Restoring Sportsman’s Paradise, One Plant at a Time
It’s not every day that work includes getting to play in the dirt, but luckily for me, it recently did. I was able to help with a marsh grass and black mangrove planting on newly built terraces and living shoreline in Lafourche Parish, an opportunity that was part of a coastal restoration project organized by Restore or Retreat and Ducks Unlimited, with support from Woodside Energy.
While I was only able to participate for one day, the goal of the project was ambitious: plant approximately 12,000 black mangroves and 10,000 marsh grasses on earthen terraces just east of Port Fourchon, off of Highway 1 heading toward Grand Isle.
After crossing the Highway 1 bridge and turning left toward Grand Isle, you can look south toward the Gulf and see the sprawling network of terraces covered in fresh plantings, stretching roughly 87,000 linear feet. Another 4,000 feet are designated as a living shoreline. In addition to helping buffer storm surge, these terraces will provide valuable habitat for various fish and wildlife species that depend on healthy coastal wetlands. These hands-on efforts are also critical to restoring and protecting our coast, providing multiple lines of defense for communities vulnerable to hurricanes and storms. In a promising sign of nature’s resilience, some mangroves can be seen growing on the terraces, which were constructed using dredged sediment.
Over 25 community members and partners from Apache Corp, Canal & Main Realty, and LOOP LLC participated in the planting, which took place on lands owned by The Louisiana Land and Exploration Company LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of ConocoPhillips, and Edward Wisner Trust. It was inspiring to see so many people out early on a Friday in April, each one doing their part to ensure every marsh grass and mangrove was planted with care. Whether it was along the shoreline or higher up on the terrace, these specific placements helped give these newly planted species the best shot at survival. More plantings are on the way, and volunteers are always welcome. Thanks again to Polly Glover with Restore or Retreat and Ducks Unlimited for putting on such an important and educational event and continuing to help preserve sportsman’s paradise for generations to come.
