Back Stroking in Waders

Two days in New Orleans have past and it seems like it has really been two weeks. Day one, Tuesday, was spend exploring the in and outs of the famous French quarter. With the help of a tour guide we learned about the history and charm of the famous community. Today, we spend the day literally knee deep in wetland mud. Waders on, dibbles in hand our team was raring to go. Kyle, a representative from the LSU Agricultural center lead us through planting aquatic plants in the man made lagoon in city part. These plants are meant to help prevent erosion and stimulate life in the ecosystem. Kyle laughed, telling a few of us that out of all the volunteers he has worked with we were definitely the most willing to get wet and muddy. (two members of our team even went swimming in the lagoon) Not only were we getting muddy and helping the ecosystem but also we were saving the city planning committee the $30,000 it would cost them to pay people to do the job. All in all I would say that the day was a definite success.

            Our upcoming projects include volunteering at St. Margret’s Daughters, Parkway Partners, and Rebuilding New Orleans Together. I have little reservations when it comes to working with these organizations. Tomorrow and Friday it will be a lot of fun to restore old pieces of land in the city and make them a more beautiful and enjoyable place for the people of New Orleans. Through this I hope that we will be able to leave a tangible mark on New Orleans, as well as get to know more locals. With a lot of sunscreen and water we will be ready to get down and dirty once again. I have the same thoughts when it comes to working with Rebuilding New Orleans Together. Once again with this project our group will be able to meet some more natives of the city and be a helpful hand. I think that our time with St. Margret’s Daughters will be very influential when it comes to being exposed to the impact that is still left from hurricane Katrina. Since St. Margret’s Daughters is in the 9^th ward, the hardest hit by Katrina, it will expose us to a lot of the devastation and wreckage.

What I anticipate the most about these projects is getting to know the locals of New Orleans. I can’t wait to here what they have to say about their hometown, Katrina, and post-Katrina life here. I don’t think that any of us will get dirtier than we did today…..