In South Florida, one nonprofit is helping to solve two problems at once, removing invasive Burmese pythons and training veterans to do so.
Veterans with Swamp Apes are heading into the Everglades to remove the invasive snakes and, in the process, some are finding structure, service, and a renewed sense of purpose after military life.
What's happening?
A 60-second documentary on Instagram is spotlighting Swamp Apes, the veteran-led team in the Everglades that tracks and captures Burmese pythons.
The short video showed off the program, which uses "strategic hunts into a way for veterans to channel postwar emotions, find purpose, and begin to heal."
According to Swamp Apes leader Tom Rahill, the program is built around taking veterans into the field while also responding to the ecological threat.
Rahill explained that "Pythons are attacking the Everglades… It's a huge problem. 80-90% of the mammal species are gone. No one is better equipped to handle the difficulties of the Everglades than the veterans."
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The reel also introduced Joe Medina, who served in Iraq in 2004, and showed his team presenting a captured snake measuring eight feet, three inches. Medina said the hunts give him a useful outlet, explaining, "I find it to be very therapeutic. I get to use a lot of the training for something good. I owe it to my community to do something positive for the environment."
One commenter wrote, "What a great idea, Win Win Win. Helps the nonprofit, Everglades, and the veterans."
Why does it matter?
Swamp Apes is helping improve veterans' mental health while addressing the region's invasive snake problem at the same time.
As Rahill explained, "On average, 22 veterans a day commit suicide. That's entirely unacceptable. We want to knock the number 22 down along with the python problem."
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By turning python removal into a mission for veterans, Rahill uses difficult field conditions to help foster connection, confidence, and a sense of momentum.
Meanwhile, Medina described the work's impact in personal terms, saying, "It's humbling to know that what I'm doing makes a positive effect."
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