Coastal Roots Teaches Hands-on Lessons in Wetland Restoration

At Baton Rouge Earth Day, community members visit the Coastal Roots booth to “plant a seed to save the coast.” Coastal Roots’ ties to communities throughout Louisiana help to identify planting sites and raise awareness about wetland issues.
Louisiana Sea Grant College Program

THE KIDS WHO PARTICIPATE IN COASTAL ROOTS are not only learning about the crisis facing Louisiana’s wetlands — they’re also helping to solve it.

Coastal Roots students learn firsthand about ecology, horticulture and wetland restoration as they grow seedlings in school nurseries and plant them at nearby wetland sites. Since 2001, over 2,000 elementary, middle and high school students have participated in Coastal Roots, restoring 19 acres at state parks, national wildlife refuges, wetland reserves, boat landings and a zoo.

“This hands-on learning experience is exciting for the kids,” says Dianne Lindstedt, program coordinator. “It makes the importance of wetlands much more meaningful to them. We’re hopeful this will keep students engaged with wetland issues far into the future.”

Each fall or early spring, Coastal Roots students trek to wetland sites to plant seedlings started by the previous year’s class.
Louisiana Sea Grant College Program

Coastal Roots is administered by the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program and supported by the LSU Agricultural Center, BTNEP, Louisiana DNR, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Plant Materials Center of the NRCS, among others. For more information about Coastal Roots, visit www.lamer.lsu.edu/projects/coastalroots/index.htm.