After a tough hurricane season last year and an unusually persistent chill this Winter, it seems that we are finally being rewarded in Louisiana with an emerging Spring full of opportunities to enjoy our slice of coastal paradise! We are celebrating Black History Month, Mardi Gras is in full swing again, a busy festival season is approaching, and some long-awaited restoration projects are taking meaningful steps toward implementation in the coming weeks and months. It’s always a good time to be in Louisiana, but in the springtime, there is truly no place better!
As the Campaign Manager for Restore the Mississippi River Delta, I coordinate and track our coalition’s work, ensuring we are moving toward our goals and advancing our strategic plan (more on that below). Much of my work is behind the scenes, and don’t get me wrong – I love what I do, but I also love anytime I get to be outside and enjoy our coast. And there are a lot of upcoming chances for me to do just that! To help you kick off the Spring season, take our What Kind of Louisianian Are You? Quiz – it says I’m a Lil’ Louie, and while I can appreciate being “boujee” sometimes, I also love getting my hands dirty in the swamp.
Hope to catch you outside!
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- Katie Gruzd
Campaign Manager,
Restore the Mississippi River Delta
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Black History Month
February is nationally recognized as Black History Month, honoring the sacrifices and contributions of Black and African American people that have helped create this nation. It is an opportunity to celebrate their rich and diverse culture, while also recognizing and working to dismantle the systems that still perpetuate racism today. In commemoration, we collected some educational resources and calls to action below.
- Learn more about the origins and history of Black History Month, and about Dr. Carter G. Woodsen, a scholar whose work sparked the establishment of Black History Month.
- Every month, our staff gets together for “Lunch and Learns” and this month our topic was about the locally-originated landmark decision, Plessy v. Ferguson, and some of the lesser known history around the ruling.
- Each morning I look forward to reading the latest email in my inbox from Anti-Racism Daily, which you can subscribe to here. Earlier this month they shared 6 Actionable Ways to Celebrate Black History Month that provides different ideas for how you can engage in action this month and beyond.
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Our Updated Vision, Mission & Values
Last year, we underwent an in-depth strategic planning process to review our work together, identify our priorities, and look ahead to the future. The chance to learn from past successes and failures, assess our current work, and envision the future we want to see was a welcome opportunity for reflection, and one we rarely have together. From the process emerged a renewed vision and mission for our work, and a set of core values to guide all that we do. These were all developed and agreed upon across our multi-organization member coalition – no small feat with 45+ passionate, intelligent, and outspoken staff all weighing in!
Our Vision:
A just, climate resilient coast where people and nature thrive.
Our Mission:
Advance an equitable, safer, and flourishing coast for Louisiana’s communities, ecosystems, and economy.
Our Values:
- Equity. We advocate for approaches that center communities in the decisions that impact them.
- Trust. We take time to build strong relationships by being honest, transparent, and valuing diverse perspectives.
- Knowledge. We promote effective solutions grounded in the scientific process, traditional ecological expertise, and lived experiences.
- Dedication. Passion underscores our steadfast pursuit of bold solutions for coastal resilience.
Learn more about our work together and our staff here.
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Upcoming Events
- March 3rd – Cypress Potting at Bucktown Nursery with Pontchartrain Conservancy: Volunteers are needed to help pot over 2,500 cypress tree seedlings in Pontchartrain Conservancy’s native tree nursery! These tree seedlings will eventually be planted in wetland habitats throughout the Pontchartrain Basin!
- March 4th – Draft EIS for the River Reintroduction into Maurepas Swamp released: Stay tuned for opportunities to provide comment and show support for this major project milestone that will advance this project toward implementation to help restore one of one of the largest forested wetlands in the nation.
- March 18th & 19th – CRCL C.R.U.S.H. Plantings: Enjoy our beautiful swamps while also helping restore them! The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana is holding four volunteer planting opportunities, over two days, next month. You can view the times offered and register to volunteer here!
- March 25th – CRCL’s Shell-A-Bration! Head out to Crescent City Park at the end of March to enjoy CRCL’s annual community event in support of their Oyster Shell Recycling Program. The night will include music from the Grammy Award winning Lost Bayou Ramblers, oysters (of course!), a raffle, and more! You can purchase tickets to this event here.
- Save the Date: Coastal Day 2022 will be held April 5th!
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