Perrone Heralds the Plight of America’s Most Bountiful Wetland
by Mimi Greenwood Knight
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Inside Northside
GERARD PERRONE IS A MAN on a mission, an unwavering campaign to educate the world about the peril of our Louisiana wetlands. Like primatologist Jane Goodall entrenched with her chimpanzees in Africa, Perrone has devised a way to imbed himself in the Atchafalaya Basin. The wildlife photographer and eco-activist has made himself such a part of the scenery that his fellow swamp inhabitants go about their lives as he quietly and patiently chronicles their behavior and living conditions. Here are some fast facts about Perrone’s home-away-fromhome. At almost a million acres, the Atchafalaya River Basin is among the most ecologically varied regions in the United States. Larger than the Florida Everglades and five times more productive than any other river basin in North America, it’s home to 65 species of reptiles and amphibians, over 250 species of birds, and more than 100 different species of fish and aquatic
photos: GERARD PERRONE
Atchafalaya Basin
