Destrehan student Courtney Pfalzgraf recently coordinated her “Save the Wetlands” senior project at Wetland Watchers Park that included community volunteers collecting litter and planting trees.
Pfalzgraf coordinated her project with the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation’s Beach Sweep event so that all of the data of trash collected at Wetland Watchers Park could be included in the regional totals as well as the data for the International Coastal Cleanup. The group consisted of 44 volunteers, mostly students representing five different schools, who collected 15 huge bags of litter and planted more than 100 cypress trees grown through the LSU Coastal Roots Seedlings Project.
“I chose to do my senior project on saving the wetlands because I think the wetlands are so beautiful. I chose Wetland Watchers Park to hold the project because in middle school this was the first place I got to really see the Louisiana wetlands and learn about their importance,” Pfalzgraf said.
Volunteers said they could not believe that park visitors left refuse such as dirty diapers near the boardwalk.
“When we got out there for the project, it was horrifying to see how much people litter and to see how people just throw things on the ground like it was a trash can.” Pfalzgraf said. “I am proud that through my project we were able to make a difference by helping the wetlands even if it was small. Maybe it will inspire one of the kids that volunteered to hold their own project.”
Be the first to comment