A gray mist slowly rises over the swamp somewhere in southern Louisiana while the Spanish moss sways in the branches of the cypress and tupelo trees as if to lazily grab at something just out of reach. It's eerily quiet. The usual chorus of birds, amphibians and insects seem hushed as if they are all holding their breath, waiting and watching in anticipation of something just about to happen. The light is low in the Gulf, and darkness creeps ever forward while the shadows blur and grow, blending with the mist, creating shapes and movements that trick the eye. A crescent moon is soon to rise but will provide little help in illuminating the situation at hand as clouds conceal the cosmos from view. A sudden harsh screech hits the air, cutting it like a knife and scattering the birds. Echoes bounce off the trees obscuring its origin. Then the blood-curdling sound leaves as quickly as it came, somehow making the silence even more deafening than it was before.
What was it? Was it a barred owl? Or was it something else more sinister lurking in the Louisiana swamps? Or was it just the Rougarou celebrating all the good news happening across the coast in the only way he knows how? Scaring Halloween revelers, evading Rougarou hunters and howling for joy perhaps.
So maybe the Rougarou is really just out celebrating this time of year, and he has much to be happy about. The swamps and coastal marshes that he has called home since his legend began are continuing to have big wins and gain ground (literally) this year. In addition to the start of construction on the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion that we celebrated earlier in the summer, we also celebrate 50 years of land building in the Wax Lake Delta this month. And while things seem to finally be cooling down in Louisiana, be sure to check out all the great stuff coming up in the coastal world.
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Happy Spooky Season from Restore the Mississippi River Delta!
– Samantha Carter
Outreach Manager, Mississippi River Delta Restoration, National Wildlife Federation
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Celebrating 50 Years of New Land at the Wax Lake Delta
In 1973, a flood pushed fresh water and sediment through a dredged channel from the Atchafalaya River into the Wax Lake outlet and started to build land. Over the last 50 years, large amounts of new wetlands have been built near Morgan City, thanks to the connection to the river.
“This shows us what our rivers can do when we reconnect them to wetlands that have been starving and subsiding for nearly a century,” Simone Maloz, Campaign Director of Restore the Mississippi River Delta. “The Wax Lake Delta is a living laboratory for the flora and fauna that make our coast unique – the very picture of healthy, thriving wetland habitat. We can recreate the success we’ve seen at the Wax Lake Delta in other areas along our coast, and it’s both clear and critical that we must use the Mississippi River to do it.”
Read more here.
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LWF Conservation Leadership Corps
Louisiana Wildlife Federation is now accepting applications for the Conservation Leadership Corps (CLC) program. Undergraduate students (18+) that are enrolled at any Louisiana college/university during the Spring 2024 semester are eligible to apply.
Through expert training from today’s leaders in conservation, students will increase their knowledge of conservation policy and build skills in leadership and advocacy.
Attached is the program flyer and announcement letter. LWF would greatly appreciate it if you could share this information with potential students as well as others in your network.
For more information and the online application, visit lawildlifefed.org.
The deadline to apply is November 20, 2023.
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Upcoming Events:
Today! Bayou Culture Collaborative October Gathering - "Cultural Heritage and Liminal Landscapes" Oct 27th 12-1:30 pm Central – Via Zoom – CLICK HERE to register.
Dustin Reuther, Social Scientist with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, will talk about the relationship between southeast Louisiana's land loss criss and the cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, of coastal communities at its forefront. Dustin will discuss his past research on the diversity of coastal Louisianan cultural heritage and its relation to dynamic landscapes to explore this pressing data gap in coastal management and planning, especially as it relates to cumulative burdens such as land loss, storm events, and outmigration.
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Conference on Coastal Environmental Health and Health Disparity – Nov 2nd and 3rd – Dillard University
Agenda and speakers can be found here. The conference is FREE but there will be lunch offered at $13 per day. To register and for more info please email Dr. Broadway at [email protected].
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CPRA Community Conversation – Nov 9th 6-8pm Greater Lafourche Port Commission Office - Submit Your RSVP Here.
Meet the CPRA team and participate in an informative dialogue about the coastal issues impacting your region. Get information about the ongoing projects and programs in your community and be part of the discussion! CPRA staff and some of our industry partners will be available throughout the evening to answer your questions. Open house will begin at 6:00 p.m. and a complimentary meal will be provided. A brief, regionally-specific update will start at 6:30 p.m., followed by a longer discussion.
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Workshop Nature-based solutions for Coastal Louisiana - Ideas from the US & Germany – Nov 14th 9am-4pm Docville Farm, Violet – More info and registration here.
This workshop will take a broad look at resetting the blue economy, exploring synergies between adaptation to climate change, increasing resilience and protecting biodiversity using nature-based solutions with speakers from Louisiana and Germany in an interactive format. The event is free.
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Lights on the Lake is a family-friendly holiday event happening at the Lighthouse. Join us for the best view of the annual West End Boat Parade on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023 from 5 to 8 pm.
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The Cook-Off for the Coast returns to Docville Farm on February 24, 2024! Join us for another year of delicious free food and live music, with all proceeds benefiting coastal restoration projects.
Calling all artists! It is time again to solicit entries to the Cook-Off’s Coastal Art Contest. This year, the theme of the contest is “Seasons of the Coast” (read the contest rules for more details) and it’s open to all ages. The first, second and third place winners in each age category win $100, $50 and $25 respectively, and their names and art will be featured on the event’s social media pages. The categories are: 12 and under, 13-17, and 18 and over. All art will be displayed at Docville Farms on the day of the Cookoff! More info here.
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