Feature
Sept.
22
Environmental Festival Moves to Morgan City
by Terry Trahan Jr.
Louisiana’s estuaries and rapidly disappearing coastline will be hot topics at La Fête d’Ecologie, a one-day festival sponsored by the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program in Morgan City.
The festival has been educating locals about the state’s coastline for 15 years. Over 20 federal, state and local environmental agencies set up booths to demonstrate how the environment and people living in south Louisiana affect the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary, which covers 4.2 million acres.
Those who attend the festival on Sept. 24 get their chance to stop at the booths, ask questions about what’s going on and get an explanation they can understand, said Shelley Sparks, project manager of the festival.
“It was started as a way to educate people about coastal restoration as well as cultural preservation,” Sparks said. “It’s not like going to a meeting. It’s a festival, and there’s activity going on all day.”
While bands and folk artists share their heritage with festivalgoers, others participate in interactive exhibits that discuss operations like pipeline sediment delivery and whether or not it should be used now to build land along the coast. An alternative is to explore options in fresh and salt water diversion to protect the estuaries. Each comes with its own pros and cons.
These are the types of conversations being shared by officials and citizens who live in the areas affected by these decisions. Sparks hopes that those who attend the festival will become educated on the issues and take action when they leave the festival by contacting representatives about any concerns they may have.
“They’re the ones that vote and have a say-so,” Sparks said.
The greatest concern is that the coast’s natural flood-protection system is disappearing with the 25-35 square miles of land lost along the state’s coastline each year. The BTNEP realizes that it takes an active community in support of one common cause to create change. That’s where a day filled with activities comes in.
La Fête d’Ecologie features folk artists who demonstrate traditional wood carving techniques, Cajun chefs who bring a taste of local favorites, a scavenger hunt that encourages participation in learning about local estuaries and a cast net competition that promises to be a must-see for those wanting a glimpse of the Cast Net King. The king emerges from the murky swamp once a year to reclaim his title in the competition.
“This man shows up covered in moss,” Sparks said. “He’s one of the few people who still lives off the land.”
Local music has also contributed to raising awareness for coastal restoration at the festival. The 2011 band lineup includes local favorites like the Moss Pickers, Tommy G and Stormy Weather, Jeffery Broussard and the Creole Cowboys and the Pine Leaf Boys.
For the past 14 years, the festival has been held at the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Thibodaux. This year, organizers chose to move the event to Victor Guarisco Lake End Park in Morgan City after the flood threat earlier this year targeted the city, which sits in the Morganza Spillway’s path.
“Thibodaux has been great,” Sparks said, “but we felt like since the flood threat, the residents of Morgan City really kept their nose to the ground and are interested in environmental issues.”
Morgan City’s local government has been supportive of the festival, Sparks said, and the event’s organizers are excited to educate more of south Louisiana’s residents on the benefits of planning now and making wise decisions about the coast’s future.
“We’re very flavorful,” Sparks said. “We work together as a community. Other places have lost that.”
