Delta Dispatches

Reviving Bayou Lafourche

June 24th, 2021  |  1 hr 22 mins

On today’s episode of Delta Dispatches, Jacques and Simone talk about the restoration of the “longest Main Street in the world!” First up, we catch up with Ryan M. Perque, Executive Director of the Friends of the Bayou Lafourche. He talks about the history of the waterway and the work his organization and others are doing to restore it. In the second half of the show, we continue our conversation about Bayou Lafourche with Tristan Baurick, environmental reporter with The Times Picayune New Orleans Advocate, who recently wrote two great articles about these restoration efforts on nola.com.

Read Tristan's reporting:
part 1: https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_70cbb236-b191-11eb-93fa-af3599177e15.html
part 2: https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_451592f0-c4a7-11eb-bc02-8f61079a8834.html

Visit Friends of Bayou Lafourche: https://bayoulafourche.org/

Beyond the Bayou Tours

June 17th, 2021  |  37 mins 48 secs

As summer kicks off and tourism ramps back up in Louisiana, Simone and Jacques welcome Jared Sternberg, founder of Beyond the Bayou eco-tours (https://www.beyondthebayoutours.com/), to discuss how and why he founded his business as well as their tour offerings, eco-tourism as a tool for coastal education, and a new partnership with the Old 77 Hotel in New Orleans to bring more people out into the swamp.

State of the Coast with CRCL

May 5th, 2021  |  28 mins 4 secs

This week on Delta Dispatches, Jacques brings back our friends from the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana James Karst, director of communications and marketing, and Emily Vuxton, policy director. James talks about the upcoming State of the Coast conference (registration open now: https://www.stateofthecoast.org/rates) and Emily talks about things to keep an eye on in this year’s Louisiana state legislative session including the 2021 Coastal Annual Plan.

The Guardian of the Wetlands

April 22nd, 2021  |  36 mins 40 secs

This week on Delta Dispatches we’re talking about the inspirational new exhibit at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art which features works from John Taylor, storyteller, environmentalist, self-taught artist and life-long resident of New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward. Here to talk about the exhibit is Mikhayla Harrell, the Museum Educator and Teen Intern Coordinator at the Ogden Museum and Amanda Moore Deputy Director, Gulf Program for the National Wildlife Federation. This exhibition features a variety of works by Taylor, including eight walking sticks carved from wood found along the banks of the Mississippi River and eight photographs of the Bayou Bienvenue Wetland Triangle as well as historical information about Louisiana wetland loss, and provides a number of ways people can get involved with restoration efforts.

The Place with No Edge — A Conversation with Author Adam Mandelman on the Mississippi River Delta Past, Present and Future

March 30th, 2021  |  40 mins 54 secs

On today's episode, Jacques and Simone welcome author Adam Mandelman to discuss his book, The Place with No Edge: An Intimate History of People, Technology, and the Mississippi River Delta, "a book about people’s dreams of mastering nature through technology in one of the wettest, most unruly landscapes of North America. Published with Louisiana State University Press in April of 2020, it chronicles three centuries of European efforts to tame the Mississippi River Delta, an environment defined by flood and wetlands." Adam discusses highlights key themes from his book, provides insight into his research process and discusses his perspectives on efforts to build greater resilience on the Mississippi River Delta. Purchase a copy of his book at your local bookstore or here: https://lsupress.org/books/detail/the-place-with-no-edge/.

Discussing the Mid Barataria DEIS with the Army Corps:

March 18th, 2021  |  42 mins 52 secs

On today's episode, Jacques and Simone welcome Jeff Varisco, Senior Project Manager, and Brad Laborde, Regulatory Manager, with the Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District. Jeff and Brad walk us through the milestone that is the release of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Mid Barataria Sediment Diversion, discuss how the public can engage in submitting comments over the comment period and provide insight into how these comments will inform a final Environmental Impact Statement for the project. Read the DEIS, get information on the formal public meetings and details on how to submit public comments at: https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/Permits/Mid-Barataria-Sediment-Diversion-EIS/

A Monumental Moment for Louisiana’s Coast

March 4th, 2021  |  53 mins 7 secs

On this week’s episode of Delta Dispatches, Simone and Jacques bring back their first-ever guests, Dr. Alisha Renfro with the National Wildlife Federation and Steve Cochran campaign director with Restore the Mississippi River Delta and Environmental Defense Fund, to mark a big milestone for Louisiana’s coast -- the release of the draft Environmental Impact Statement and Restoration Plan for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion would be the single largest ecosystem restoration project in U.S. history and will build more wetlands than any other individual restoration project in the world in an area experiencing the highest rates of land loss on the planet. Alisha and Steve discuss the science behind the project, why it’s critical to Louisiana’s future and how the public can get involved in the process moving forward. Learn more at http://mississippiriverdelta.org/midbarataria.

Looking Ahead to 2021

February 26th, 2021  |  48 mins 14 secs

This week on Delta Dispatches, we sit down with one of our favorite guests, Bren Haase, Executive Director for the Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority. The CPRA is releasing their draft Annual Plan, which outlines the coastal projects moving forward in the next 12 months and Bren walks us through many of the big projects that will make 2021 a great year for coastal Louisiana.

Cook-off for the Coast & Friends of Bayou Lafourche

February 11th, 2021  |  49 mins 32 secs

On today's episode, Simone and Jacques welcome back National Wildlife Federation Outreach Manager Samantha Carter to discuss the fourth annual Cook-off for the Coast. Although this year's cook-off will be virtual, Sam highlights how it will still feature great content, including music from the Michot’s Melody Makers with special guest Leyla McCalla, a virtual coastal flyover, cooking demonstrations with celebrity chefs, as well as a recipe and artwork contest. On the second half of the show, Friends of Bayou Lafourche Executive Director Ryan Perque joins to discuss exciting progress on the bayou, including a new partnership with Nicholls State University, improvements along the waterway, as well as upcoming events and opportunities to get involved. Learn more and support this organization at bayoulafourche.org.

What is an Environmental Impact Statement?

February 4th, 2021  |  43 mins 8 secs

This episode of Delta Dispatches features environmental law experts providing an overview of the legal and regulatory backdrop upon which Louisiana is executing its coastal restoration and protection efforts. Amy Reed, Staff Attorney, and Jarryd Page, Public Interest Law Fellow, both from the Environmental Law Institute, join Simone and Jacques to discuss the forthcoming draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Mid Barataria Sediment Diversion. They also discuss the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other important laws guiding the implementation of this large-scale coastal restoration project. More importantly, they highlight how the public and stakeholders can get involved and participate in this process. Learn more at ELI.org and by reading this ELI blog post about the regulatory process surrounding the diversion.

Coastal Happenings in St. Bernard Parish

January 21st, 2021  |  49 mins 9 secs

On today's show, Jacques checks in with Blaise Pezold, Coastal and Environmental Program Manager at The Meraux Foundation, who provides updates on a number of exciting programs the foundation is carrying out in St. Bernard Parish, from a new citrus research facility to ongoing coastal education and volunteer initiatives. Freelance journalist Sara Sneath then joins to discuss her recent reporting and highlight a unique way to tour St. Bernard Parish and the rest of our coastal communities -- on your bike.

A National Estuarine Research Reserve for Louisiana’s Coast

January 8th, 2021  |  58 mins 11 secs

Welcome back to Delta Dispatches as Simone and Jacques kick off 2021 with a favorite guest, Dr. Robert Twilley, who updates the duo on the exciting development of Louisiana being considered for a National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR). Louisiana is one of the few coastal states that doesn’t currently have a NERR. Dr. Twilley discusses what value a NERR would bring to a state and how having one would allow Louisiana’s coast to have greater attention at the national level. Simone and Jacques then chat with Karen Gautreaux, Director, Government Relations, Louisiana Chapter, The Nature Conservancy, who highlights Louisiana’s first-ever Climate Task Force and gives an update on important work happening in the Atchafalaya Basin.

Can't Stop, Won't Stop: Progress on Louisiana's Coast in 2020

December 17th, 2020  |  44 mins 44 secs

Simone and Jacques close out 2020 with their 150th episode of Delta Dispatches, welcoming Greg Grandy, Deputy Executive Director for Louisiana's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA). Greg highlights the immense progress that the agency made on implementing coastal restoration and protection projects in 2020, despite obstacles ranging from the Covid pandemic to an extremely active, unprecedented hurricane season. CPRA advanced 112 coastal projects with 49 projects in construction in 2020, and Greg also highlights what's to come in 2021. Jacques then welcomes Marissa Wendte and James Karst from the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana on to highlight progress on the coalition's oyster shell recycling program, a new virtual store, next year's virtual State of the Coast and their annual Shell-A-Bration!

Covering the Coast: A Conversation with Fox-8 News Anchor John Snell

December 15th, 2020  |  39 mins 5 secs

Thanks for listening to Delta Dispatches! As we close out 2020, Jacques & Simone chat with one of Louisiana’s most iconic television journalists: WVUE Fox-8 News Anchor John Snell! You may know John from his decades-long career as a reporter and news anchor at WVUE Fox-8 in New Orleans, but in this episode, we get to know more about the man in front of the camera. John discusses what brought him to and kept him in New Orleans, advice to aspiring journalists, reflections on how the industry has changed, as well as his love of photography. He also highlights his award-winning "Coast in Crisis" series and why Louisiana's land loss crisis is such an important and compelling story for him to cover.

...And a Pontchartrain Conservancy in a Pear Tree!

December 10th, 2020  |  32 mins 52 secs

This week Simone and Jacques catch up with Pontchartrain Conservancy Executive Director Kristi Trail who recaps the biggest milestones for her organization in 2020. Kristi also highlights ongoing programs, from on-the-ground science on water quality and coastal restoration, to STEM education and volunteer tree plantings. There are many ways to support Pontchartrain Conservancy in their mission, from donations to volunteering to shopping at the New Canal Lighthouse. Learn more at scienceforourcoast.org.

Climate Science & Hurricanes and New Orleans City Park

December 3rd, 2020  |  59 mins 20 secs

Thanks for listening to this episode of Delta Dispatches. Our hosts, Simone & Jacques, catch up after a few weeks off and reflect on the long (and finally over) 2020 hurricane season. Our first guess is Ilissa Ocko, senior climate scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund. She talks about her work and how climate change impacts hurricanes. On the second half the show, we chat with Meg Adams, the Director of Environmental Stewardship at New Orleans City Park. Meg talks about the great history of City Park and how it’s embracing environmental stewardship.