The River of Grass Raised Me: Captain Greg Mislow on Caring for the Everglades

By Captain Greg Mislow, owner of Airboat Adventures Everglades · Published October 8, 2026

A lot of people come to the Everglades looking for an adventure. I grew up here, and the River of Grass taught me responsibility long before it became my business. That's the reason Airboat Adventures Everglades runs the way it does.

Before the Everglades was a place people visit, it was simply home to me. It wasn't scenery or something to post about. It was where I learned how to get by.

Growing up on the water

Growing up in the Everglades isn't a normal childhood, and that's what made it special. Out here you learn respect quickly. The water rises and falls with the seasons, the animals need their space, and nature doesn't rearrange itself for anybody's schedule.

Watching this place change over the years taught me how fragile it really is, and how much it's worth. Somewhere along the way I stopped thinking of myself as just someone who drives an airboat. I'm also here to look after the land and water I grew up on.

Driving the boat is the easy part

Almost anyone can learn to steer an airboat. Knowing what's living under and around it takes years, patience and respect. That's the standard I hold our whole operation to. Every tour we run is built on four things:

• Careful navigation through sensitive habitat.
• Teaching guests about the native wildlife around them.
• Hands-on work removing invasive species.
• Real stories from people who grew up here.

The invasive species work nobody sees

Burmese pythons and invasive iguanas put real pressure on native animals and throw the whole system off balance. Removing them rarely makes the news. It means long days, heat, mud and a lot of planning. But it's some of the most important work we do to protect the River of Grass for the next generation.

I share what I've seen this year in my 2026 python field notes. If you want to take part, look at our python hunts and our invasive species roundup.

Why I built the company this way

I didn't start Airboat Adventures Everglades to be one more tour business. I wanted something grounded in ethics, conservation and teaching people about this place. It hasn't been an easy road, but even on the hardest days I wouldn't trade this life for anything.

Two decisions shape every trip we run. The first is that every tour is private, with no crowds, no rushed loops and no script, just your group, your boat and a captain who lives and works out here. The second is where we run. Our tours run outside Everglades National Park, on the Tamiami Trail side, so our captains can legally bring you closer to alligators, wading birds and other wildlife than park rules allow.

The captains you ride with

I lead a team of local captains, and I'm one of them. Every captain on the team holds a U.S. Coast Guard license and is CPR and first-aid certified, and each grew up on this water. You can read more about them on our captain qualifications page, along with my CBS Miami interviews from this summer. For a guest's-eye view of what a local perspective adds to your day, see a local Gladesman's perspective on private tours.

More than a ride

The Everglades doesn't need more noise. It needs people who understand it. Every tour we run supports that, through education, conservation and protecting what's left. For me this isn't content or a gimmick. It's looking after home.

If you'd like to see it for yourself, book a daytime, sunrise, sunset or night tour on our booking page, or call (305) 766-1929. Kids 5 and under ride free, and you get a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before your tour.

Questions about our team

Who owns Airboat Adventures Everglades?

Captain Greg Mislow, a Gladesman who grew up around the Everglades. He leads the company's team of USCG-licensed, CPR and first-aid certified local captains and is one of the captains on it.

Will Captain Greg be my captain?

Your tour is run by one of our team's licensed local captains. Greg is one of them and leads the team, but every captain brings the same local knowledge and qualifications.