Hello!
My name is Emma Butler, and you may have seen me around a festival, cook-off or other community event this spring sharing coastal news and information. As we creep closer to summer and recover from festival season, the afternoon showers are becoming more regular, the tell-tale sign that hurricane season is swiftly approaching. Because our coastal wetlands are our first line of defense from hurricane winds and storm surge, it is imperative that residents are prepared at the individual level but also support the work being done to restore coastal habitats further out to protect us inland. As the Outreach Coordinator for Restore the Mississippi River Delta, I work to provide educational and engagement opportunities for community members to learn about our coast and how they can support habitat restoration.
One-way residents can support the restoration of natural features that protect our coast is by staying up to date on the Louisiana Coastal Master Plan. May began with the 2023 Coastal Master Plan and Annual Plan passing through the state Senate unopposed. The plans are now moving through House committees and have had no opposition thus far. We have been working to connect people and communities to the coastal Master Plan process since last fall and have continued to follow the plan since the draft was released earlier this year. Check out the road map below to see where the plans are in the legislature!
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| There’s plenty of exciting things going on in the coastal arena this month beyond the Master Plan, including opportunities to prepare for hurricane season and a chance to hear the most recent coastal research from esteemed experts. I hope to run into you this month at a festival, community event or State of the Coast!
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See you around!
-Emma Butler
Outreach Coordinator, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana
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State of the Coast: Together Again
At the end of this month, the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana is hosting the biennial State of the Coast, the largest statewide conference of its kind, which provides information on the dynamic conditions of Louisiana’s coastal communities, environment and economy. The theme of this year’s conference is “Together Again” and will be attended by more than 1,000 scientists, landowners, land managers, federal and state agency personnel, local officials, industry and business leaders, resource users, students and residents of coastal communities.
This year’s conference will be joined by plenary speakers Gov. John Bel Edwards and State Director of Coastal Activities Chip Kline, and we’re also hosting a special interview with Mike Tidwell, author of Bayou Farwell. Beyond our plenaries, we have a multitude of fascinating panels, film screenings and presentations from students, scientists and other professionals across the coastal sector. You can see the overview of the different sessions here. And remember, it’s not too late to register!
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Storm Aware & Prepare
On Saturday, May 27, Pontchartrain Conservancy and NOLA Ready are proud to host the third annual Storm Aware and Prepare event, presented by Entergy, at the New Canal Lighthouse located at 8001 Lakeshore Drive in New Orleans from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. This free, family-friendly event will provide hurricane preparedness information ahead of the most active part of the 2023 hurricane season. We invite community members to come and learn how to clean storm drains in their neighborhood and log their cleanups. Pontchartrain Conservancy will be giving away cleanup supplies. Participants who log their cleanups will be entered for a chance to win a generator, provided by CORE.
Partner organizations, including NOLA Ready, Second Harvest, Resilience Force, JenCare, Redcross, Footprint Project, and more will be onsite to provide storm preparedness information and answer any questions for community members.
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Recipe Spotlight! Bacon Wrapped Shrimp & Remoulade
Looking for the perfect dish to bring to your summer pool parties? Look no further! This dish is a play on the very popular shrimp cocktail served in a martini glass. Jazzed up with some bacon and Mardi Gras colors, this dish was created by Emily Danks, Leslie Hayes and L’Oreal Steele from the Nunez Community College Culinary Art Program for the 2021 Virtual Cook-Off for the Coast recipe competition. What better way to improve a dish than by adding bacon? Learn how to make it here! |
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St. Bernard Bird Fest Recap
On April 5th and 6th Audubon Delta participated in the Saint Bernard Bird Fest, which showcased the importance of coastal restoration for birds and gave festival attendees an up-close look at the avian diversity that our coastal habitats support. The bird banding station at the festival drew an audience from local schools and festival attendees from around the parish. Airboat tours of the rookery in the Caernarvon area, where land is actively being built by the river, highlighted the importance of reconnecting the river to the wetlands to support bird habitats.
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Habitats across the Greater Americas rely on the health and wellbeing of birds who in turn rely on the abundance of Louisiana Estuaries.
-– Josh Benitez, Co-Director, Common Ground Relief |
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Upcoming Events & Volunteer Opportunities
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