Press Release

NORCO – The LaBranche Wetlands Watchers will hold their annual celebration Thursday from 9:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The celebration will take place where the Bonnet Carre Spillway meets Lake Pontchartrain. It will be easy to spot with six huge exhibit tents.

As part of their 2003-2004 LaBranche Wetland Watchers Service-Learning Project, Hurst Middle seventh graders have collected over 80 bags of trash and truckloads of junk, planted over 700 trees, performed countless numbers of water quality tests, and have guided over 400 sixth graders on wetland trips. They are currently growing over 980 trees behind their classroom that will be planted in October. The 7th graders have shared what they have learned this school year by speaking to over 16,000 adults and children around the state of Louisiana about wetland issues.

The students are hosting a LaBranche Wetlands Celebration involving five St. Charles Parish schools. About 350 fifth graders from Carver Elementary, Norco Elementary, and Schoeffner Elementary will rotate through exhibits and activities that include over 20 interactive displays, living history presentations, fish printing, face painting, hands-on with baby alligators, and even a Cajun band from Bayou Gauche, Louisiana.

Over 140 Hurst students will be facilitating activities and exhibits for 350 fifth grades with assistance from our partners. Students will also be learning how to cast fishing lines, using crab traps, and cast nets.

Participating Partners Include: Motiva Norco Refinery, Dow St. Charles Operations, Entergy, Audubon Institute Zoo Mobile, Audubon Institute Bug Mobile. Louisiana Ag and Forestry, Louisiana Dept of Natural Resources, Governor’s Office of Environmental Education, University of New Orleans Coastal Research Lab, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, Mad Science of Southeast Louisiana, U.S. Corps of Engineers, St. Charles Parish Sheriff Office Marine Division, Louisiana Dept. of Environmental Quality, National Wetlands Research Center, Louisiana State University- Sea Grant, Louisiana Fisheries Museum, Crescent Soil and Water Conservation District, JR Equipment Rental, Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Conservation and Restoration Task Force, Swamp Eyes of St. Charles Parish and St. Charles Parish Project PAL.