| Marsh Maneuvers
is: |
 |
– day experience to see, learn about and gain
an appreciation for Louisiana's Coastal environment
–
weeks of camps
– H high school students from across the
state
– parishes at each camp |
Marsh Maneuvers 2007
Since
1989, over 600 high school 4H students from all across Louisiana have
had the unforgettable experience of walking in marsh mud, swatting mosquitoes
and watching the sunrise over the marsh. This sometimes grueling but
rewarding experience also etched in their minds the wonder, complexity,
value and productivity of Louisiana’s coastal environment also
known as America’s Wetlands.
Marsh
Maneuvers is an educational program of the LSU AgCenter in cooperation
with the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program and the Louisiana Department
of Wildlife and Fisheries. While the program was held in the Barataria
watershed (1993-2003), the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program
was a major contributor to this award winning program. Beginning in
2004, Marsh Maneuvers moved to Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge in Grand
Chenier, Louisiana. Starting in 2007, the Louisiana Department of Natural
Resources became a major sponsor for the camps. The McIhenny Company
also cooperated with this project by arranging coastal restoration activities
near Avery Island.
With
the move to Rockefeller Refuge comes a newly updated curriculum that
focuses on the marshes of the Chenier Plain ecosystem and Teche-Vermilion,
Mermentau and Calcasieu watersheds. Students experienced the biological
diversity and complexity of this environment by examining the life cycles
and habitat requirements of wetland flora and fauna. They participated
in evaluating environmental quality through water testing and examining
the hydrology of the watershed basins and the coast. Exercises in natural
resource management helped the students appreciate the difficulty in
balancing social needs and environmental consequences. Some of the activities
used to illustrate these concepts include: fishing, crabbing, cast netting,
water chemistry testing, wildlife observation, seafood processing, boating,
policy debates and more.
The
week long camps were held in July. Four sessions were held with students
from 16 different parishes participating. Parish participation is rotated
so that students from all 64 Louisiana parishes have an opportunity
to attend every three or four years.
The LSU AgCenter and Sea Grant provided two Fisheries/Watershed agents
as instructors and two 4H agents as chaperones for each camp session.
The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries provide an aquatic education
specialist at each camp as well as provide the dormitory facility and
boat transportation. Thanks to the grant from the Louisiana Department
of Natural Resources and the cooperation of the participating agencies,
this opportunity was offered to the students free of charge.
