This land was once covered in a dense forest of slash pines, some more than a hundred years old. Many of Florida's old-growth forests were harvested for turpentine and timber. After the land was cleared, it was used for farming before being transformed into a preserve. Today the landscape continues to change, and climate change and sea level rise have left their mark on Perico Preserve, where mangroves now grow where oaks and pines once stood. Good conservation requires an understanding of the past and anticipation of the future of the land.