Central Wetlands Reforestation Collective to Hold First Annual Convening
The Meraux Foundation will host the Central Wetlands Forestation Collective’s (CWRC) first annual convening on March 27, 2024, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m at Docville Farm (5124 E St. Bernard Hwy, Violet, La. 70092).
“We’re proud to be a part of this group of organizations and to host its inaugural convening at Docville,” said Rita Gue, president of the Meraux Foundation. “Together, we sow the seeds of change, cultivating a shared commitment to the restoration and preservation of our precious wetlands for generations to come."
The CWRC Convening will include:
Panel discussion on the Central Wetlands, the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet (MR-GO), and the planting efforts
Networking hour with food and beverages
Guided tour of the cypress tree nursery at Docville Farm
Information sessions on partner organizations and upcoming CWRC planting opportunities
Families are invited to attend the free event, which will have engaging activities tailored for children.
The partners in the CWRC are the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, Common Ground Relief, the Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement & Development, the Meraux Foundation, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, and Pontchartrain Conservancy.
The CWRC project and convening is supported by a three-year grant received by the collective through the NOAA Coastal Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants for Underserved Communities competition.
The Central Wetlands are in St. Bernard and Orleans Parishes and are bordered by the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet (MR-GO) and Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System on the eastern side and the 40 Arpent Levee and Canal on the west side. Historically, the area was primarily bald cypress and water tupelo swamp, fresh marsh, and bottomland hardwood forest. Factors including the opening of the MR-GO and heavy logging destroyed the forest that had provided storm surge protection. The MR-GO, which was blamed for helping funnel storm surge into St. Bernard Parish and the Lower 9th Ward during Hurricane Katrina, was closed in 2009, lowering the salinity of the water in the wetlands and re-creating the conditions that had existed there for centuries.
About 2,000 square miles of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands have turned into open water since the 1930s. The Central Wetlands Unit has been identified as a priority restoration project in Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan.
The CWRC meets regularly to amplify the impact of the work each organization does individually. Working alongside community stakeholders, this group uses native plant restoration projects to reforest wetlands, resulting in improved ecosystem services including mitigating the impacts of hurricanes, higher quality habitat and a stronger connection between communities and the landscape. These restoration projects are also a tool to educate and engage residents in the important work of coastal restoration.
Register for the free event at: https://connect.crcl.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=669