[Bayou Segnette Cypress Tree Planting Event ]
[00:00:05]
TODAY WE HAVE A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE WORKING WITH JEFFERSON PARISH AND A, AND A JOINT VENTURE WITH THE COALITION TO RESTORE COASTAL LOUISIANA.
THIS GROUP, THIS IS KIND OF ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES THAT WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED BECAUSE WE HAVE JOINT GOALS WITH OUR DEPARTMENT AND THE PARISH OF RESTORING THE COAST AND MAKING SURE THAT CITIZENS OF JEFFERSON PARISH AND OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE AWARE OF OUR COASTAL LAND LOSS PROBLEM.
WE'RE HERE TODAY IN A MARSH HABITAT THAT'S SUITABLE TO BE REFORESTED, UM, HAS BEEN SWAMP AND BEEN LOGGED IN THE PAST WHEN SLOWLY SALTWATER INTRUSION HAS AFFECTED THESE AREAS AND KILLED OFF A LOT OF CYPRUS.
BUT THANKS TO PROJECTS LIKE THE DAVIS PONDS FRESHWATER DIVERSION, WE'RE SEEING THAT THESE AREAS ARE SUITABLE FOR PLANTING.
SO WE'RE HERE WITH VOLUNTEERS TODAY PLANTING 700 CYPRESS TREES.
WE'VE GOT STUDENTS ACTUALLY WHO DROVE DOWN FROM BATON ROUGE TODAY WHO ARE HELPING US PLANT THESE CYPRESS TREES AND, AND THE TREES THAT WE'RE PLANTING TODAY.
WE ACTUALLY GREW THEM FROM BEAR ROOTS IN OUR GREENHOUSE THAT WE HAVE RIGHT IN MARRERO.
THEY'RE ABOUT TWO YEAR OLD CYPRESS TREES AND ONE GALLON POTS, AND THEY'VE BEEN GROWING TO A GOOD SIZE WHERE WE CAN PUT THEM OUT HERE.
SO WE'LL LOOSEN UP THE ROOTS IN THE POTS, PULL THEM OUT OF THE POTS, AND YOU KNOW, WE SPACE THEM ABOUT 10 FEET APART.
UM, SO WE'LL DIG A HOLE WHERE THEY'RE AT A CORRECT ELEVATION TO GROW NICE AND HEALTHY.
WE'LL PUT THEM IN THE GROUND AND THEN WE'LL WRAP THEM WITH THE NUTRIENT PROTECTOR AND THE BAMBOO STEAK BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ONCE THESE TREES ARE OUT HERE, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE NATIVE TREES AND THIS IS THEIR NATIVE HABITAT, WE HAVE INCREASED INCREASINGLY STRONG STORMS OF HURRICANES THAT CAN KNOCK THEM DOWN.
AND THERE'S ALSO NU TREE OUT HERE AS WELL.
YOU'LL SEE SOME INTERESTING THINGS.
WE PUT LITTLE WHITE TREE GUARDS ALL OVER THEM, AND THAT'S ONE OF THOSE, THOSE CRAZY THINGS IN SOUTH LOUISIANA WHERE YOU'LL HAVE EVASIVE THINGS LIKE A NUTRA WHO WILL COME AND TRY TO CHEW ON THE ROOTS OF THE CYPRESS TREES.
IN ABOUT 10 YEARS, THE TREES WILL GROW TO MATURITY.
THEY'LL BE FULLY ESTABLISHED, AND THEN THEY'LL START TO DROP SEEDS.
AND SO OUR HOPE IS THAT THESE TREES WILL DROP SEEDS AS THE THE WATERS RISE IN THE SPRINGTIME.
UH, THE WATER WILL COME UP AND THOSE SEEDS WILL TRAVEL ALONG THE WATER AND THEY'LL BE DISPERSED IN OTHER PARTS ALONG THE MARSH HERE.
AND SO THIS WILL KIND OF ACT AS A SEED SOURCE TO REFOREST DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE MARSH.
DO WE SEE, UH, COASTAL LOUISIANA LOSING ABOUT A FOOTBALL FIELD OF, OF LAND EVERY 100 MINUTES.
SO WHENEVER WE CAN IDENTIFY PLACES THAT ARE MARSH THAT HISTORICALLY HAPPENS, SWAMPED, WE CAN GO IN AND WE NEED TO CAPITALIZE WITH VOLUNTEERS TO REFOREST THOSE AREAS.
ONE OF THE BIG BENEFITS OF THESE TREES TO THIS AREA IS GETTING THE ABILITY FOR THE, THIS VEGETATION TO GROW INTO THE SOIL AND HOLD THE SOIL TOGETHER.
SO THAT ONE, WE HAVE A STORM, A TROPICAL STORM WITH WAVES.
IT DOESN'T CHEW THE LAND UP AS MUCH.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED JUST TO PLANT IN THIS AREA CLOSE TO BAYOU CIGNET.
JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF WHERE WE'RE PLANTING, YOU SEE LEVEES THAT HELP PROTECT OUR WEST BANK OF JEFFERSON PARISH.
AND SO EVERYTHING WE CAN DO TO KEEP THAT STORM SURGE OFF OF THE LEVEES AND, AND IS JUST PROTECTING WHERE, WHERE WE LIVE.