Today, a group of us went out to the swamplands of Louisiana to plant trees. First, we searched for invasive tree species that is in part responsible for drying up the swamplands. As we walked through the woods, we found sea shells brought in from Katrina. We learned that the swamplands are important to preserve because they help soften the damage of storms by taking in the water. After lunch, our group and another group there went out deep into the swamps to plant trees. These trees are expected to canopy in around 20-30 years, much faster than the usual 50-60. After planting a few trees each, we were asked to come back and thanked for our work. Most of us wished we could have worked longer because there were more trees to plant and we finished before every other group working at other sites.
My favorite part of the day was when we were given a background on the struggles the state of Louisiana has gone through from a natural perspective. It was interesting because we are used to thinking about the human impacts of Katrina. We learned about how the land in Louisiana is sinking due to the changes in the way the Mississippi River flowed after levies were put in after Katrina. This combined with ocean levels rising means big trouble for the state. Some people have predicted that New Orleans could be an island by 2050. Overall, I really enjoyed this project and I also learned a lot.
- Matt McGinness
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