Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said in response:

This shortsighted bill will leave Americans at greater risk of flooding, damage our rivers and wildlife, and fleece taxpayers. Apparently, all it takes is a classic Washington pig roast to break the gridlock in the Senate.

It would cost an estimated $60 billion to build all the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects currently on the books. Today, the Senate has added to the backlog while undermining the process that identifies which projects provide real value. Time and time again, commonsense environmental reviews have shed light on expensive, damaging proposals that are not in our national interest.The Water Resources Development Act is vital for helping to restore national treasures like the Everglades and the Mississippi River Delta. Unfortunately, language in this bill undermines the bedrock environmental principle that the federal government should look before it leaps. For example, this bill will allow the Army Corps to fine other federal agencies up to $20,000 a week if they aren’t able to meet the new rushed deadlines for environmental review.

Now the debate moves to the House. We look forward to working with our representatives to protect the integrity of the environmental review process, and to enact meaningful reforms that will prioritize low impact solutions and modernize the management of existing projects. This bill must be fixed before the President signs it into law.

Read more about the Water Resources Development Act:

• Will Senate Water Down Environmental Protections While the Midwest Floods?
• Black Bears and Wetlands and the Water Resources Development Act…Oh, My!
• Five Ways the Water Resources Development Act Harms Wildlife
• Congress and Water Projects in America: The Latest on the Water Resources Development Act

Click here to view the embedded video.

It’s difficult to quantify the harm in an environmental disaster. The Gulf is enormous and oil gushed from over a mile below the surface of the ocean. Because water and wildlife move, it would be near-impossible to find every bit of damage. Researchers found evidence of Deepwater Horizon oil in pelican eggs in Minnesota last year! To compound matters, the impacts are far-reaching into parts of the ecosystem that scientists don’t know much about. For instance, a substantial amount of the oil moved southwest of the Macondo well and settled into a deep underwater canyon.

But for multinational oil companies like BP, the profits are obvious, and they are high.

BP’s 2012 annual report indicates that Chief Executive Bob Dudley, who spoke at the CERAWeek Energy Industry conference yesterday about just about everything but trial, made $2.67 million last year. In the three years since the spill, BP has netted close to $40 billion, even after covering the cost to cap the well, run ubiquitous “our beaches are open” commercials, pay individual claims and pay the largest corporate criminal penalty by the Department of Justice.

Anchor-handling tugboats battle the blazing remnants of the off shore oil rig Deepwater Horizon. U.S. Coast Guard photo.

The law that governs oil spills is clear: since profits from offshore drilling are so high and the consequences are so dangerous, unsafe drillers who spill must compensate for all damage and face penalties. This helps discourage putting profits over safety.

Unbelievably, on the day of our panel, the Washington Post ran an editorial arguing that BP should not face severe penalties. The editorial posed the question, “How much is too much for BP?” In what must be a tagline meant for an April Fool’s Day piece, the editorial continued, “A bill anywhere near that large is impossible to justify.” This is precisely why polluters engage in willful blindness to legal requirements: environmental laws are viewed as somehow less legitimate than tax evasion, racketeering, or labor laws. But crime is crime.

Testimony from the trial shows that this multi-billion dollar corporation had an “every dollar counts” mentality that led them to take egregious safety risks to cut costs, resulting in the loss of eleven lives and over 172 million gallons of crude oil spilled in one of the most productive ecosystems in the world. Misplaced sympathy for BP’s liability is akin to taking pity on Ponzi schemers facing punitive damages for their crimes. BP made calculated business decisions to take dangerous shortcuts in search of profit. The only way to prevent such behavior in the future is to balance the scales of justice so that the reward no longer justifies the risk.

Almost three years after the spill began, the Gulf’s dolphins are still dying in high numbers. Ask the Department of Justice to hold BP fully accountable so we can restore the Gulf of Mexico!

New Report: A Turning Point for Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy

September 13 – America can create hundreds of thousands of jobs while powering our homes and businesses with local, clean energy, but only if our elected officials and regulators take the right steps now, according to a new report released today by the National Wildlife Federation, Environment America, and 45 partner organizations along the Atlantic Coast. The Turning Point for Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy: Time for Action to Create Jobs, Reduce Pollution, Protect Wildlife & Secure America’s Energy Future details the economic and environmental benefits of offshore wind energy, the progress made to-date, potential obstacles to that progress, and a prosperous path forward.

“America’s Atlantic coast has some of the best offshore wind energy resources in the world, the technology to harvest it is ready right now, and we have workers ready to do the job,” said Catherine Bowes, the National Wildlife Federation’s senior manager for new energy solutions and lead author of the report. “We need to take advantage of this golden opportunity to make our electricity supply cleaner, more wildlife-friendly, and more secure.”

Hurricane Isaac Batters Louisiana Marshes, Uncovers Oil

September 13 – When Hurricane Isaac struck Louisiana on the seven-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, its winds and tidal surge caused four deaths and at least $1.5 billion in insured damages. For many residents around the Mississippi River Delta, Isaac brought back memories of two recent disasters to hit the coast—Katrina and the 2010 Gulf oil disaster.  Before the storm even hit land, residents in some coastal communities noticed a rise in the number of tar balls washing ashore. Officials later discovered moderate amounts of tar balls and weathered oil in coastal Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Experts say scenes like this could be normal for decades to come and that Louisiana’s coast will require constant monitoring and a long-term plan for restoration. Despite advertising campaigns to the contrary, the region is still reeling from the Gulf oil disaster more than two years after the blow out of BP’s Macondo well.

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• Associated Press (SC): Fracking, economy slow developing SC offshore wind
• Associated Press (ME): Maine offshore wind topic of new report
• Providence Business News: Report: R.I. lays groundwork for wind energy
• New Hampshire Business Review: Is there potential in N.H. offshore wind generation?
• Public News Service (ME): Report: Time to Reel in the Benefits of Offshore Wind
• Radio Iowa: National Wildlife Federation scientist says drought is clear sign of global warming
• Great Falls Tribune: Wyoming tribes seek Yellowstone bison from Montana
• WKSU: U.S. and Canadian government agencies make plans to restore the Great Lakes

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News

House Agriculture Committee Passes Farm Bill that Will Lead to Destruction of Prairies and Wetlands

July 12 – The National Wildlife Federation today criticized the Farm Bill passed by the House Committee on Agriculture for its damaging implications for the nation’s declining prairies and wetlands. A strongly supported bipartisan amendment to limit federal subsidies for farming on native grasslands was withdrawn after committee Chairman Frank Lucas expressed his strong disapproval to allowing it to apply in his home state of Oklahoma.

“A national sodsaver measure to protect grasslands and minimum soil and wetland conservation requirements are common sense provisions that are broadly supported by hunters, anglers, budget hawks and farmers who are willing to meet some environmental standards in exchange for federal benefits like crop insurance,” said Julie Sibbing, Director of Agriculture and Forestry Programs at the National Wildlife Federation.

Oh, Ranger! ParkFinder™ Mobile App Supports National Wildlife Federation

July 11 – American Park Network, creator of Oh, Ranger! ParkFinder™, a mobile app that helps users find nearby parks based on location and activities, announced today that Ford Explorer will donate $1-per-download to National Wildlife Federation and three other non-profit organizations. The non-profit partners, which each have integral ties to public lands and the great outdoors, will receive a total of $150,000. The money will be distributed in proportion to the votes. The app is FREE and you can influence how much money NWF receives by downloading today (or updating if you already use the app) and voting for NWF. The campaign just launched and will continue through September.

“Not only is this an incredible tool for both Apple and Android smartphone users, but by downloading the app, people are able to support the mission of National Wildlife Federation,” said Larry Schweiger, President and CEO of National Wildlife Federation. “This generous donation will help NWF expand our work to safeguard our nation’s natural heritage and expose more children to the wonders of nature.”

NTSB Blasts Enbridge Failures that Created Kalamazoo Tar Sands Spill

July 10 – The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) held a hearing on its draft report on the investigation of the massive Kalamazoo River tar sands spill. NTSB panelists were critical of multiple failures by Enbridge, Inc., from inferior pipeline design, to poor training and management, and an inept spill response that worsened the disaster. The spill, which sent more than one million gallons into the Kalamazoo River watershed in July 2010, was the largest tar sands oil spill in history.

Beth Wallace, NWF Great Lakes community outreach advisor said:

“NTSB’s findings are a wake-up call for Enbridge, and should put communities on alert that the pipelines in their back yards may not be safe. The company behind the biggest tar sands spill in history can no longer hide behind rhetoric and needs to make serious changes to its business practices to protect communities from the dangers of another massive spill.

State of the Coast Conference Addresses Louisiana’s Deteriorating Coast

July 10 – More than 800 delegates met in New Orleans last month for the State of the Coast conference. Representatives from the science community, non-governmental organizations, universities, government agencies and private enterprises gathered to share ideas and solutions for restoring Louisiana’s deteriorating coast.

Organizers say the conference brought together critical industries and agencies to work toward comprehensive coastal restoration.  At a time when the RESTORE Act has brought about a heightened awareness of Louisiana’s ecological crisis and the potential for billions of dollars in funding restoration projects, innovative ideas may soon be put to work on the coast.

WATCH: State of the Coast Conference 2012

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• Greenwire: Industry group blasts department for exaggerating its economic impact (subscription required)
• Detroit Free Press: Canadian report: If they get in, Asian carp would thrive, spread to all Great Lakes
• Wisconsin Radio Network: Report details Asian Carp threat
• Michigan Radio: Enbridge employees compared to ‘Keystone Cops’ in 2010 Kalamazoo River oil spill
• The American Independent: Enbridge, regulators faulted in Michigan oil spill
• Kalamazoo Gazette: Enbridge oil spill investigation: Environmental, pipeline groups agree more regulations are needed
• The Ledger: Weekend Plantings: ‘Gardening for Wildlife Myths’

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News

Tar mat coats marsh in Bay Jimmy off Louisiana’s Barataria Bay, March 2012 (NWF staff photo)

Ryan Lambert has been a Cajun fishing and hunting guide for 31 years and is alarmed by the decline he’s seen in the last two.

“This [Bay Jimmy] island should be covered with shorebirds and there are none,” he says. “They ought to be nesting in here. Any island before this oil spill, you come up to an island like this and you can’t hear yourself think. And look, it’s void of life.” Lambert says his speckled trout catch is also down 98 percent.

“You know, we’re used to going out … where this water is coming through and [picking] up 40 fish right there, no problem in a half hour,” he says. “You go try to catch a fish there right now, that’s not happening.” Lambert says he’s tired of hearing “Everything’s fine, come on down,” a message in some of BP’s ads. “Our whole life is upside-down, on hold, waiting to see what happens.”

He says two years later, it’s not fine — and it’s far from over.

It’s not just BP that wants to pretend everything’s fine—plenty of members of Congress have been more eager to rush back to reckless drilling than they have been to commit the federal government to comprehensive Gulf restoration.

I joined The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann last week to talk about continued Congressional inaction in the face of ongoing evidence of the oil’s destruction, particularly the troubling dolphin deaths:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to ask your members of Congress dedicate BP’s oil spill fines and penalties to Gulf restoration.

La. 2012 Coastal Master Plan Must Be Visionary, Groups Say

January 12 – As the state of Louisiana released its draft 2012 Coastal Master Plan Thursday, conservation groups urged state officials to ensure that the final master plan utilizes the best available science to create a bold, clear vision for the future of Louisiana’s wetlands and communities.

“The disappearance of Louisiana’s wetlands – at about a football field per hour – puts Louisiana’s people, communities and economy at greater and greater risk each year,” said a joint statement from the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, Environmental Defense Fund, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation and The Nature Conservancy.

Protection of One Million Acres Near the Grand Canyon is a Victory for Wildlife, Sportsmen and Jobs

January 9 – The National Wildlife Federation applauds Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and the Obama administration for recognizing the critical importance of one of our country’s most cherished places, the Grand Canyon. Today, the administration announced a 20-year ban on new mining claims near this great national treasure. The move protects over one million acres near the site, as well as wildlife, water and jobs.

“Increased mining for uranium so close to  the Grand Canyon could very well have undermined water resources in the region, leading to the devastation of wildlife and habitat,” said Todd Keller, senior manager for public lands campaigns at the National Wildlife Federation.

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• The Buffalo News: Report raises alert on Asian carp
• Greenwire: Battle over Keystone XL deepens ahead of U.S. Chamber’s push
• National Journal: Chamber Opponents Prebut Donohue Address
• The Hill: Business groups, Republicans launch onslaught on president over Keystone

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News

Healthy Kids Outdoors Act Supports Strategies to Connect Kids with Nature

November 3 – Rep. Ron Kind (WI) and Sen. Mark Udall (CO) introduced House and Senate versions of the Healthy Kids Outdoors Act today to support state, local and federal strategies to connect youth and families with the natural world, with an eye toward improving children’s health and supporting future economic growth and conservation efforts.

“The nature of childhood has changed, and there isn’t much nature in it,” said Larry Schweiger, National Wildlife Federation’s president and CEO. “National Wildlife Federation commends Congressman Ron Kind and Senator Mark Udall for introducing legislation that will strengthen the economy by getting Americans moving through recreation and active outdoor play.”

Bill Undermines Invasive Species Protections for Great Lakes

November 3 – On the eve of a potential vote in the U.S. House of Representatives, the National Wildlife Federation is opposing provisions in a federal bill that would be a devastating setback in the effort to stop aquatic invasive species from entering the Great Lakes and other U.S. waters through the ballast discharge of foreign ships.

“This bill is bad for the Great Lakes,” said Andy Buchsbaum, regional executive director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes office. “It leaves the door open for invasive species to enter the lakes through the discharge of ships’ ballast water.

Restoring Oyster Reefs Benefits People, Economies, Ecosystems and Oysters

November 3 – If all the oyster reefs are gone, where are all of those oysters-on-the-half-shell coming from?

An estimated 95 percent of oysters served for slurping come from oyster farms. Wild oysters have been fished out, developed out and smothered by river sediment. The nearly 5 million barrels of oil BP let loose in the Gulf of Mexico didn’t help either. But BP, or more accurately, BP’s money can help restore wild oyster reefs (and a whole lot more). The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have introduced separate bills that would direct at least 80 percent of the Clean Water Act penalties levied on BP to Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Texas to invest in the long term health of the environment and local economies.

Of course, “investing in local economies” covers a lot of ground, not necessarily in, on or adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico.

Louisiana Coastal Restoration Grants Welcome News, But Only a Short-Term Solution

November 3 – In late September, the Secretary of Commerce announced $102 million in grants for three projects to restore deteriorated wetlands and barrier island habitats in Louisiana. The restoration efforts involve pumping sediment to barrier island shores, rebuilding marshes and reinforcing shorelines in areas where precious land is eroding at a rapid pace.

While it’s a step in the right direction and welcome news to many, coastal advocates say it’s a temporary solution to a long-term problem. Such restoration projects can only be sustained by the permanent and natural land-replenishing impacts of freshwater diversions from the Mississippi River.

National Wildlife Federation, Partners Hold Symposium on Gulf Oil Disaster

November 2 -The National Wildlife Federation is sponsoring the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Symposium with the National Aquarium Conservation Center, Mote Marine Laboratory and Johns Hopkins University November 2-4 at the National Aquarium.

NRDA for the Gulf: Improving Our Ability to Quantify Chronic Damages will allow symposium participants to discuss long-term effects and solutions resulting from the Gulf oil disaster. Since the disaster, scientists/ researchers have been studying the impacts on natural resources in the Gulf and working together to find immediate and long-term solutions.

Lawmakers Starve Conservation Programs That Benefit Farmers and Wildlife

November 1 – The Senate voted to slash more than $700 million dollars from conservation programs that help farmers, ranchers and foresters, as well as soil, water and wildlife. These steep cuts in the 2012 Agriculture Appropriations bill target crucial and effective programs that are already oversubscribed with a long waiting list of farmers wanting to implement conservation practices.

“You reap what you sow, and the agriculture funding bill will be a bitter harvest for farmers, ranchers and wildlife,” said Aviva Glaser, agriculture policy coordinator for the National Wildlife Federation.

2012 Duck Stamp Announcement Highlights Value of Wetland Conservation

October 30 – The selection of the 2012 Federal Duck Stamp art contest winner – whose work will appear on stamps purchased by every duck hunter in America – puts a spotlight on the nation’s troubled wetland ecosystems. The National Wildlife Federation, Izaak Walton League, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and Trout Unlimited support restoring Clean Water Act protections for wetlands and other waters that are critical to fish and wildlife populations and our outdoor traditions.

New Report: Congressional Panel Can Cut Deficit, Protect Wildlife

October 27 – The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction can protect America’s wildlife, public health and economy by ensuring a deficit deal protects critical conservation programs that have already been disproportionately slashed, according to a new report from the National Wildlife Federation. Conservation Works: How Congress Can Lower the Deficit and Protect Wildlife & Public Health also identifies more than $100 billion in savings that could be realized by cutting wasteful tax giveaways for oil, coal and ethanol.

“Investments in conservation programs are a great bargain, accounting for just one percent of federal spending but delivering huge benefits to all Americans, protecting wildlife, investing in clean energy jobs, and reducing pollution that harms our children,” said Jeremy Symons, senior vice president of the National Wildlife Federation.

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• Detroit Free Press: Bill on ballast water would threaten Great Lakes, environmentalists say
• Field & Stream: Conservation Update: How To Make A Farm Friendly to Wildlife
• New York Post: Wetlands at a Loss in the U.S.
• Des Moines Register: Conservationist urges Iowans to speak out on climate change

For more, visit www.nwf.org/News

Caernarvon Delta, August 2011 (NWF staff photo)

By Maura Wood, National Wildlife Federation Coastal Louisiana Senior Outreach Coordinator

Our boat left the canal, rounded a small spit of land, and emerged into the outfall area of the Caernarvon freshwater diversion, known as Big Mar – Big Sea. Situated in the last big bend of the Mississippi River about a half an hour drive south of New Orleans, this failed agricultural enterprise of the past shows up on satellite photos as a big square lake. Recent imagery had suggested that perhaps some mud shoals had developed as a result of the diversion.

But today, I wasn’t looking at mud shoals. I was looking at acres of bushy, green, growing, happy vegetation. This couldn’t be Big Mar.  This was “Big Mar-sh”!

Caernarvon is the diversion everybody loves to hate.  “It doesn’t work,” they say.  “It hasn’t built land. What good is it?”

I always sigh when I hear that. Diversions should be a way of reconnecting the water and sediment of the Mississippi River, constrained within levees, with the nearby marshes which, pre-levee, were built and sustained by annual flooding of the river. Caernarvon is not that kind of sediment diversion, it is a freshwater diversion only, designed to lower salinities in an area where saltwater had intruded. Although the water of the Mississippi River contains lots of mud and sand, this diversion project didn’t focus on land-building, and was built instead to provide fresh water to a basin being inundated with salt.

But sitting in the boat, in an area that could no longer be referred to as a sea but rather a sea of plants, we were stunned at what the river had wrought. “This is more than I ever expected,” said John Lopez, a seasoned wetland scientist and executive director of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation. “This is phenomenal.”

David Muth, the National Wildlife Federation’s Louisiana state director, reached into the shallow water and grabbed a handful from the bottom. “It is mixed sand and silt. Once these plants become established, this marsh will not be washing away in the next hurricane, the way nearby organic soils did in Katrina. This is solid ground.”

So even though the design and intention of this particular diversion hadn’t encouraged it to, the Mississippi River had done what it does – build land. Caernarvon was opened in 1990 and over the years, it’s transported and deposited sand and mud into Big Mar, a little at a time, year after year.

Small areas of land began emerging after Hurricane Katrina. Big flood years on the river in spring 2008 and 2010 provided extra amounts of sediment, and the extended opening of the diversion during the oil spill a year ago might have contributed additional sediment as well, so that when the water receded, more land emerged. And in south Louisiana, it doesn’t take long for plants to take root, grow, and enhance land-building by trapping and holding even more sediment. The spring and summer of 2011 did the trick, and what looked promising a year ago looked spectacular today.

Our boat captains and Chris Macaluso of the Louisiana Wildlife Federation, NWF’s state affiliate, pointed to seed heads on the marshy plants that will feed flocks of ducks in the near future. A few blue-winged teal and mottled ducks served as tantalizing harbingers of the hundreds to follow.

On some of the higher areas, small trees demonstrated the progression of vegetation and habitats that can be expected as land continues to build and emerge from the water. David Muth probed the muddy bottom with a measuring pole to determine water depths – 6 inches, 12 inches, 6 inches – in an area originally several feet deep. It won’t be many more years before we can expect those shallow areas to fill and even more land to emerge. Check out comparison photos in this Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation report (PDF).

The National Wildlife Federation is committed to restoring a sustainable coast in Louisiana, and the capacity of the Mississippi River to transport sand and build land is a powerful tool. Our trip to Caernarvon provided a first-hand re-affirmation, once again, of this power.  At Caernarvon, we didn’t particularly help the River, and it took a long time, but it is doing what the river does – transporting and depositing sand, and building land.

Imagine what a diversion can do that is built to enhance this capacity? We are now capable of marsh-building diversions, that focus on capturing high concentrations of sediment.

So enough about “Caernarvon doesn’t work.” Caernarvon is showing us that the Mississippi River builds land. It always has, and it always will.

Take Action

It’s been over a year since the Gulf oil spill disaster began – and Congress has yet to require that BP fines from the horrific spill actually go back toward restoring the Gulf of Mexico. Please take a moment to ask your members of Congress to make a national commitment to Mississippi River Delta restoration.

Their job: to take on the seemingly impossible task of restoring some of the marshes and beaches that became so damaged by the BP oil disaster of 2010.   Over the course of the day, a group of 50 volunteers planted 1,600 black mangroves along the marshy shoreline of Grand Isle State Park and another 500 plugs of bitter panicum, a native grass, along beach areas.

The park, edging on Barataria Bay, was one of many places considered “ground zero” when the toxic BP oil came ashore. Moreover, the community of Grand Isle had double trouble when Hurricane Katrina surged over the island smashing many or its homes, businesses and camp areas.  More of Louisiana’s valuable wetlands were lost to the storm then in any other recorded time.  Undaunted, the community’s leaders are moving forward and even smaller efforts such as wetland and beach restorations are making a difference.

To bring out volunteers for several such restoration efforts, the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) and National Wildlife Federation (NWF) formed a partnership to directly engage people in improving oil-impacted mangrove habitats across areas of coastal Louisiana.  The partnership’s main goal is to engage volunteers in restoring three areas that were heavily impacted by the BP Deepwater Horizon spill.

The group gathered at the park early Saturday and, after being briefed on how to effectively plant the mangroves and panicum, they were deployed in smaller groups spread along the shoreline.  The volunteers worked hard most of the day, in the June heat, laying in new vegetation along critical places that the oil had harmed. Others worked on plantings that would stabilize and rebuild marshes and beach areas suffering from erosion.   It is the kind of work that is physically challenging but highly rewarding.  Importantly, the volunteers formed a common sense of purpose and took great joy in seeing their progress and results.

These wonderful folks remind all of us to recognize that the Gulf oil disaster is far from over and it will take many years to repair the damage, if it ever can be repaired.   But they also remind us of the deep human need to have hope for a better future for the people, wildlife and nature of Grand Isle and for all of us.

Volunteers in Action: Find out about other volunteer efforts to restore damaged wetlands on the Gulf Coast.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Built a Quarter Mile of Oyster Reef in Mobile, Alabama

Kicking off the first event with chilly, overcast conditions on January 22^nd and 23^rd, over 500 volunteers from Alabama and across the country came together in Mobile bay to foster the beginnings of oyster reefs. 16,000 bags of oyster shells were carefully dispersed along the shore with the goal of building 100 new miles of oyster reefs and 1000 miles of replanted marshlands along the Gulf in Alabama to make Alabama’s coastal areas more resilient to impacts from hurricanes, oil spill accidents, and climate change. The work was the result of a collaboration of more than 20 public and private partners including National Wildlife Federation, Nature Conservancy and NOAA.

Restored Native Ground Cover at Bald Point State Park

Next, volunteers gathered at Bald Point State Park on Florida’s Gulf Coast.  Park Ranger Kevin Patton introduced us to our work site for the next two days and we successfully worked in teams and planted 5,000 wiregrass plugs and disperse a dozen bags of seed. Bald Eagles and other migrating raptors, along with monarch butterflies use this area to rest before continuing south for the winter.  It is imperative to keep these lands healthy. Additionally, the Florida Wildlife Federation gathered signatures to petition for a constitutional amendment to prohibit oil and gas drilling in Florida’s near-shore waters.

Restored Dunes to Protect Nesting Wildlife at Perdido Key State Park

Next up, dune restoration in Perdido Key, Florida!  Joined by over 75 volunteers including the US Navy and Air Force at Pensacola, combed the beach to protect the critical habitat of residential and migratory nesting wildlife such as turtles and birds!  As the oil washed up on miles of beaches along the Gulf Coast, Perdido Key, home of the endangered Beach Mouse felt heavy impacts. Volunteers worked as temperatures reached the high 80s to rebuild and protect an important dune boundary to help native grasses and habitat for nesting shore birds, turtles, and the native beach mouse.

Conserved Acres of Beach and Recreation Trails

On March 25^th our next event was about 2 hours East of Perdido Key at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. University of California at Berkley students dedicated their spring break time away from examinations and study sessions to engage in hands on restoration work on some of the most beautiful beaches in the country. Joined by South Walton Community locals, we were able to accomplish clearing and marking 6 hiking trails, installing signs and effectively roping off over 3 miles of beach to protect the dunes and wildlife who nest there, and remove invasive exotic plant species to allow for native pitcher plant growth.

Restored the Marshes of Mississippi

Over 30 volunteers worked in Ansley Marsh which borders the Gulf and is a haven for migratory birds and many alligators.  Volunteers toiled in the sun with many insect friends to remove debris from Hurricane Katrina, plant marsh grasses and work on the removal of the very invasive Chinese tallow tree (popcorn tree).  The marsh is part of the gateway system protecting the open waters of the gulf from the shoreline homes of MS coastal communities.

Rebuilt Marsh in Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge

Last stop – West to Louisiana!  Tasked with planting over 20,000 grasses over two events (four days), National Wildlife Federation partnered with US Fish and Wildlife Service and  the Louisiana Wildlife Federation to make this goal a reality.  Just outside of New Orleans, Volunteers traveled to Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge to plant marsh grasses to restore lost habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife species.  This event almost fell exactly on the one year mark of the Gulf oil disaster. Ben Weber, NWF’s Oil Spill Response Coordinator for the Western Gulf said “Heightened public awareness, volunteer enthusiasm and support from NWF members is making a big impact.” On April 15^th and 16^th and over Memorial Day weekend, volunteers worked in high water levels on uneven muck and mud to space plants across the water five feet apart.  Mary Swantek who traveled with a group of 15 volunteers weighed in on her experience, “Working in the marsh just outside of New Orleans was a once in a life time experience.  We not only took an air boat ride to get to the work site but were surrounded by all kinds of wildlife, it was absolutely beautiful.  Crawling in 4 to 6 inches of water and planting marsh grasses was a bit intimidating at first but with adrenaline running high we were all there for one reason… to protect these lands and protect wildlife!” Margaret Mead once said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.   Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” Having had the opportunity to organize and travel to work hands on at several of these events, this quote takes on a new meaning for me.  The level of commitment, enthusiasm, and dedication to wildlife and wild spaces from volunteers who traveled near and far to work with National Wildlife Federation is astounding.  It is indisputable that our hard work from Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, to Florida made a difference to local habitat and wildlife.

UPDATE: On June 25, 50 volunteers planted 1,600 black mangroves in Grand Isle, LA as part of the the Gulf Coast recovery effort.