Innovative News

2 November 2009

Coastal Roots Program in Louisiana

Posted by Terry under: Environment .

The Coastal Roots Program was started in 2001 as an education outreach project for the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program. In 2006, the program was folded into the LSU Department of Educational Theory, Policy, & Practice and the LSU Center for Plant, Environmental, and Soil Sciences. Coastal Roots goal is to assist students in developing an attitude of stewardship toward our natural resources and to provide active learning about coastal ecosystems.

Students from grades 3-12 in Southern Louisiana are taking part in the project by establishing wetland plant nurseries at their schools. The project has been integrated into special education classes, elementary science, middle school (life and earth science) and high school biology classes. Informal education groups have also participated (e.g., 4H, science clubs, etc.)

Students are nurturing native plant seedlings that they will plant in a coastal habitat restoration project in south Louisiana.

The program’s objectives are threefold:

Conduct an on-going school-based nursery program growing native plants.
Involve students in a hands-on habitat restoration planting.
Provide teachers and students with information on issues such as ecological stewardship, wetlands functions/values, wetland loss, habitat restoration & conservation, as well as basic horticulture skills.

Students work with a variety of seeds, including the water oak, southern baldcypress, southern wax myrtle, black mangrove, red mulberry, and Spartina alterniflora grass.

Since 2000, 3,573 students have planted more than 29,000 student-produced seedlings in Louisiana coastal zone. In 2008, 775 students in grades 3-12 participated in 16 restoration plantings at sites in Louisiana. They transplanted a total of 5,465 plants.

Program schools are matched with a specific restoration site so that site biologists can work with schools to select appropriate plants needed for habitat restoration programs at the site and to educate students about ecological restoration needs of the site.