Thirty-seven hours after leaving Livonia we pulled into our group camp at Bayou Segnette State Park just northwest of New Orleans about 4:45 AM eastern time. Schedules were set for Sunday, so we awoke at 6:30 CST for breakfast, a quick orientation on the program and then we boarded the bus for about an hour ride to St. Bernard’s Parish where we split into teams and planted cypress seedlings for the day.
St. Bernard’s parish was one of the hardest hit areas by Katrina. A barge left by a company slammed into one of the levees surrounding the Parish inundating the area with water. The company that was responsible for not taking care of the barge (either taking it out to the gulf, or sinking it) is now out of business due to the number of lawsuits filed against it. Where the students were planting the cypress seedlings would have been under 10 – 15 feet of water during the flood.
Why cypress trees? Cypress trees are one of the primary defenses against the storm surge and wind of a hurricane. Cypress trees survive in the swamp. The mature trees assist in breaking the speed of the wind and, as with any vegetation, soak up the water from a flood, lessening its impact or allow more time for evacuation. Unfortunately, one of the levees that broke contained salt water that quickly killed all the mature cypresses. Livonia students along with other student volunteers from around the country will plant up to a hundred thousand cypress seedlings through March or April of this year.
We worked until 3:00 PM and drove back to the state park. On the way, we passed the Superdome. As you can see from the image taken from the bus, the fans were waiting at the gates to get in with three hours to go before kick off.
Lisa Mallaber took the picture of Matt Kelly and the group of students without a chaperone. Dick Bennett took the other three pictures.
LOVING the blogs...keep them coming!!! and keep up all the good work you are all doing..you make us proud. xo
ReplyDeleteKaren Malinowski
37 hours! You guys are tough! And we ARE all so energized to hear what you are seeing and learning. CVP
ReplyDeleteI hope everyone got a well deserved rest last night. The pictures and blogs are great and really help us understand how much still needs to be done. We can't wait to hear about your activities today.
ReplyDeleteGreat Pictures! Keep up the hard work, we are all very proud of you!!
ReplyDeleteThere is a story on the trip in the Democrat and Chronicle today in the B section (Local and State). Here is a link to the story online:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100125/NEWS01/1250307/Livonia-students-pitch-in-to-clean-up-after-Katrina
Nice to see the group's efforts getting recognized!
Kudos to all of you seniors!! You could have done the "DisneyWorld" thing, yet you chose to pay it forward. Saving the article in the paper for my special senior.
ReplyDeleteSo proud of all of you! Making a difference in the world is a great thing!
ReplyDeleteSara thanks for the picture of Hannah's dirty arm...lol We're very proud of the hard work you all are doing down there! It was great to see you guys get some recognition in the D&C this morning Hope you all create a lot of memories Hurry home we miss you all!!
ReplyDeleteThe Conines
update from B Sheldon: he spoke with 4 or 5 reporters today who he directed to students for interviews. As a result, several of the students were on NO news programs today (tv). We had about 2 minutes to chat, so I don't know what channels, other newspapers, etc. I also did not get any info about how the day went. Bummer. Our kids wanted his time, and he was rushing off because they had the opportunity to switch the schedule a bit and visit the French Quarters tonight. Hopefully they've dragged along the laptops and will post the events of today for us all.
ReplyDeleteI can tell you that the "surprise" part of today's planting was that they would be transported by air-boats to the sites... a very fun ride. This was an unexpected surprise. Working in this volunteer capacity seems to require a lot of flexibility as priorities change and new opportunities are presented. Personally, I am eager to hear from the students who spent the day cleaning up lots in neighborhoods. I am also hopeful that their spirits remain high. The French Quarters will be a nice reward tonight.
From a fellow upstate New Yorker-turned Louisianian: Thanks for all your hard work! I know from experience the effort that goes into neighborhood cleanups and tree planting. We appreciate it!
ReplyDelete-Amy
update from B. Sheldon: they're exhausted from a full day working in the hot sunshine and are now headed to bed (Brian was falling asleep on the phone!). No blogging tonight, but they will tomorrow evening for sure. Because they've been working very long days (with very little sleep for day 1), the NRN readily agreed to alter their work schedule a bit. They will work in the morning and then do cultural activities in the afternoon for the next 2 days instead of working a full day tomorrow. The students, sunburnt and exhausted, applauded this good news. They deserve (as well as the chaperones working along side them) a tremendous amount of credit for their willingness to dig right in (pun intended) after the 2-hrs-of-sleep start to this adventure! I am left to assume by Brian's remark about calling the zoo to re-arrange their schedule that they might be headed there tomorrow.. not certain.
ReplyDeleteTo read a local N.O. paper, go to nola.com. I have no idea what papers the reporters are from but this is a very popular paper in N.O. Hats off to the students and Mr. Sheldon!
ReplyDeleteA quick shout out to Mr. Sheldon. Thanks for providing this incredible opportunity for our children. Also thanks for all the time you are giving and being away from your own family. We truly appreciate it. That goes for the other chaperones as well. We are very glad that you have been able to be so flexible and mix it up a bit for the students. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteSo fun to follow along on your amazing adventure. Keep your spirits up and remember each moment b/c you will be home before you know it!
ReplyDeleteAs I check out all the pictures of everyone involved in the relief projects, I am struck by the fact that these are the same LCS students I have watched being stars on the athletic field, musical stage, and classroom. Once again, you make me proud to know all of you. Have fun...and keep up the good work!
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