Improving Paradise

Key to Florida’s tourism was the commodification of the state’s natural resources, tangible and otherwise. Florida developed a specific image of itself: tropical, exotic, safe, and natural. But reality did not always cooperate. In order to present the expected natural landscape for its visitors, the Civilian Conservation Corps created state parks that fit the popular image of what Florida was supposed to look like. It began to remove native fauna and flora, alter water flow, introduce exotic species, and artificially landscape areas that were then presented as natural. We will also look at similar processes in other areas of Florida. Although advertisements, publications, and other forms of popular culture celebrated Florida’s Eden-like qualities, many in the state still believed that paradise needed improving.