Wetlands Volunteer Info
Wetlands
Calling all ecologists, botanists, hydrologists, outdoors enthusiasts, environmental justice advocates, and lovers of wetlands! Common Ground Relief is working on a Wetlands Restoration project created to proactively address the dangers faced by New Orleans and the Gulf Coast from the ongoing destruction of wetlands.
Contacts: Zeraph, Heather, and Michael
commonwetlands@gmail.com, 504-442-2314
Minimum Time Commitment: One Month
We are looking for long-term volunteers who can stay for a month or more as most of our projects require a strong knowledge base and a considerable investment of time and energy. However, if you are interested in helping and do not have a month to volunteer, email or call to see if we will be working on a planting or clean up during your stay!
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The Common Ground Wetlands Restoration program was created to proactively address the dangers faced by New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. We work to bring immediate attention to the ecological and political causes and effects of the 2005 hurricane devastation. The goal is to shed light on where wetlands restoration needs to happen, determine who should be responsible for doing it, and then to do it ourselves where ever possible. We are also dedicated to educating as many folks as possible, both in Louisiana and beyond, on the critical role that wetlands play in our protection from storm surge and how to best keep them healthy. Our goal is to work with consideration and in solidarity with the people of the Gulf Coast.
The wetland restoration project is working on a variety of different projects and we will only be able to accomplish our ambitious goals if qualified people turn their skills into successful action. The list below is a set of current projects and goals, but we are open to constructive input. If you have ideas that are not outlined here, please share them with us and then come and help turn them into a reality. Send any questions or ideas to commonwetlands@gmail.com.
Projects:
1. Restoration projects
There are a number of different ways to restore coastal wetlands. Primarily, we have been working on marsh grass plantings and debris pick-up. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated over 100 miles on coastal wetlands in Louisiana, transforming them from wetland habitats to open water systems. Salt-water influxes, brought in by hurricane floodwaters, have killed many of the wetland plants. Plants are critical because their root systems prevent soil erosion, keeping the wetlands intact. Debris pick-up is primarily done to restore important breeding grounds for migrating birds that pass through Louisiana's wetlands. These migrations result in as many as 2.5 million birds a day stopping in Louisiana to feed and rest.
In the near future we hope to initiate a bioremediation project for the wetlands. If anyone has any information or interest in researching and working on ways to clean up our wetlands through plant uptake, please contact the wetlands project at Commonwetlands@gmail.com.
These projects are done with cooperation and support of local community groups, and we are willing to research and consider any projects that we are approached with. Projects are weighed in ecological sense and political import. We will need reliable workers, creativity, endurance, and a constant sensitivity to local involvement and impact!
2. Investigative journalism
The destruction of wetlands in Louisiana and its impact on the people in this region needs to be recognized beyond the reaches of Louisiana. Despite the critical nature of the issue, the media has not significantly reported it. For this, and many other reasons, we need to be our own media. Investigative journalism will include delving into the science affecting wetlands loss, political considerations, the daily happenings at all the agencies, and the ways this is affecting the different peoples of Louisiana. Journalists could also synthesize scientific debates in matters such as global climate change, delta subsidence issues, and in general distill the overall picture of what is happening. Journalists will also report on a myriad of other related issues such as regional landfills plans, oil spill occurrence and clean-up, and the lack of toxin cleanup at wildlife refuges.
Our goal is to create a clearinghouse of information not being published anywhere else to be available as a resource to people researching wetlands issues, as well as those involved in environmental and social justice issues around the world. We feel this to be one of our most important contributions to the issue of coastal wetland loss because it will 1) expose bad actors who profit at the expense of all those living in coastal Louisiana, 2) generate attention to the reality of what is happening, and 3) identify real solutions and ways that we can achieve them. The staff of this project will strategically work with the rest of the project organizers in order to fact check, evaluate importance of materials, and fully understand information before publishing.
Volunteer skills needed: Journalism, understanding of scientific language, measured judgment, webpage, blog and computer tech experience, good writing skills and work ethic.
Note: Volunteers for this project do not necessarily have to be based out of New Orleans, but it would help if they were able to come for at least one month with the wetlands project to get some good exposure. The sooner people can start on this, the better!
3. National awareness campaign
We intend to raise awareness to the plight of Louisiana's coastal areas, its people, its cultural heritage, its economic importance, and its ecological magnificence. Currently we are working to do this through a national educational mailing. We are working to compile a packet of fact sheets as well as a DVD that explains the current situation regarding wetlands loss in Louisiana. The DVD is currently in need of editing and we are searching for an individual with video editing skills.
We hope to send the packets out to dedicated individuals who agree to read over the material and present the film in a public forum, allowing for maximum spread of information. If you are interested in receiving a packet once they are completed, or helping out with fact sheet writing or video editing, please contact us – Commonwetlands@gmail.com
4. Research Campaign
In order for any of our project areas to be successful we must engage in comprehensive research on a regular basis. Research is critical to identify locations for restoration projects, to get accurate information for media stories, and for a well-established national awareness campaign.
5. Wetlands education
We are currently working on grant proposals to gain funding for science based wetlands education in the classroom. Working in middle and high schools in Orleans Parish our goal is to provide students with a solid history of Louisiana's wetlands, develop an understanding of the connection between the health of the wetlands and the health of individuals, as well as give students the opportunity to work on water quality testing in school.
For the next few months we will be establishing lesson plans, presentations and training materials for teachers as well as connecting with schools across the city.
6. Grant Research and Writing
January and February will be heavily prioritized with grant writing to make our projects and visions possible. We need assistance researching appropriate grants, understanding where funding dollars are coming from, and then writing grants for our many projects. Individuals do not necessarily need to be in New Orleans to help the project out with grants. If you can't make it to New Orleans and still want to help out, this is a great way to get involved!
7. Oil and Gas Canal Campaign.
Canals are one of the main contributors to wetlands loss. Canals enable salt water to infiltrate freshwater marshes and swamps, which kills plants, erodes and degrades the soil, and converts land to water. The canals and their corresponding spoil banks (the 'levee' along the canal where they dump all the dredged soil) cut off vital sheet flow of water, which kills the marsh -drowning the marsh above the canal and starving the marsh below it. With over 8,000 miles of existing oil and gas canals carved through the delicate coastal wetlands of Louisiana there is a need for immediate action to stop any further destruction of our wetlands. Over the next few months we hope to change legislation to end the construction of new oil and gas canals in coastal Louisiana.
Volunteer Info:
The Wetlands project, although apt to change, is currently based out of the Lower Ninth Ward. Volunteers can expect to find themselves in a wide range of settings, from community meetings, to middle school classrooms, to the muddy banks of Louisiana's wetlands. We do encourage anyone that has any enthusiasm for this project to email us at CommonWetlands@gmail.com. There is a place for folks of all skill levels!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
Skilled volunteers:
• Researchers
• Grant writers
• Video editing skills
• People with bioremediation skills and/or oil spill clean up skills
• Environmental educators
• Gulf wetlands naturalists (esp. botanists)
• People with experience working on wetlands restoration projects
• Environmental lawyers and those familiar with environmental policy
• Organizers with experience working with an array of stakeholders
• Lobbyists
• Investigative journalists
• Ecologists with degrees and experience
• Any volunteers with carpentry, mechanical, plumbing, or general handy-person experience are deeply valued!
General volunteers:
Persons of all backgrounds and experience levels are needed! Anyone and everyone with enthusiasm and energy for this project can play a huge role in making responsible wetlands restoration happen.
Process for accepting volunteers:
All volunteers must contact the project coordinators at commonwetlands@gmail.com before registering. We have a cap on the number of volunteers we can safely work with. For skilled volunteers: please send resume of past related experience and inform us of the minimum time commitment and dates of availability. Send an email to commonwetlands@gmail.com with type of skill and "applicant" in the subject heading (i.e. "Environmental Educator/Applicant"). Do not let this process discourage you! It is our way of ensuring we can fill the positions we need.
Project specifics on what to bring (or donate!)*
Safety gear recommended: rubber boots, old sneakers, work gloves, long rubber gloves, sunscreen, bug repellent, wide brim hats and mosquito netting. The safety gear is also needed in children's sizes.