Wetland Conservation
American Alligators are native to wetlands of the southeast region of the United States. With a joint effort from alligator farmers and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, they have been successfully removed from the endangered species list. Unfortunately, coastal land loss is threatening this success. Land loss threatens not only alligators, but other native coastal animals and their habitats as well.
The amount of Louisiana land lost to erosion each year averages out to a football field of land an hour.[1] This is caused in part by levees and storms. Before the Mississippi River levees were built, the Mississippi River would go through a cycle of flooding, which dispersed sediment to the wetlands around it. Because of the levees, the flood event no longer happens, and sediment is washed into the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricanes and other strong storms cause loss of sediment by erosion from waves.
With these issues in mind, scientists and volunteers are able to help by planting things like marsh grass and trees. Plants like marsh grasses hold soil together and also collect sediment that would otherwise be washed away. Trees “reduce effects of storm surge and flooding, as well as improve water quality and create habitat for fish and wildlife.” [2] Barrier islands, which act as buffers for storms to decrease the impact on land, are strengthened by the planting of marsh grasses.
This is why we believe in the mission of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. With donations, they work to restore coastal habitats by planting native wetland grasses and trees, while also educating the general public on coastal wetland issues.
Read more about Louisiana’s coastal wetlands at https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/la-wetlands.
Read more about how the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana is helping at https://www.crcl.org/habitat-restoration.
[1] https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_3128024a-cc03-57a0-9b37-18f5eb519d4b.html