New Orleans Environmental Week of Service

Ever since the devastating Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana, it has been losing an abundant amount of land occurring at a rapid rate of one football-field-sized piece of land per hour. Throughout our alternative break, where we stayed in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, we became more knowledgeable of the wetlands and their role in the environment. During our group\u27s short visit with the community organization Common Ground Relief (CGR), we had the chance to pot and plant over 2,000 cypress trees in the marshes to help fight the land that is lost as a result of flooding. Common Ground Relief focuses on the restoration of Louisiana\u27s coastal wetlands and the flooding crisis directly affecting their community due to their location. While staying with CGR, we also had the opportunity to work with the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge where we rescued over 1,000 Irises from being destroyed and replanted them on a beautiful and well-respected trail. Our group also visited several different museums and had the chance to speak with families that have been, and continue to be affected by the flooding. After spending thirty-five hours with Common Ground Relief and the New Orleans community, our participants have become more aware of this crisis and the importance of preserving our nation\u27s ecosystems