Big Cypress National Preserve. This presentation will be hosted in the Reed Auditorium instead of under the main tent to allow for a PowerPoint Presentation! 1:15 - Speaker: William 'Popeye' Osceola - Secretary of the Miccosukee Business Council, 'Popeye' is the Council's youngest member. He balances tradition and modernity with a creative flair! 2:15 - Musician: Steven Parnelle and the Skunk Apes - Hailing from Miami and taking inspiration from the Everglades, this group has a wealth of original tunes that cherish her unique ecology and culture. With touches of folk, indie and psychedelic rock, this is a 'Can't Miss' performance! 
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Last updated: December 5, 2025