This #MuseumMonday we’re revisiting Charles Deering’s important role in supporting botanist John Kunkel Small’s explorations of South Florida’s interior. In May 1917, Small set out on a collecting trip into the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee region, a landscape he described as mysterious, largely unmapped, and rapidly changing. Their journey was made possible by Deering, who provided one of his own boats, the Barbee, pictured here, named in honor of his daughter Barbara. Aboard this vessel, Small and his crew navigated shallow canals, scraped across rocky bottoms, and weathered sudden storms as they worked to record South Florida’s native flora before it disappeared under development Small’s published account describes scraping the bottom of the canal, navigating sudden squalls, and relying on the ingenuity of the captain just to keep the Barbee afloat. Yet despite the hardships, the expedition yielded significant botanical observations and photographs, adding to our understanding of ...