Since Katrina, NWF has worked with communities to build protection from future storms by advocating for restoration of coastal wetlands and barrier islands. Our first intern in Louisiana after Katrina … Read more
South Central
NWF’s South Central Regional Center encompasses 12 states along the Gulf Coast and stretches into the Midwest. Priority programs focus on protecting and restoring healthy rivers and estuaries, conserving wetlands, protecting wildlife habitats, and connecting people with the natural world.
Katrina: 20 Years Later, Disasters are Worsening
Twenty years ago, meteorologists at the National Weather Service (NWS) issued an ominous warning of Hurricane Katrina’s impending destruction to New Orleans and surrounding areas. Parts of that bulletin, issued … Read more
Twenty Years After Katrina, Hurricane Highway Still Awaits Restoration
Like thousands of other people who wanted to help, I moved to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina devastated southeast Louisiana and the Mississippi coast. I watched the aftermath of Katrina … Read more
Understanding the Benefits of Prescribed Fire
There’s an unfortunate misconception about the role of forest fires, with the public fearing the natural disaster’s potential for destruction, displacement, and disruption. However, while large wildfires can certainly be … Read more
Why Science and Storytelling Matter More Than Ever for Prescribed Fire
In today’s changing climate, prescribed fire is more than just a land management technique. It’s a lifeline for our forests, grasslands, and wildlife. But despite its benefits, prescribed fire continues … Read more
Building the Future of Fire: Fort Valley Students Join Their First Learn & Burn
Prescribed fire is more than a management tool—it’s a tradition, a science, and an essential part of restoring and maintaining healthy forests. At our latest Learn & Burn event, we … Read more
Exploring Edible Plants Native to the Southeast U.S.
Almost everything grown for food and agriculture today is the product of thousands of years of breeding. Farmers of the past domesticated crop plants by selecting desirable traits to pass … Read more
Reclaiming Heirs’ Property: One Landowner’s Story
In 1865, Dr. Thomas Lining, a former slave owner in South Carolina, signed over his land to Lizzie Cunningham Dottree Hamilton. However, this wasn’t an act of generosity, but rather … Read more
Community Spotlight: A Pocket Prairie for Channelview, TX
In April of 2025, culminating two years of community engagement work and NWF’s Resilient Schools and Communities (RiSC) program at Channelview High School, NWF and our local partners created a … Read more
How the Longleaf Pine’s Needles Support the Lumbee People
When settlers invaded North America, they encountered significant beauty and ecological richness, such as the sprawling longleaf pine forests that covered approximately 90 million acres of the Southeast—made possible through … Read more
