World Wetlands Day Outreach Event

Getting out and working with students is one of our favorite things to do in the public outreach office, so we are so glad we were hosted by the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center this past Friday, February 1, for World Wetlands Day. Located in downtown Houma, Louisiana, the SLWDC has a beautifully curated wetlands museum exhibit as well as warm and friendly staff. The event was mostly open to Houma area schoolchildren ranging from 3^rd to 7^th grade with a short period at the end during which the public could participate. Students cycled through and engaged with 7 tables that each had a different focus.

Going around the room, Restore or Retreat taught about coastal erosion with a small model of a barrier island’s sandy beach, then the USDA Agricultural Research Service had students match seeds to pictures of their parent plants. The next table was our host, the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center, with a presentation about invasive species. They brought their resident nutria, Beignet, as an example. Next, the LSU Veterinary Teaching Wildlife Hospital brought two hawks and a screech owl, all of whom are residents at their school due to injuries. T Baker Smith demonstrated some restoration techniques like shoreline protection, vegetative planting, and marsh creation. After those techniques, Louisiana’s Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) presented how it is important to treat wastewater and how wetlands act as filters, and BTNEP shared a few examples of animals with shells. We brought a game that uses bean bag animals to teach about how some species are confined to a specific habitat, but some animals can use more than one habitat.

The celebration started in response to the Feb 2, 1971 signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat, which is an international treaty to recognize wetlands as vitally important ecosystems. [1] On this day, organizations worldwide share a mutual goal to raise awareness and spread appreciation for wetlands near them. We appreciate the opportunity to get out and interact with students and we are proud to have worked with so many other enthusiastic and educational groups. Many thanks to our hosts, visitors, and colleagues- we appreciate all of the work you do to #ProtectOurCoast.

 

LSU Veterinary School Students taught about wildlife rehabilitation with amputee birds of prey.

Beignet, the resident nutria, cannot cause massive marsh damage from his little cage, but he can tear up some carrots.

 

[1] https://www.ramsar.org/about-the-ramsar-convention

Wetlands Outreach at the Creole Classic

Fishermen and spectators came together on Grand Isle, LA this past weekend to be a part of the 34^th Annual Creole Classic Fishing Tournament, three days spent hoping to catch “the big one.” This annual event helps raise money for local charities while also giving thousands of outdoor enthusiasts an excuse to have fun on the coast. Held at the Bridge Side Marina in Grand Isle, the fishing tournament awards prizes in adult, child, and sponsor categories for fish like flounder, speckled trout, and bull red. While participants spend their days on the water, in the evenings they gather at the marina to weigh their catch, listen to music, and enjoy Cajun food.

                This year the Creole Classic added a children’s activity area on Friday evening, coordinated by Restore or Retreat. Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) outreach staff set up the “Mysterious Wetland Wonders” activity, inviting kids (and adults) to guess the plant or animal relic (like an oyster shell or cypress knee) in the box by reading clues and feeling it with their hands. Kids also created Wilson’s plover chicks with LA Audubon and made prints of starfish and fish with Restore or Retreat. CWPPRA staff also had Protect Our Coast posters, WaterMarks, and Henri Heron Activity books available.

 

Making Wilson’s plover chicks with LA Audubon

CWPPRA staff try out “Coast 360” with Restore or Retreat

Coastal wetlands provide important habitat for a variety of fish species, helping Louisiana maintain its place as Sportsman’s Paradise. Unfortunately, these habitats are disappearing as erosion and subsidence take their toll on the coastal zone. CWPPRA works with our partners to protect and rebuild coastal wetlands so that fish, and the fishermen who pursue them, have a place to live and play.