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MAY/JUNE 2022
ATCHAFALAYA BASIN CONSERVATION ISSUE
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SAVING AND PROTECTING AMERICA’S LARGEST RIVER SWAMP
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Louisiana Life (ISSN 1042-9980) is published bimonthly by Renaissance Publishing, LLC, 110 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005; (504) 828-1380. Subscription rate: One year $10; no foreign subscriptions Periodicals postage paid at Metairie, LA, and additional mailing entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Louisiana Life, 110 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005. Copyright © 2022 Louisiana Life. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. The trademark Louisiana Life is registered. Louisiana Life is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos and artwork, even if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. The opinions expressed in Louisiana Life are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the magazine or owner.
Road Trips Through Louisiana
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The future of America’s largest river swamp is at risk, but the people working to conserve this vital ecosystem have hope for its future
30
Atchafalaya Basin
MAY/JUNE VOLUME 42 NUMBER 3
08
FROM THE EXECUTIVE EDITOR’S DESK
Lucy the Cow 12
24
News and updates around the state
Lola chef-owners transform Covington home into a playful oasis with a sense of place
HOME
PELICAN BRIEFS
28
KITCHEN GOURMET
Fresh twists on old favorites from cocktails to catfish 56
NATURAL STATE
Saving the Hurricane Laura-ravaged Kisatchie National Forest and its inhabitants 60
TRAVELER
14
LITERARY LOUISIANA
28
Summer sand, sun and reading fun 16
MADE IN LOUISIANA
London-born artist Shaun Watson designs Louisianainspired blankets to aid coastal restoration 20
ART
New Orleans artist and environmental steward Pippin Frisbie-Calder’s work lives at the intersection of art and science
20
24
History, beautiful scenery, sunbathing and fishing abound at the bottom of The Boot 62
FARTHER FLUNG
Festivals are back and there’s more to do than ever before at Gulf Shores and Orange Beach 64
NATURE’S SANCTUARY
A tiny frog rests on a large mushroom at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve.
FRO M TH E E X E CUTIVE E D ITOR ’ S D ES K
P O D C A ST
Lucy The Cow
Louisiana Insider Catch up on the latest podcast episodes
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cross the street from the house where I was raised there lived a man named McDonald. And he had a farm. I am not kidding. The neighborhood of my youth was a block in New Orleans’ Lakeview section next to the railroad tracks. The houses on my side of the street were small, newly developed wooden frame buildings. On the other side though was the farm that had preceded the building boom. I didn’t know Mr. McDonald’s age, but from the perspective of a first-grader anyone above 15 is old, so yes, he was old McDonald and on his farm he had some chicks. He also had cows. Mr. McDonald was a kindly man. When his cow had a calf he even gave it to me. I named her Lucy. Though there were no surveys at the time, I am confident that I was the only kid in the city with my own calf. The problem of course was that the small backyard behind the wooden frame house did not provide ample grazing land for my emerging herd. Fortunately, my parents had the wisdom to foresee this difficulty and arranged for Lucy to spend her days at the farm of an uncle who lived in Central Louisiana. Getting her there, however, would be the challenge. The answer was novel. Lucy, with her head sticking out, was placed in a sack and then positioned in the floor space behind the front seat of an old Chevrolet. My job was to sit in the back seat and, more or less, entertain Lucy, as we made the four-hour jaunt upstate. (Amusing a cow proved to be taxing and I fell asleep by the time we got to New Roads.) Once she was released on the farm Lucy seemed to find happiness, as best as I could tell. On occasional trips to the country, I would go see her, but it was hardly the same experience as an eagerly jumping puppy. Lucy just stared back with her penetrating big brown eyes. As she grew, she was apparently promiscuous because it wasn’t long before she had a baby — a male, which I named George. As months passed visits to my uncle’s farm were less frequent and Lucy and George gradually blended into the pack as they roamed the back fields of my uncle’s farm. There was a time, however, when a driver along a country road had to share the path with miscellaneous livestock who roamed freely. Eventually farmers began installing
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EPISODE 80:
Former Secretary of State’s COVID Battle
grates at the entrance of their property which were impossible for hoofed animals to step thorough. New laws prohibiting free roaming also kept the animals on the farm. What really changed though was the marketplace. There just aren’t as many livestock on rural farms anymore. It is cheaper to buy a box of eggs then to raise chickens. Milk by the jug is less costly than keeping a cow. Eventually old McDonald’s place was bought out by the government to make way for an interstate. There are still bovine memories though like the day in grade school when we were given the assignment of writing about a pet and then reading the essay before the class. When my turn came, I stood in front of the blackboard to deliver a paper entitled “Lucy.” I still remember the moment as I spoke the first sentence: “Lucy is my pet cow.” Suddenly the classroom exploded with laughter. Even the teacher was having a hard time containing her smirks. I had never thought that having Lucy was unusual, but this was the moment when I learned one of life’s lessons: Never call a cow a pet.
You would think if you were a former Secretary of States, insurance Commissioner, state senator and candidate for governor you could get good attention in a public hospital. That was not the case in the early days of the COVID-19 crisis when Jim Brown had to battle both a virus and a hospital staff that was still learning how to handle the onslaught of patients. Guest: Jim Brown
EPISODE 79
Naughty New Orleans Alecia Long, an LSU historian and author of the book “The Great Southern Babylon: Sex, Race and Respectability on New Orleans, 1865-1920,” talks about the risqué side of early urban life.and about her latest book linking former Orleans Parish D. A. Jim Garrison’s investigation of the Kennedy assassination as an alleged sex crime. Guest: Alecia Long, an LSU historian and author
EPISODE 78
The Wrath of Climate Change – An Award-Winning Reporter’s Beat
ERROL LABORDE EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Bob Marshall, Pulitzer Prize winner for reporting on environmental issues for the Time-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate talks about climate change in Louisiana including long-range predictions. (Hint: It’s not good.) Guest: Bob Marshall
EDITORIAL EXECUTIVE EDITOR Errol Laborde MANAGING EDITOR Melanie Warner Spencer ASSOCIATE EDITOR Ashley McLellan COPY EDITOR Liz Clearman WEB EDITOR Kelly Massicot FOOD EDITOR Stanley Dry HOME EDITOR Lee Cutrone ART DIRECTOR Sarah George LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Danley Romero SALES SALES MANAGER Rebecca Taylor (337) 298-4424 / (337) 235-7919 Ext. 7230 Rebecca@LouisianaLife.com
RENAISSANCE PUBLISHING MARKETING COORDINATOR Abbie Whatley PRODUCTION PRODUCTION MANAGER Rosa Balaguer Arostegui SENIOR DESIGNER Meghan Rooney CIRCULATION SUBSCRIPTIONS Jessica Armand DISTRIBUTION John Holzer ADMINISTRATION OFFICE MANAGER Mallary Wolfe CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Todd Matherne For subscriptions call 877-221-3512
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CO N T RIB UTORS
Cheré Dastugue Coen
Stanley Dry
WRITER
FOOD WRITER
Cheré Dastugue Coen is a food and travel writer, photographer and author and owner of the whimsical blog, “Weird, Wacky & Wild South.” Her fiction includes two series of Louisiana romances and the “Viola Valentine” paranormal mystery series under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Coen remains passionate about her home state of Louisiana, believing that gumbo, crawfish étouffée and chicory coffee makes all things right with the world.
Stanley Dry writes the “Kitchen Gourmet” column for Louisiana Life magazine and is author of The Essential Louisiana Cookbook and The Essential Louisiana Seafood Cookbook and co-author of Gulf South. Formerly senior editor of Food & Wine and founding editor of Louisiana Cookin’ magazine, his articles have appeared in Food & Wine, Travel & Leisure, The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, Boston Magazine and Acadiana Profile, among others.
Sara Essex Bradley
Eugenia Uhl
HOME PHOTOGRAPHER
FOOD PHOTOGRAPHER
Sara Essex Bradley is a freelance photographer based in New Orleans. She shoots interiors, travel and food for a variety of editorial and commercial clients, in Louisiana and beyond. She has been a contributor to Renaissance Publishing’s various magazines for 20 plus years. When not shooting or traveling, Bradley enjoys exploring her city by foot, and evenings spent on the front porch with her husband.
Eugenia Uhl’s photographs have been featured in New Orleans Magazine, New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles, Southern Accents, Metropolitan Home, GQ Magazine, Essence, Travel & Leisure and Vegetarian Times. Her clients include Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, International House Hotel, Volunteers of America, Galatoire’s and Tulane University. She has completed multiple cookbooks, including Commander’s Kitchen for Commander’s Palace and New Orleans Home Cooking by Dale Curry, Pelican Publishing.
WRITER AND PHOTOGRAPHER
Kevin Rabalais Kevin Rabalais, an Avoyelles Parish native, writes and photographs the Natural State series for Louisiana Life. After living for more than a decade in Europe and the South Pacific, he is excited to be back home and to document diverse Louisiana stories. His work has appeared in 64 Parishes, The Australian, the New Zealand Listener, and the Argentine magazine Revista Ñ. He teaches in the Department of English at Loyola University New Orleans.
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S AL ES
REBECCA TAYLOR Sales Manager (337) 298-4424 (337) 235-7919 Ext. 7230 Rebecca@LouisianaLife.com
Coming up! JULY/AUGUST 2022
Staycations
Best Hospitals
LOUISIANALIFE.COM 11
PEL I C AN B RIE FS
Louisiana Proud Jon Batiste sweeps the Grammys and Minden homes and businesses get star-powered makovers BY LISA LEBLANC-BERRY
MONROE
CAMP WITH CRIME SCENES Are you interested in becoming a crime scene investigator? High school students can get a taste of forensic science at the college level at Louisiana Delta Community College, which is offering a new CSI Camp June 13-17 for incoming juniors and seniors or graduating seniors. Get handson experience with fingerprinting, bloodstain patterns, tool marks and work a mock crime scene. Space is limited (ladelta.edu).
MINDEN
HGTV Revitalizes a Town Fueled by two HGTV blockbuster hit series, “Home Town” and “Home Town Takeover” starring Ben and Erin Napier, the franchise expands with an all-new series, “Home Town Kickstart” featuring Minden among five other small towns revitalized for the weekly series (Buffalo, Wyoming; Cornwall, New York; Winslow, Arizona; LaGrange, Kentucky; Thomaston, Georgia). HGTV has deployed its biggest stars to refresh the home of a local hero, give a small business an upgrade and invigorate a public space. People Magazine is sharing each town’s unique stories (hgtv.com). THIBODAUX
First Dorm for Furry Friends Nicholls State University will become the first university in Louisiana to offer a pet-friendly residence hall beginning in Fall 2022. In the aftermath of hurricane Ida, Dr. Michele Caruso and her team researched how pets have helped students get through difficult times. Eligible students will have the option to request a pet-friendly room (for cats and dogs only) in North Babington Hall, which will also be equipped with a dog park for furry residents “to get exercise and socialize” (Call for details, 985448-4479). SHREVEPORT
Fishy Fun
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Check out the Shreveport Aquairuim’s nautical summer camp program, Camp Aqua. Options include the new Fins and Fidgets camp (explore slime and spinners, stress balls and slinkies and create fidget-themed art) and Junior Aquatics (learn what it takes to be a marine biologist). June and July dates available (shreeportaquarium.com/camps).
ADDITIONAL NEWS BRIEFS ONLINE AT LOUISIANALIFE.COM
AP PHOTO/JOHN LOCHER; PHOTO COURTESY HGTV
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ew Orleans’ Oscar-winning pianist/singer/composer Jon Batiste, who took home five Grammys at the 64th annual Grammy Awards including Album of the Year (“WE ARE”) following his electrifying performance of “Freedom” (with a frolicking finale atop Billie Eilish’s table) premieres his genre-melding opus “American Symphony” May 7 at Carnegie Hall. The acclaimed multi-instrumentalist performs with the first all-black classical symphony orchestra in Carnegie Hall’s 130-year history (carnegiehall. org/). Batiste’s “Freedom,” filmed on the streets of New Orleans’ Faubourg Marigny, won a Grammy for Best Music Video (jonbatiste.com).
L IT ERARY LOUISIANA
Beach Reads Summer sand, sun and reading fun BY ASHLEY MCLELLAN
AUDIO
POETRY OUT LOUD
COMING OF AGE
The Crocodile Bride “The Crocodile Bride” follows 11-year-old Sunshine Turner as she navigates the difficulties of growing up and the secrets of her family’s past in the tiny town of Fingertip, Louisiana. With the world around her changing daily, and not knowing who to turn to, Sunshine latches onto a legendary story handed down through generations. Buried deep in the swamps, lives a magical crocodile bride that promises to provide truth and healing, both in body and in mind. Could the discovery of the mysterious bride bring Sunshine the answers, and the healing from a legacy of family trauma, that she and her family have been searching for? “The Crocodile Bride” is writer Ashleigh Bell Pederson’s remarkable debut novel. Her short stories have been featured in “New Stories from the South,” The Kenyon Review and The Iowa Review, and she has been a finalist for The Best American Short Stories and a Pushcart Prize. Hardcover, 296 pages, $26.
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Baton Rouge-based filmmaker and Louisiana Life contributor Jeffrey Roedel recently released his new album “Open” from his spoken word and music project Roedel Et Alia. The new collection features nearly 40 minutes of spoken word poetry and experimental music collaborations, and is a companion to Roedel’s 2021 release “Distance.” It features eight new, unreleased poems and is inspired by news, art, culture and the pandemic quarantine. The album is available as a CD or digital download at roedeletalia. bandcamp.com.
MARDI GRAS MYSTERY
The Seamstress of New Orleans “The Seamstress of New Orleans” is a sweeping historical novel set against the backdrop of Carnival-season in New Orleans at the turn of the 20th century. Protagonists Alice Butterworth and Constance Halstead are joined by a set of unusual circumstances, as Alice, working as a seamstress at a local orphanage, creates a fantastic ball gown for Constance. But there’s more to the story than just a dress. Each of the women carries the burden left to them by the mysterious disappearance of their husbands, the tangle of debt and danger that ensues thereafter and the new bond they create as they navigate a world as women on their own. Chock full of intrigue, secrets and female empowerment, award-winning writer Diane McPhail has readers enthralled at each turn of the page. Hardcover, 304 pages, $26.
GULF COAST NATURE
Living Beaches of the Gulf Coast Sand and sea lovers will enjoy “Living Beaches of the Gulf Coast” by naturalists Blair and Dawn Witherington for its in-depth look at coastal wildlife, beach plants and structures, seashells, iconic landmarks and art along the Gulf Coast. There are even sections on scavenger hunts and conservation tips that make this more than just a guide to flora and fauna. It’s the perfect fit for novice beachcombers, as well as those that return throughout the year to soak up the sun and enjoy nature. Paperback, 425 pages, $29.95.
ADDITIONAL BOOK REVIEWS ONLINE AT LOUISIANALIFE.COM
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Covering Lots of Ground London-born artist Shaun Watson designs Louisiana-inspired blankets to aid coastal restoration BY JEFFREY ROEDEL PHOTOS BY ROMERO & ROMERO
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t’s not all that common to find a New Orleanian slowly roaming the French Quarter, camera in hand and enthralled with every curve of age-old architecture, or patch of rust on wrought iron, or splash of quirky plastic like the most energetic of first-time tourists might be. But then, Shaun Watson is by design a stranger in a strange land. Five years on, the artist still explores the cultural port of Louisiana with only a memory map of how he first dreamed of it growing up in the heart of London. “I always had this obsession with the South as this magical wild place,” Watson says. “London is so grey and drab by comparison with little connection to nature. I thought the South was the coolest thing ever when we moved here.” Spending his high school years in Florida, and stints in New York City and Chicago, Watson studied psychology at the University of WisconsinMilwaukee and did not choose art as his full-time job until moving to New Orleans in 2017. “People told me it wasn’t a good idea when I was young, so I thought, ‘I’ll prove everyone wrong,’” Watson recalls. “My family is a lot of accountants and financial advisors. But I wanted to make a living with something I loved, something I was good at.” Surrounded by sketches of palms and chrysanthemums on the walls of his upstairs studio, Watson works every morning till late afternoon. Whether it’s traditional ink-to-paper or digitally rendered on his iPad, making T-shirts with two beaming daisies, floral-patterned risograph prints or pun-driven bumper stickers, he releases it all under the alarmingly charming banner We Might Be On Fire! Years ago, an independent zine of his work was to be called We Might Be Alright when a typo autocorrected “alright” to “on fire.” He loved it so much, the name stuck. “It’s the same with Bourbon Street designs, and gift shops and plastic bags — I like some humor in design.” Watson says. “I like to make people smile.” Though he admits David Hockney is like a god to him — especially the English-turned-Californian artist’s
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There are a lot of unique birds in Louisiana and the Deep South. Why choose the egret for one of your blankets? What is it about that particular bird that you like so much? I just find them so beautiful. It is exciting to me that these animals that are so stunning are also so common down here — and often overlooked. The actual answer, though, is that the egret just happened to be the first Louisiana bird I chose to represent. I have a few more in the works!
garden is filled with tropical plants, and seeing Shaun’s plant-filled work immediately resonated with us.” The natural landscape of Louisiana has so deeply resonated with Watson, he uses his work to inspire conservation. A portion of all proceeds is donated recent digital work — Watson stays focused on the to Healthy Gulf, the New Orleans-based organizaphysical inspirations that surround him daily. “That tion providing research and tools for combating the really helps me engage with my own work better than exploitation of the Gulf’s resources and coastline. looking at other artists,” he says. “There are infinite great causes, but I just decided Watson leaned into tangible work in 2021 when to bring attention to this one issue, because I’m he struck on the idea of turning his illustrations passionate about it, and it’s local, and it’s so into blankets. important,” Watson says. “It was an egotistical way of thinking, ‘How can That’s where studying the French Quarter like a I get my images as large as possible in homes for tourist comes in. Watson’s attempt to meld his love for people to use a lot?’” Watson says. “Turns out nature with his interest in quirky, that blankets are reasonable to produce and can touristy designs is birthing a conveAT A GL ANCE be ethically made.” nience store style pop-up concept With a five-color weave, Watson’s blankets are for the fall. He plans to stock it HOMETOWN manufactured in North Carolina using recycled with his designs and blankets, plus London cotton to create an engaging canvas for his a new line of sweaters he’s creating AGE monsteras and magnolias, and a chance to wrap now. 27 oneself in the comfort of an otherwise imposing “Just visually, this is such OCCUPATION gator skull. a beautiful place, so looking Illustrator, product Ace Hotel and Miel Brewery were early hosts around is endlessly inspiring,” designer of his blanket pop-up markets. Watson says. “The way nature WEBSITE “It’s not often that artists feature their work really breaks through modernity Wemightbeonfire.net on blankets, but I immediately loved his unique or cracks in old architecture, it’s INSTAGRAM product,” says Janice Montoya, co-owner and amazing. I could never run out of @wemightbeonfire creative director at Miel Brewery. “Our beer ideas in Louisiana.” n on Instagram
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With your English heritage, are you a tea drinker? I am not a tea drinker — coffee all the way! My partner works for French Truck so we are always drinking good coffee at home. Also, shoutout to Whatever Coffee inside of Stein’s. That was my favorite spot when I lived in the neighborhood, and it still is. Do you remember your first real vivid experience with live music in New Orleans? Like most people who moved here from other places, I think it would be the first time I visited the city — just walking around Frenchmen Street and listening to the music coming out of all the venues, feeling the energy of the city. How would you describe your upcoming clothing designs? What’s the vibe going to be? It’s going to be a continuation of the Louisiana-centric work. Florals, nature scenes. I want to make things that are really pretty and encourage people to feel how I feel about the landscape.
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ART
Natural Science New Orleans artist and environmental steward Pippin FrisbieCalder’s work lives at the intersection of art and science BY JOHN R. KEMP
A
re science and art really that much different? Not to New Orleans artist and environmentalist Pippin Frisbie-Calder. Like many artists — including Leonardo da Vinci — who draw no distinction between art and science, Frisbie-Calder sees science as an invaluable resource for creating her art. Both require conceptualization, imagination and visualization. They are the foundation of Frisbie-Calder’s art. Working with scientists and naturalists, her visually strong mixed-media images explore today’s ecological issues from the smallest aquatic microbes at the bottom of Louisiana’s wetlands food chain to the extinction of the ivory-billed woodpecker, the bald eagles’ return to South Louisiana, and nesting birds along the coast of Maine.
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“Stewardship is really important to me whether it’s getting people to think about environmental degradation or about the way we’ve successfully restored species like the bald eagle.”
That interest began early in life. Born in Hammond, in 1985, young Pippin and her parents, whom she describes as “hippies and bird-lovers,” summered in Maine and wintered on a sailboat in Mandeville on the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain and in the Caribbean. Her mother, an artist from Ponchatoula, and her British father named her Pippin after the popular English apple. She went on to get degrees in art from the Rhode Island School of Design and Tulane University. With that background, art and nature were irresistible. In more recent years, Frisbie-Calder has held residencies at the Joan Mitchell Foundation in New Orleans and at Tulane’s Studio in the Woods, located on the Mississippi River below the city’s West Bank suburb Algiers. There she teamed up first with Tulane microbi-
ADDITIONAL ARTWORK ONLINE AT LOUISIANALIFE.COM
(Facing page ) Spring Ibis (Left) Bald Eagle I (Right) Juvenile at Patricia Street
wooden disks with silkscreened images of mockingbirds and labels that explained the project’s purpose. Frisbie-Calder says she enjoys working with scientists because they focus on finding new information about what is being lost or damaged. “Stewardship,” she says, “is really important to me whether it’s getting people to think about environmental degradation or about the way we’ve successfully restored species like the bald eagle.” Perhaps her best-known work celebrates the bald eagles’ return to South Louisiana. In recent years, Pippin has made numerous trips into swamplands, photographing bald eagles found on the northern edges of Lake Maurepas and along Interstate-10 on the Bonnet Carré Spillway. The resulting series, “Resurgence,” is an impressive body of mixed-media silkscreen and digital prints rendered from drawings, photographs and videos. “When you talk about the environment to people, sometimes their eyes glaze over,” she says. “That’s why I chose the eagles. People are excited about them returning. There were only five nesting pairs here in the 1960s and four in the 1970s and now there are over 350 nesting pairs just in South Louisiana. They were almost extinct in this area, and they’ve come back due to environmental policy changes.”
ologist Tim McLean to study the micro-ecology of Louisiana’s swampland waters. From these microscopic images, she created silk screens and light sculptures to bring greater public attention to the region’s threatened ecosystem. “A lot of my work is about climate change,” she says. “We were demonstrating how we don’t know anything about the base foundation of our ecosystem, which are the micro-organisms that feed everything in the food chain. While we are dealing with catastrophic land loss, oil spills, climate change and other issues that are damaging these systems, we will not know how they will affect the food chain. There is not enough information.” Pippin’s second project joined her with Tulane biologist Jordan Karubian and his ongoing study of lead content found in mockingbirds captured in New Orleans neighborhoods known to have high concentrations of lead. To make people aware of the problem, she and her friends formed the Mardi Gras Mockingbird Krewe to collect beads from people along parade routes. In exchange for their beads, which she says contain lead paint, krewe members gave out small works of art that Frisbie-Calder created to illustrate the dangers of lead to the environment and people. In 2020, she made small
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ART
To Frisbie-Calder birds are a clarion call to action. In addition to her mockingbird and eagle projects, in 2017 she created the installation “Cancelled Edition – Ivory Bill Woodpecker,” decrying the extinction of that once prolific bird. It continues to travel the nation and Canada. She is now working on another installation with the Audubon Society in Maine called the “Puffin Project” that’s trying to restore that almost extinct bird to Maine’s coast. She is not too hopeful about the puffin’s long-term return, however. “Climate change will probably wipe these puffins out again,” she says. “The warming waters make the fish go deeper and farther out and the puffins have to switch to a different kind of fish that are too wide and the baby puffins starve to death. Again, I’m interested in these critical moments where we have decisions to make as to what is important to us.” As to slowing climate change, Pippin is determined to make a difference but is a bit skeptical. “I don’t know if anything will be done about it,” she says, reflecting a moment, “but I can still be mad about it. You never know, you might change a few minds, and that’s my way of dealing with all this stuff.” n
EXHIBITS CAJUN
Vanishing Black Bars & Lounges New Orleans photographer L. Kasimu Harris, through July 30. Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum, Lafayette. hilliardmuseum.org CENTRAL
Smith & Wisznia Collection Features work by 30 Louisiana artists, March 5 through June 18. Alexandria Museum of Art. themuseum.org PLANTATION
In Empathy We Trust Works by artists Elizabeth Kleinveld and Epaul Julien, through Oct. 30. Louisiana Art & Science Museum, Baton Rouge. lasm.org NOLA
Queen Nefertari’s Egypt Power of women in Egypt’s New Kingdom, through July 17. New Orleans Museum of Art. noma.org NORTH
William Dunlap
(Top) Pippin Frisbie-Calder, Photo By John R. Kemp (Bottom) Juvenile Bald Eagle (Right) Lambency
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Southern artist William Dunlap, May 26 through Aug. 6, Masur Museum of Art, Monroe. masurmuseum.org
HO ME
Love at First Site Lola chef-owners transform Covington home into a playful oasis with a sense of place BY LEE CUTRONE PHOTOS BY SARA ESSEX BRADLEY
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ealy and Keith Frentz were barely inside a Covington house they admired when they both fell hard for the place. “I knew when we walked into the back porch and saw the Mexican tile,” says Nealy, who grew up in Southern California in a house with Mexican tile floors. “There’s something about this house; it just spoke to us. It felt like this was the house at some point we were going to be in.”
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The Frentzes, who own and are the chefs at Lola in Covington, weren’t able to make the purchase that first time around. Instead they moved to a house half a block away, and when the property became available again several years ago, they acted quickly. Built in 1996 by one of the owners of Jackson Cabinetry, the house already had bones that appealed to the couple: a simple board and batten exterior that combined saltbox and farmhouse influences, and an interior that included pine floors, custom cabinetry and a wrought iron stair rail. Still, the house needed, according to Nealy, “some TLC” and additions for the Frentz family, which includes daughter Ella, 13, son Holden, 9, and two dogs. The Frentzes updated the interior with Sherwin Williams’ Alabaster White, a creamy neutral that has become Nealy’s go-to color in each of the houses the Frentzes have owned. In the kitchen, they left the small but efficient footprint and added new luster by replacing the existing counters with thick slabs of soapstone and putting in a bright red professional grade Ferrara stove.
(Left) The dining room features a custom table made with reclaimed pine, playful wallpaper and a vintage light fixture from Retreat Home & Lifestyle consignment shop. Chairs from Target, rug from HomeGoods. (Above) The exterior of the house combines saltbox and farmhouse influences. (Right) The outdoor area has a pool and hot tub and landscaping by Keith Frentz. Charlie looks over the pool.
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(Right) Watercolors by the couple’s friend Erik Barthels hang above the bed in the masterbedroom. (Facing page, left) The Frentzes painted the existing kitchen cabinets sage green (Benjamin Moore Oil Cloth) and resurfaced the counters with thick soapstone. Second hand pendant fixtures from Facebook Marketplace, counter stools from Target. (Right) Nealy and Keith Frentz with Charlie (l) and Clark (r) on their back porch. The Mexican tile reminds Nealy of her childhood home. (Bottom) Holden’s room includes a Walter Anderson print.
AT A GL ANCE SQUARE FOOTAGE
2,600
INTERIOR DESIGN
Nealy Frentz
OUTSTANDING FEATURES
Board and batten exterior, porch with Mexican tile, patio with pool and hot tub, reclaimed pine floor on second story.
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“We don’t actually cook at home as much as people would think,” says Nealy, who mostly cooks in the restaurant’s kitchen, which occupies a converted caboose. “But it’s super functional. You can be at the stove and pivot and the island is right behind you.” The island, which the couple found at a local secondhand store, is topped with wood recycled from a bowling alley lane. The Frentzes, who met when while both were chefs at Brennan’s, spend so much time at work that one of the
most impactful parts of the renovation is the outdoor area where they relax. They removed the screens from the back porch, transformed the back yard with a brick courtyard, a pool modeled after one owned by a friend and a hot tub. They also planted bougainvillea that reminds Nealy of her California upbringing. In warm weather, they cool off in the pool and in cold weather they heat the hot tub remotely so that it’s a comfortable temperature when they get home at night. Nealy’s love of wallpaper, featured at both Lola
ADDITIONAL HOME IMAGES ONLINE AT LOUISIANALIFE.COM
(located in the old Covington train depot and an old 1920s railcar) and in the house, leans towards the playful. For the dining room at home, she chose a tropical paper with monkeys that relates to the pale sage and red of the kitchen. She is in search of a striking paper for the wall next to the staircase. The décor of the home mixes the youthful edge of modern designs with vintage finds and inherited pieces. An avocado green chair, a collection of Mardi Gras posters and a jar containing more than a hundred king cake babies are among the sentimental possessions handed down from Keith’s grandparents. There are locally made and thrifted items, and art and artifacts with a Louisiana provenance as well. The common theme is the Frentzes’ strong connection to home, family and sense of place. “We always add our king cake babies to the jar,” says Nealy of the quirky keepsake that resides in the kitchen. “We continue the tradition.” ■
K ITC HE N G OURME T
TIP Both gin and tonic water vary greatly in flavor from one brand to another. Price sometimes denotes quality, but not always. It really comes down to your own personal taste.
GIN & TONIC
Take Two Fresh twists on old favorites from cocktails to catfish BY STANLEY DRY PHOTOS AND STYLING BY EUGENIA UHL
28 LOUISIANA LIFE MAY/JUNE 2022
J
1 slice lime 1 slice cucumber 1 large basil leaf 2 ounces gin ice cubes 4-6 ounces tonic water
ambalaya is one of those Louisiana dishes that can start an argument over — of all things — tomatoes. Do they belong in a jambalaya or not? New Orleanians and those who live east of Bayou Lafourche mostly make a red jambalaya (with tomatoes). People in southwest Louisiana mostly make a brown jambalaya (without tomatoes). The jambalaya recipe that follows differs a bit from most because the rice and seasoning vegetables are cooked in oil before liquid is added. Doing so seals the rice and assures that each grain will be separate in the finished dish.
PL ACE lime, cucumber
and basil leaf in a tall glass or balloon glass. Add gin and press on the lime, cucumber and basil leaf with a long spoon to release some of the flavor. Add ice cubes and tonic water. Stir and enjoy. Makes 1 drink.
MORE RECIPE ONLINE AT LOUISIANALIFE.COM
Orzo looks like rice, but it’s a rice-shaped pasta. It can be prepared all sorts of ways, but here we’re going to combine it with shrimp and seasonings. The dish can be served immediately or at room temperature for a buffet, in which case it could be called a pasta salad. In a far-off time, pasta salad was all the rage, but it outlived its welcome. Who knows, it might be time to invite it back to the table. At first glance, a recipe for fried fish that calls for coating the filets in mustard and cornmeal just seems wrong. That’s what I thought when I first heard about the practice, but the result is delicious. I don’t know how it came about or where it originated. It doesn’t seem to be confined to any one area. I’ve had fish prepared this way by two friends, one who lives in New Orleans, the other in New Iberia. Coating fish filets with mayonnaise before broiling also sounds bizarre, but it’s a very good method. The mayo keeps the filet moist and browns beautifully under the broiler. If you wish, you can flavor the mayonnaise with your choice of seasonings. With summer coming on, it’s time to think about gin and tonics. Most people who drink them don’t like for anyone to mess with the classic combination of gin, tonic water and a squeeze of lime. Until recently, I never made the drink any other way. But last year I began tweaking the formula and settled on a version that, to my taste, is an improvement. In addition to the gin and tonic water, I add a slice of lime, a slice of cucumber and a large basil leaf. Try it and see if it appeals to you. As always, the quality of ingredients is paramount. n
SHRIMP AND ORZO
SHRIMP JAMBAL AYA
2 cups orzo 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ cup white wine Large pinch crushed red pepper 2 tablespoons butter ½ pound small shrimp, peeled coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup long-grain rice 1 medium onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 rib celery, diced 1 medium bell pepper, seeded and diced ½ pound small shrimp, peeled 1½ cups chicken stock ½ cup tomato puree 1 teaspoon Cajun/Creole seasoning ¼ cup green onion tops 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
COO K orzo al dente according to
package instructions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook garlic in olive oil until softened. Add wine and crushed red pepper and reduce by half. Add butter and shrimp and cook briefly to firm shrimp. Drain orzo, reserving some of the cooking water. Add orzo to skillet and stir. Add a little of the cooking water and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for a minute or two to meld flavors. Divide the orzo and shrimp among 4 shallow bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Makes 4 servings.
FRIED C ATFISH WITH MUSTARD Vegetable oil for frying 4 catfish filets coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup mustard ½ cup cornmeal lemon wedges PL ACE mustard in a bowl and place
cornmeal in a flat container, such as a pie pan. In a deep fat fryer or pot, heat oil until it reaches 375 F.
ME A N W HILE , cut catfish into small
pieces, season with salt and pepper, add to the mustard and turn so the catfish is completely coated. When oil is at proper temperature, remove a piece of catfish from the mustard, dredge in cornmeal to coat and drop in the fryer. Repeat with additional pieces of catfish, being careful not to overcrowd fryer. With tongs, remove cooked catfish from fryer and drain on paper towels. Repeat until all the fish is cooked. Serve with lemon wedges. Makes 4 servings.
IN A MEDIUM P OT, combine
olive oil, rice, onion, garlic, celery and bell pepper. Cook on medium heat, while stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. ME A N W HILE , heat chicken stock
and tomato puree in a small pot or in the microwave. Add chicken stock, tomato puree and Cajun/ Creole seasoning to the rice mixture. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Let sit, covered, for about 5 minutes, then stir in onion tops and parsley. Makes 4 servings.
BROILED C ATFISH WITH MAYO 4 catfish filets Cajun/Creole seasoning ¼ cup mayonnaise lemon wedges PR EHE AT broiler and oil broiler
pan. Sprinkle catfish with Cajun/ Creole seasoning and place on pan. Using a table knife or thin spatula, coat each filet with mayonnaise. Broil until nicely browned and cooked through. Serve with lemon wedges. Make 4 servings.
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THROUGH LOUISIANA
ROAD TRIPS
PRINGTIME SEEMS TO BEG for a road trip,
and Louisiana delivers. Whether driving through wetlands and bayous in southern reaches, the piney woods with their welcome fresh air or absorbing ancient history in the northeast, Louisiana offers miles and miles of adventure. Check the tires, put on some tunes and bon voyage!
BY CHERÉ COEN
A TRIP BACK IN TIME
There’s plenty of history to love in Monroe and West Monroe, but Abby Wise, public relations and media coordinator for the twin cities, has her priorities in order. “The Biedenharn Museum has glass Coke bottles again!” she exclaimed. The pandemic took a bite out of tourism, including ceasing the serving of those tiny Coca-Cola bottles at the former home of Joseph A. Biedenharn, the first bottler of Coca-Cola who retired in Monroe. The attraction — which includes his home, gardens and a Bible museum — also features a Coke Museum filled with memorabilia. But visitors really love the replica soda fountain where they may enjoy a small bottle of Coke from an original five-cent vending machine.
More history abounds at the Northeast Louisiana Delta African American Heritage Museum, filled with artwork, historical documents and artifacts, plus it offers ongoing events relating to the culture of African Americans. The Chennault Aviation & Military Museum honors Gen. Claire Chennault and the Flying Tigers of World War II. “The Chennault museum’s operated by his granddaughter and it features exhibits on other wars as well,” Wise said. Head east on Interstate 20 to the Delhi exit and travel north to Poverty Point World Heritage Site for history that predates the settlement of Louisiana — by centuries! The ancient city that once occupied this site was built around the time of Stonehenge. Some of the Native American mounds remain, allowing visitors a chance to imagine the once bustling city. Places to pause in your northeast Louisiana road trip include Poverty Point Reservoir State Park’s lakeside cabins and the Hamilton House Bed and Breakfast in
32 LOUISIANA LIFE MAY/JUNE 2022
(left) The Biedenharn Museum (top right) Melrose Plantation (far right) Whitney Plantation (bottom) Bentley Hotel
West Monroe, which has a convenient location to Antique Alley and history available for purchase.
PLANTATIONS TO GAS STATIONS
When road tripping through Central Louisiana, we recommend a day or two to see it all. Start with downtown Alexandria and the historic Hotel Bentley, a destination in and of itself with its magnificent lobby and ceiling and World War II museum. Downtown Alexandria offers plenty for the art lover, including the Alexandria Museum of Art, but also Forts Randolph & Buhlow State Historic Site across the Red River. Travel up Louisiana Highway 1 — for a quicker route, take I-49 for most of the way and cut over — and enjoy the picturesque views of the countryside as you make your way into the Cane River region. Amidst ancient live oak trees and the winding Cane River is Melrose Plantation where the son of a former slave, Marie Thérèse Coincoin, began a unique Creole society. Stop at St. Augustine Church, more than 200 years old and the first U.S. Catholic church founded, independently financed and built by African Americans for their use.
The river road ends at Natchitoches, the oldest town in the Louisiana colony and filled with charming stores, award-winning museums and restaurants. Sample their famous meat pies, stroll along Cane River Lake and seek out the first five flower sculptures of the Natchitoches in Bloom public art installations created by Northwestern’s creative and performing arts program. Natchitoches offers many wonderful accommodations, from bed and breakfasts to full-service hotels. After a romantic evening in town, head west along the El Camino Real, the pre-statehood road that delivered travelers from Natchitoches into Texas, once Spanish territory. The road is littered with historic markers and sites, ending at Toledo Bend and the Louisiana-Texas border, but the route rolls through the Gas Station Eats trail, a collection of culinary hotspots within seven parishes. Download the trail at visitnomansland.com. Loop back through Kisatchie National Forest and pause for a dramatic overlook — as well as sampling finds from those gas stations — at Longleaf Trail Scenic Byway. After an afternoon of being immersed in nature, it’s back to I-49 and home.
ACROSS THE LAKE
People used to flock to the Northshore for its abundant springs and ozone atmosphere, both purported to rejuvenate and heal. Not very long ago, New Orleanians traversed the Causeway to enjoy a slice of country life “across the lake.” The good news is most of the Northshore retains that country feel today. A drive through St. Tammany Parish marries piney woods with lakefront access, plus numerous attractions, outdoor activities and great dining. Start your drive in Old Mandeville, where Lake Pontchartrain looms on one side and historic homes and eateries on the other. If it’s history you seek, check out the self-guided QR (Quick Response) code tour of 41 sites along the lakefront, including the Dew Drop Social & Benevolent Hall, started in 1885 by Olivia Eunio and several civicminded African Americans. Famous musicians who performed at the joint’s Saturday night dances included Bunk Johnson, Buddy Petit, Kid Ory and Louis Armstrong. But don’t just gaze at the historic establishment, step inside and listen to today’s jazz greats. Head north to Abita Springs, where folks once enjoyed the town’s pure water emerging deep
PHOTO COURTEY: THE BIEDENHARN MUSEUM; MELROSE PLANTATION; WHITNEY PLANTATION; BENTLEY HOTEL
LOUISIANALIFE.COM 33
within the earth. The Abita spring is no longer pulsing but others remain. A free-flowing well pumps out five gallons a minute into a pool at the newly opened Abita Springs Hotel, owned by John Preble of Abita Mystery House fame. “It’s always 70 degrees and it’s the purest water, coming from 70 feet of sand below us,” Preble said. His renovated Victorian hotel offers five rooms and is located right on the Tammany Trace, a rails-to-trails hiking/biking trail. Whether you park for the night or continue on to downtown Covington with its boutique shops and excellent culinary scene, be sure to visit Preble’s Abita Mystery House, a collection of buildings that house Preble’s eccentric exhibits. The Mystery House has expanded to double its size so there’s even more wacky and wonderful to peruse.
DOWN THE WINDING ROAD
The River Road winds through the River Parishes, passing plantations, quarters for enslaved people, swamps and some of the best eating along the Andouille Trail. Take your time on this road trip, stopping at historic homes, museums and picking up Louisiana’s famous sausage to snack on. The River Parishes are also known as “New Orleans Plantation Country,” and feature homes that vary from the picturesque Oak Alley to the Creole heritage of Laura Plantation. Whitney Plantation is dedicated to the lives of enslaved people, while Destrehan provides “Unheard Voices of the German Coast” tour. St. Joseph Plantation remains a working sugarcane plantation and has been used in numerous films and TV series, including “Queen Sugar.” New to the Great River Road is the 1811 Kid Ory Historic House, once home to jazz trombonist Kid Ory but also the site of the Louisiana Slave Revolt of 1811 that involved 500 enslaved people fighting for their freedom. Other significant River Road spots on the new “1811 Slave Revolt Trail” may be found by visiting the trail’s website at the1811slaverevolt.com. End your road trip at the magnificent Houmas House and the 35,000-square-foot Great River Road Museum that tells the story of life along the Mississippi River from early statehood until today. For a handy map of both sides of the River Road and its historic sites, visit lariverparishes.com/ new-orleans-plantation-country/.
ACADIANA CLOSEUPS
More than 2,500 films have been shot in Louisiana, according to the Louisiana Office of Tourism, with New Orleans nabbing the lion’s share. But Acadiana has seen its fill, many incorporating the vast beauty of Louisiana’s marshes, swamps, quaint towns and historic homes. The region also boasts of starting the state’s film industry, starting in 1918 when “Tarzan of the Apes” was
34 LOUISIANA LIFE MAY/JUNE 2022
filmed in the swamps around Morgan City. The early filmmakers considered the Atchafalaya River Basin close to the African environment described in the stories. Jimmy Stewart starred in a conflict between the oil industry and local fishermen in “Thunder Bay,” Sean Penn and Jude Law used sites in Morgan City for a remake of “All the King’s Men” and Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett visited the region for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons” Drive through the 12 blocks that make up Morgan City’s historic district — with its historic churches and Atchafalaya River frontage — and you’ll see why. Heading east toward Houma is the small town of Donner, where a church scene was filmed for Robert Duvall’s 1997 film “The Apostle.” Magnolia Plantation, three miles south of Schriever, served as the backdrop for the Oscar-winning “12 Years a Slave” and Nicholas Sparks’ “The Best of Me.” Farther down Highway 311, the Victorian Ardoyne Plantation was used for the upcoming Will Smith film, “Emancipation.” Historic downtown Houma was used for numerous films, including “Crazy in Alabama,” “Deadline” and the upcoming “Where the Crawdads Sing.” The award-win-
(top left) Abita Springs Hotel (right) “Tarzan of the Apes” (top right) Dew Drop Social and Benevolent Club (bottom) Kid Ory Historic House
PHOTO COURTEY: ABITA SPRINGS HOTEL; DEW DROP SOCIAL AND BENEVOLENT CLUB; KID ORY HISTORIC HOUSE
ning “Beasts of the Southern Wild” used Louisiana’s unique marshlands and coastline as its setting. Nearby Thibodaux attracts filmmakers as well, including the literary adaptations of Tennessee Williams’ “The Long Hot Summer” with Don Johnson and William Russ, Ernest J. Gaines’ “A Gathering of Old Men” with Holly Hunter and Louis Gossett Jr. and “Because of WinnDixie” with Jeff Daniels and Cicely Tyson. Filmmakers loved the historic values of Laurel Valley Village and filmed many movies there, including “A Lesson Before Dying” and “Ray.” And that’s just a taste of some of the films created in Acadiana. Lafayette and Lake Charles also have extensive lists. Visit louisianatravel.com/film for a complete list of the locations and individual cities. ■
LOUISIANALIFE.COM 35
ATCHAFA BASIN WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY KEVIN RABALAIS
ALAYA
The future of America’s largest river swamp is at risk, but the people working to conserve this vital ecosystem have hope for its future
in bloom, he knows, means the river is already rising. The Atchafalaya is North America’s fifth largest river, by discharge. In the highwater year of 2011, it stood second only to the Mississippi. Here, in these waters, Piazza seeks his answers. With Joseph Baustian, a wetland ecologist for The Nature Conservancy, Piazza continues along the dry bayou bed. They move in the direction that water once regularly flowed. Now it passes through here only in highwater years. That’s because the Basin, like much of south Louisiana, is sinking. After the 1927 Mississippi River flood, the U.S. Congress passed the Flood Control Act of 1928. The Atchafalaya Basin became an official floodway. The man-made levees built to combat future floods permanently altered the distribution of floodwater patterns in the region. Those levees that keep much of south Louisiana inhabitable also exacerbate subsidence. Baustian pauses, allowing his gaze to follow the slight curve of the bayou bed. It’s as wide as single-lane dirt road, as dry as one after weeks without rain. “You don’t want water to linger,” he says, offering elegant simplicity to what can sometimes seem like one of the world’s more complex plumbing systems. That’s because we’re talking, here, about the largest wetland and swamp in the United States. It’s also a threatened place, one of extreme importance to the region. Baustian nods as his gaze follows the bayou until a slight bend, 50 yards ahead. “You want water to flow into the Gulf as quickly as possible,” he says. That description (simple, yes, simplistic, no) provides the kernel of what he and Piazza are working to address. The Atchafalaya River has been dredged and straightened to hold more water without spreading that water over the floodplain, as it has throughout history. Today, this means that water from nearly half of the continental U.S. continues to reach the Basin, as it always has. The difference, however, is that it now often moves through the system of waterways without ever reaching the swamp. “Look at a map,” says Baustian, “and you will see that the Basin looks like three tongs of a fork.” Around those tongs intersect, much like twirled angel hair pasta, hundreds of man-made canals. These canals, many of them dredged in the 1960s, obstruct the north-to-south flow of water. In some cases, the canals have changed the direction of waterflow. Now, there are bayous and smaller waterways — what Piazza calls trenasses — through which water flows backwards. Another problem is that these man-made canals continue to widen after they are dredged, causing the swamp to erode from within. Baustian and Piazza step around the yellowtop, careful not to disturb any of the knee-high flowers. In this high ground, they’re searching for more hints, signs from the here and now, that will inform them about the future. At the sight of two cypress seedlings, Piazza grows animated. The first is scraggly, two feet tall. Next to it rises another seedling twice its size. Beside each, he stops to lay his hands on the twig-like branches before offering a verdict: “This small one won’t make it, but the bigger one has a chance.” Baustian explains the problem: “It’s not that the seeds don’t sprout. It is that the seedlings normally can’t grow tall enough
Stepping from The Enterprise (“It boldly goes where no boat should go”), Bryan Piazza and Joseph Baustian enter the dry bed of a nameless bayou. It’s winter in the Atchafalaya Basin, a season of low water and expectation. In the coming weeks, rising water will carry seeds of yellowtop, depositing them in the high ground of America’s largest river swamp. Each year, the cycle continues. For a few months, in one of those small miracles of nature, this camouflage land of greens and browns blooms golden. This landscape deserves its own Vincent van Gogh, its own Mary Oliver. In Bryan Piazza, it has the closest we may get to a resident Henry David Thoreau. Piazza is director of freshwater and marine science for The Nature Conservancy, the global, nonprofit environmental organization whose mission is to “conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.” He knows the science of the Basin. He also knows its rhythms. Piazza has spent the past 20 years studying both. He has also written a book — the book — on the subject: “Atchafalaya River Basin: History and Ecology of an American Wetland” (2014). “This is my favorite time in the Basin,” Piazza says as he stops to examine the golden flowers blooming along bayou banks and in the deep woods. But all good stories tell at least two stories. Begin with a landscape that in its golden brilliance rivals the rolling springtime rapeseed in France’s Loire Valley. In that beauty, Piazza also discerns something else. From the yellowtop, he has learned to read the Atchafalaya River’s temperament. To see these flowers
38 LOUISIANA LIFE MAY/JUNE 2022
“If we can get the Basin to regenerate, it makes healthy crawfish. It makes healthy trees. If we can get one right, we get them all right.” BRYAN PIAZZA
(Upper left) Alligators abound in Lake Martin, part of the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area. (Bottom left) Yellowtop thrives in the high ground of the Atchafalaya Basin. (Above) Bryan Piazza and Joseph Baustian walk through the dry bayou they hope will reconnect Bayou Sorrel with the back swamp.
LOUISIANALIFE.COM 39
in one year before the next flood comes and covers them up.” Even if completely under water, cypress seedlings can survive for several weeks. Longer periods under water mean that the tree has not been able to photosynthesize and grow, and current Basin conditions mean that the back-swamp habitat is flooded — and stagnant — for months at a time. At a rifle’s report, Piazza and Baustian turn from the seedlings. Moments later, beyond the thick tupelo that crowd the banks, a glimpse into Bayou Sorrel reveals a crawfish boat with traps piled high. On board, two fishermen inspect water levels to gauge whether it’s time to set traps. There’s no calendar season for crawfishing in the wild. Instead, this work is entirely dependent upon water levels. Highwater years mean greater crawfish production, and Louisiana’s more than 1,300 crawfish farmers flood and drain ponds in order to mimic the natural cycle of the Atchafalaya Basin. Those who work in the wild, contributing to Louisiana’s $300-million-dollar annual industry, rely on the rhythms of nature, like these two who are out
inspecting today. They could have saved time, and gas, if they had called Piazza and Baustian. “Everything here is connected,” Piazza says as the crawfishermen’s boat sputters down the bayou. Plants and trees, wildlife and water: In them, Piazza, Baustian, and other research fellows at The Nature Conservancy seek clues to comprehend North America’s largest floodplain swamp. The Atchafalaya Basin’s geographical size, much like its ecological, economic, and cultural importance, is nearly unfathomable. At almost one million acres, it’s four-fifths as large as the Grand Canyon. It’s larger than the state of Rhode Island, larger than Yosemite National Park. The Atchafalaya Heritage Area runs through fourteen of Louisiana’s 64 parishes, beginning at Concordia and spreading south to St. Mary. At its geographical heart in Iberville Parish is the newest addition to the Nature Conservancy’s portfolio, a 5,000-acre preserve near the town of Bayou Sorrel. Conserving these lands and waters means restoring health to a region of deep woods and fertile marshes, a landscape of broad economic potential and arresting beauty where nearly 300 species of wildlife, nearly 100 aquatic species, and a rich diversity of native plants all thrive — or at least where they have had the chance to do so throughout history. Strains on the environment, many of them man-made, mean that the health of the Basin now suffers. In a place that pulses with waterways — among them bayous, swamps and backwater lakes that, all told, comprise 30 percent of its expanse — it’s no surprise that everything here begins and ends with water. “The plumbing is broken,” Piazza says. “What we know is that water isn’t getting into the swamp.” For that reason, he and Baustian focus much of their energy on the water itself. In their search to understand what a healthy Basin looks like, they examine scientific data collected during the past one hundred years. The degraded water conditions in today’s Basin show them that everything suffers, from forest health to wildlife habitat. Much of this deterioration stems from the past five decades of man’s interference. “The life of every river sings its own song, but in most the song is long since marred by the discords of misuse,” wrote Aldo Leopold in “A Sand County Almanac” (1949). Despite decades of misuse here, Piazza and Baustian are confident that change remains possible. Start with restoring the water quality, they say, and you will witness a revitalization in the overall health of the Basin. “If we can get the Basin to regenerate, it (Left and opposite) A blackcrowned night-heron hunts in the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area. Each January, thousands of great egrets, little blue herons, white ibis and roseate spoonbills make nests in the rookery at Lake Martin.
40 LOUISIANA LIFE MAY/JUNE 2022
makes healthy crawfish,” Piazza says. “It makes healthy trees. If we can get one right, we get them all right.”Getting them right here, in this 5,000-acre section, is crucial. In 2019, on the eve of the global pandemic, the Nature Conservancy opened its floating Atchafalaya Conservation Center (ACC). Built on two barges, each containing an 800-square-foot building, with space between, the ACC sleeps 12 comfortably, more if necessary, and contains a conference room and kitchen. At both ends, screened-in porches offer views of Bayou Sorrel and Little Tensas Bayou, where, on this
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day, several commercial fishermen pass on their way to check hoop nets for catfish and buffalo. On these waterways and others throughout the Basin, researchers from LSU, Nicholls State, the universities of Louisiana at Lafayette, Southern Illinois, Delaware, Oklahoma and Southern Mississippi have generated seven theses, all since 2016, on topics that include waterflow, nitrogen deposition, and the health of wild crawfish. “The idea for the floating center was to have a place where people can come to talk about the Basin and to learn together,” Piazza says. Besides researchers, the ACC also offers a place, one central
“The idea for the floating center was to have a place where people can come to talk about the Basin and to learn together.” BRYAN PIAZZA
to The Nature Conservancy’s mission, for the Basin’s residents. Locals built and designed the floating structure. From one porch, you can look across Little Tensas Bayou and see, on the opposite bank, the house of Orry Mendoza, the carpenter who built the structures that sit on the floating barges. The latter were custom built by Bayou Fabricators & Marine Works in Plaquemine. Locals maintain the grounds. Commercial fishermen stop by to share news about what they see inside the combined 449 miles of federal levees in the Basin — all told, three miles less than a one way-drive from Baton Rouge to Birmingham. “Locals, and anyone with a
LOUISIANALIFE.COM 43
stake in the Basin, now have a place to come,” Piazza says of the ACC. Those who depend on the Basin for their livelihoods have no difficulty understanding the importance of what’s at stake here. Others may know of the Basin only as a rumor. It’s out there, a wild place somewhere in the Louisiana hinterland, our very own Amazonia of deep and mysterious swamp, Hollywood’s double, in the original “Tarzan of the Apes” (1918), for the African jungle. But to sit comfortably in a living room in Lafayette or Baton Rouge or New Orleans also means to have a stake in the Basin. Stop and think about the daily efforts at the Old River Control Structure Complex, which maintains the distribution of waterflow between the Atchafalaya and Mississippi rivers northeast of Simmesport, and you will quickly comprehend the precariousness of life in south Louisiana. If you live in that region, you will also find yourself grateful for clever engineering. By 1951, after a succession of multiple flood years, the Army Corps of Engineers knew that it needed to prevent the Atchafalaya — long river, in its original Choctaw — from overtaking its even longer source if Baton Rouge and New Orleans, along with much of south Louisiana, were to continue to exist as anything (Above left) Lake Martin other than places of legend. By offers dramatic sunsets even 1953, conditions revealed that for those who never leave the Mississippi River could alter their car. (Above right) its course by 1990. To combat Locals built and designed the floating Atchafalaya this takeover, the Army Corps Conservation Center. of Engineers began work on the
Old River Control Structure, which it completed in 1963. There, in Concordia Parish, the Auxiliary Structure divides waterflow, allowing the Atchafalaya to acquire 30 percent of the Mississippi River. Glance at a map of the area, and you will see the Mississippi’s general southward path begin to turn slightly southwest at Vicksburg before it shifts to its current south-to-southeastward journey. That shift is necessary for life as south Louisianans know it. Throughout history, North America’s largest river has sought the shortest and most efficient path to the Gulf of Mexico. Its desire to offer itself to the Atchafalaya, thereby combining forces, would allow the larger river to reach the Gulf in 142 miles as opposed to the 315 miles of its present course. These rivers, soulmates in the cosmos of waterways, have been kept apart because man’s desires overrule nature’s impulse. Thus, in “The Control of Nature” (1989), John McPhee provides a more current connotation of Atchafalaya: “The word will now come to mind more or less in echo of any struggle against natural forces — heroic or venal, rash or well advised — when human beings conscript themselves to fight against the earth, to take what is not given, to rout the destroying enemy, to surround the base of Mt. Olympus demanding and expecting the surrender of the gods.” Inhabitants of south Louisiana live, always, with water or its possibility at the back of the mind: rivers, bayous, swamps, rain, flood threats. Add to that the annual anxiety before and during hurricane season. The importance of Baustian and Piazza’s work becomes even more significant when you consider that the Mississippi has reached highwater levels in five of the past 10 years. In one of those — from Dec. 28, 2018, through Aug. 10, 2019 — the Mississippi reached its longest flood year on record. “The system is designed as a pipeline to pump water through here for flow control, through a network of canals and bayous,” Piazza says. The dredging of oil canals left mounds of earth on the banks. Now, these spoil banks rise — some like small bluffs, others like burial mounds — five, 10, as much as 20 feet above water level. “The design, all of the cuttings of oil canals, now means that it takes higher river floods to get water into the swamp,”
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Piazza says. “This means more water is necessary, but that water rarely comes — except in those vast flood years when the Bonnet Carré and Morganza spillways are opened. These record river years pose questions: Is the Mississippi River changing? Or is this episodic?” And so here, in this dry bayou bed, Baustian and Piazza prepare to make their stand. If a healthy Basin begins with healthy water, both know that the best place to begin is with the most obvious problem: Water now fails to spread through the swamp on its journey to the Gulf of Mexico. This causes stagnation, which, in turn, has created a dead zone. It’s similar in comparative destruction to the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, where oxygen levels have dropped “basically to zero,” Piazza says. “This places stress on trees. If trees don’t grow, they don’t take up carbon. It means smaller crawfish and extends to all seafood in the Basin, which is a key area for commercial and sport fishermen.” Preventing that stagnation requires reconfiguring the plumbing, and to do so, Baustian and Piazza focus on this nameless bayou, a one-time link for water flowing from Bayou Sorrel into the back swamp. This is merely one of dozens of historical waterways that, due to the dredging of canals, no longer moves water regularly through the Basin. The data that they have collected reveals that as much as 90 days of water per year in this bayou alone will be enough to improve conditions. Even as few as 30 days would create a significant change. The 90-day scenario, they say, will allow enough water to pass through the Basin to remove the equivalent of 54,000 14-pound bags worth of fertilizer and all of the pesticides that flow into the Basin from Midwestern farmland drainage. “One of our students converted the amount of nitrogen that the swamp could potentially remove through a microbial process called denitrification,” Baustian says. This research shows up to a 20 percent growth spurt in trees when they are connected to the path of flowing water. This project is one Piazza and Baustian have been waiting to commence — waiting, because their application lingers in labyrinthine bureaucracy. Shortly after filing their permit application to commence work, their state agency contact moved from the Department of Natural Resources. The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is now overseeing the work and has filed the application with the Army Corps of Engineers. Still, they’re hopeful that work will start before the end of the year. When it does, they will transport a small excavator down Bayou Sorrel on a barge. With it, they will shave three feet from the bottom of the bayou bed. Such an adjustment will allow water to flow regularly from Bayou Sorrel into this dry bayou, which will transport it into the back swamp even in non-record-setting flood years. That water will fertilize trees. It will regenerate wildlife. It will remove nitrates that contribute to the dead zone. It will provide habitat for healthier crawfish. All of that here, in this one place, this speck within the vastness of the Atchafalaya River Basin. It’s a place of significant promise, as Baustian and Piazza’s work reveals, one that has the potential to reverse decades of misuse. For now, it’s still a place without a name. “I think that Bryan Bayou has a nice ring to it,” Piazza says. For a few seconds, he and Baustian laugh. Then they start moving through the dry bed, glancing upon the yellowtop as they return to The Enterprise, which will take them to the floating ACC so that they can get back to work. ■
(Below) There are a combined 449 miles of federal levees in the Atchafalaya Basin.
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Traveling Around Louisiana Summer road trips are one of the best ways to create lasting memories with loved ones, and Louisiana offers a wealth of opportunities for engaging with local communities, unique culture, fascinating history and art-filled meccas.
52 LOUISIANA LIFE MAY/JUNE 2022
N
North, south, east or west—spinning the compass in any direction is sure to deliver an unforgettable adventure to a one-of-akind destination. Outdoors enthusiasts will love the diverse landscapes of the state, each with its own celebrated attractions and corresponding festivals and events. From the peaches of North Louisiana to the Gulf Seafood in abundance down south, summer brings a copious amount of satisfying flavors to adventuresome travelers and hospitable locals. Plan your summer road trip today and get to know Louisiana like never before.
Louisiana Cities & Communities
It’s peach season in Ruston and Lincoln Parish—mark your calendars for the 72nd Annual Louisiana Peach Festival happening
June 4 in downtown Ruston. The one-day at either Fontainebleau or Fairview-Riverside festival will be filled with 10+ hours of live State Parks. entertainment, free activities for the kids, a Eat, play, and stay during August 1local arts market, food vendors, and of course, September 15, 2022, for huge savings at local savory and sweet peach treats. Come early accommodations, discounted prix fixe menus for free admission from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. at restaurants locals love, and deals at unique Returning this year is Peach Restaurant outdoor attractions. Discover what it truly Week happening May 30 - June 4. Visit local means to feed your soul on the Louisiana restaurants for delectable peach dishes only Northshore. Sign-up for your Tammany available the week of the Louisiana Peach Taste of Summer Savings Pass today at Festival. Items include coffees and teas, TammanyTaste.com, and be the first to learn appetizers, sandwiches, pizzas, cocktails, about the hot deals happening this summer. specialty desserts, and so more much. Your next outdoor adventure is closer Don’t forget to add a trip to Mitcham than you think—in Alexandria/Pineville, a Farms Peach Orchard to your itinerary. robust sportsman’s culture is nurtured by Ice cream made from Louisiana’s sweetest outdoor opportunities in the area including peaches is only available during the summer. two beautiful and challenging golf courses For more information about Ruston or to and scenic Lake Buhlow in Pineville. plan your trip to the Louisiana Peach Explore the forested piney hills and Festival, visit ExperienceRuston.com. hardwood bottoms of Kisatchie National Explore St. Tammany Parish’s pristine Forest, one of the largest pieces of natural waterways and great outdoors with a paddle landscape in Louisiana and the only national along the bayou, boat tour of Honey Island forest in the state, filled with vital longleaf Swamp, fishing charter, bike ride along the pine and flatwoods vegetation supporting 31-mile Tammany Trace, or tubing trip down rare plant and animal species. Located within the Bogue Chitto. Satisfy your taste buds Kisatchie National Forest are scenic areas with the deep and delicious Tammany Taste ideal for bird watching, photography, backculinary scene. Abundant fine dining and packing, canoeing, all-terrain vehicle trails, mom and pop eateries combine all the flavors boating, camping, cycling, fishing, picnicking Louisiana is known for in exquisite dishes and swimming. The forest has more than 40 featuring Gulf seafood and local produce developed recreation sites such as Kincaid with hospitality that cannot be beaten. Wind Lake Campground, a modern, forested down with the family at paradise, complete with a fishing pier, your choice of comfortable (Left) Kayaking in swimming area, and boat launch. and affordable accommo- St. Tammany Parish Plan your outdoor adventure today dations, luxurious B&Bs, (Bottom) Ruston Peach at alexandriapinevillela.com. ■ or updated camping sites Festival
Art & History The Helis Foundation
From vibrant murals to public sculptures to free museum admission, revel in the arts across New Orleans courtesy of The Helis Foundation with its Art for All program. The Helis Foundation provides access to the city’s rich visual arts scene for visitors and locals to New Orleans whether they’re strolling along Poydras Street to view Poydras Corridor Sculpture Exhibition, a collection of 16 sculptures by renowned local and international artists, or enjoying Unframed, Downtown’s first multi-mural exhibition of large-scale artwork. Louisiana residents may enjoy free admission to some of New Orleans’ most beloved institutions on select days year-round, including Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans Botanical Garden, Contemporary Arts Center, and Louisiana Children’s Museum. To learn more, visit TheHelisFoundation. org. #ArtforAllNOLA
The National WWII Museum
Based in New Orleans, the manufacturing home of the famed Higgins landing crafts that delivered American soldiers to their D-Day landings, The National WWII Museum tells the story of the American Experience in “the war that changed the world”—why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today—so that all generations will understand the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn. The multi-pavilion, congressionally designated Museum offers an impactful blend of sweeping narrative and poignant personal detail, featuring exhibits, state-of-the-art multimedia experiences, and an expansive collection of artifacts and first-person oral histories to take visitors inside the story of the war. Currently featuring two limited-time special exhibits—Infamy: Pearl Harbor Remembered and The Real Image of War: Steichen and Ford in the Pacific—the Museum continues to offer patrons of all ages new ways to connect to history. For more information, visit nationalww2museum.org.
LOUISIANALIFE.COM 53
NATURAL STATE
The Greatest Good Saving the Hurricane Laura-ravaged Kisatchie National Forest and its inhabitants STORY AND PHOTOS BY KEVIN RABALAIS
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H
ollywood demanded devastation. The directors of the upcoming science-fiction film “65” needed to find a ravaged landscape to place their main character, an astronaut (Adam Driver) who “crash lands on a mysterious planet only to discover he’s not alone.” Then they saw Hurricane Laura ravaged Kisatchie National Forest. Larger than the state of Louisiana, Hurricane Laura made landfall at Cameron in 2020 as a high Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph sustained winds. It reached Alexandria as a Category 2 storm and maintained
hurricane status all the way to Shreveport. In Vernon Parish, Kisatchie’s southernmost district, Lisa W. Lewis, forest supervisor for Louisiana’s only national forest, remembers seeing the devastation for the first time. “It looked like a nuclear explosion,” she says. “Thinking of the effort ahead of us made me physically ill.” Standing next to Lewis, Jim Caldwell, Kisatchie’s staff officer for Public Affairs, Recreation and Heritage, recalls what one crew member from “65” told him after witnessing the damage: “We don’t need any CGI here.” At 604,000 acres, Kisatchie’s five, non-contiguous districts cover seven parishes. In the Calcasieu Ranger District of Vernon Parish (“We affectionately call it God’s Country,” Lewis says), Laura’s destruction was most severe. Here, 100 miles inland, Laura destroyed the forest “as though it were on the coast,” Caldwell says. “The hurricane impacted 256,000 acres on some level. Ninety thousand of those are areas of heavy damage. Of that, 20,000 acres received catastrophic damage.” Although the Forest Service salvaged and continues to sell toppled timber, Lewis estimates a $64 million loss.
(Top left) Quail hunters pass through the storm-ravaged Vernon Unit of Kisatchie National Forest. (Top right) Jim Caldwell approaches the entrance of Kisatchie’s Wolf Rock Cave. (Left) Yellow markers designate endangered species areas.
LOUISIANALIFE.COM 57
NATURAL STATE
(Top left) After Hurricane Laura, foresters worked to salvage downed timber. (Top right) The Forest Service has installed 400 artificial cavities, much like this one that Lisa W. Lewis holds, to protect endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers. (Right) A crowfoot violet grows near Fort Polk.
In the days after the storm, Lewis and Caldwell had yet another immediate worry. Louisiana is home to one of the densest populations of the red-cockaded woodpecker, which has been on the endangered species list since 1970. Hurricane Laura destroyed trees where these woodpeckers carve cavities in pines that have been infected with red heart disease, a fungus that softens the heart of the tree. The longleaf and loblolly pines of Kisatchie, along with red heart disease, are essential for the woodpeckers, territorial birds that forage on insects and bark. Lacking options to carve new homes and build a safe habitat, the woodpeckers would be forced to roost on limbs. There, Lewis and Caldwell knew, the woodpeckers would be vulnerable to hawks and owls. Forest Service employees cut their way through the destruction and into the woodpecker sites. “Within 10 days after the storm, [they] had determined which red-cockaded woodpecker cavity trees had been blown down,” Caldwell says. The U.S. Forest Service then devised a plan, commissioning several companies to
58 LOUISIANA LIFE MAY/JUNE 2022
make artificial cavities, among them RAVEN Environmental Services, which makes inserts out of western red cedar. Thirty days after the hurricane, 300 artificial cavities had been placed in standing trees in the Vernon District. To date, the Forest Service has installed 400 artificial cavities. “And it worked,” Caldwell says. In part because of these efforts, Lewis believes that the red-cockaded woodpecker may soon be reclassified from endangered to threatened. After all of the destruction and the past year of grueling work, she and Caldwell are also hopeful about the current reforestation efforts. In the 1930s, when the Civilian Conservation Corps began reforesting this area, its teams planted pines — some non-native but simply available at the time — that could thrive in wet conditions. After Hurricane Laura, what would have taken 100 years for the Forest Service to replenish as entirely native will now take a decade, two at most, before the area returns to its natural longleaf pine savanna. As Caldwell admires a stand of healthy longleaf pines, he quotes Gifford Pinchot, the politician, conservationist, first chief of the U.S. Forest Service and “Father of Forestry”: “‘The purpose of conservation: The greatest good to the greatest number of people for the longest time.’” Lewis nods, looking up at the needlelike leaves that can grow to 18 inches. “The work ahead remains Herculean at best,” she says, “but we’re out here every day.” n
DID YOU KNOW?
Facts and Figures • There are 154 national forests in the United States, and the U.S. Forest Service manages 193 million acres. • The Calcasieu Ranger District, which includes two non-adjacent “Units” — Vernon and Evangeline — covers more than 182,000 acres. The Vernon Unit suffered the worst damage during Hurricane Laura.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES ONLINE AT LOUISIANALIFE.COM
AT A GL ANCE
LOCATION
Kisatchie, the only national forest in Louisiana, covers 604,000 acres and runs through seven parishes, ranging from Vernon and Rapides to Webster and Claiborne. FLORA
Crowfoot violet, carnivorous pitcher plant, wild azalea FAUNA
Louisiana pearlshell mussel, Rafinesque’s big-eared bat, threetoed box turtle
LOUISIANALIFE.COM 59
TRAVE LE R
Gulf Coasting History, beautiful scenery, sunbathing and fishing abound at the bottom of The Boot BY CHERÉ COEN
M
ention Louisiana and most people identity with New Orleans, Cajun Country, casinos and LSU. When it comes to the state’s coastline, a fog often settles in their gaze. Sure, our coastline is famous for its fishing and surrounding marshlands teeming with wildlife for hunting and birding, but most tourists — and perhaps a few residents — don’t realize the beauty that lines the bottom of Sportsman’s Paradise. We hope to shed some light on that omission. Since Hurricane Ida did a number on Grand Isle and the vicinity, we’ll leave that story for another day, when our most famous barrier island gets back on its feet. We’ll begin this trek from Lafayette through Vermilion Parish to Pecan Island, a coastal town known for its fishing and hunting camps, but also a unique history. In the 1800s, rancher Jack Cole pushed a cattle herd through Vermilion Parish coastal marshes and discovered pecan trees on a high oak ridge, what we call in Louisiana a “chenier.” Along with those tasty nuts he found a mound of bleached human bones, part of a Native American mound. The Smithsonian later dated those mounds back centuries, and a carved deer antler later excavated was determined to be rare art from the Coles Creek period, circa 970 AD. This “Morgan Effigy” is owned by the Vermilion Historical Society and on display at the Cultural and Historical Alliance in downtown Abbeville. Those bones are long gone, unfortunately ravaged by treasure hunters, but wildlife abounds around Pecan Island. The stars of “Swamp People” taped an episode in the area, for instance, because of its abundance of alligators. Heading west on Highway 82, which skirts the coast, visitors will find the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge with its 26.5 miles of Gulf beaches and inland chenier, the perfect place to shoot nature — but this time with a camera. Thousands of acres were purchased in the early 20th century
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for a coastal refuge, accented by 86,000 acres donated by Edward Avery McIlhenny of Tabasco, all to the Rockefeller Foundation, which then donated the land to the state. In 1920, the land became known as the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge. The property is still maintained as a wildlife sanctuary — excellent for birding — with research its primary goal. Some recreational sport fishing and commercial trapping is allowed if compatible with the original mission statement. For information on the refuge and its regulated public access, visit wlf.louisiana.gov/page/ rockefeller-wildlife-refuge. Other great places to observe colorful migratory songbirds and resident species, in addition to wildlife, are the Hollister Woods at Grand Chenier, Oak Grove Sanctuary at the mouth of the Mermentau River and Peveto Woods Sanctuary in Cameron Parish. Peveto Woods is operated by the Baton Rouge Audubon Society and lies in the center of the Mississippi Flyway. Birds flying north in spring and south in fall rest here before or after their long flight across the Gulf of Mexico. For miles of beach and sand, pause at Rutherford Beach, south of Creole, and Holly Beach, west of Cameron. Holly Beach has seen extensive updates since the past hurricanes and includes miles of sandy beaches, while Rutherford is more remote. Both sites provide easy access to the Creole Nature Trail which extends south from Interstate 10 and Lake Charles. “I grew up with visits to Holly Beach,” said Kathryn Shea Duncan, director of social media at Visit Lake Charles. “But Rutherford Beach has better shelling.” Visitors should note that Gulf waters this close to the Mississippi River will not be as blue and clear as Florida, but Louisiana beaches still provide a great opportunity to sunbathe and find natural treasures such as seashells, which are abundant here due to fewer visitors. n
WANT TO HELP THE COAST? The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, a nonprofit dedicated to coastal restoration, offers volunteer excursions throughout the year to plant marsh grasses and native trees and to deploy manmade “reefs,” or oyster shells within marine mesh bags, to develop future oyster reefs. The latter volunteer program provides habitat for new oysters to grow, said James Karst, director of communications and marketing for CRCL, plus attracts birds and wildlife, minimizes erosion and protects the marshes against hurricane storm surge. It’s also a lot of fun, he added, since the event means heading out on boats along the coast. To register for a volunteer outing or to learn more, visit the CRCL volunteer events page at crcl.org.
A demonstration of segmented breakwater for the Shoreline Stablization Project ME-18.
PHOTOS COURTESY: ROCKEFELLER WILDLIFE REFUGE
FA RT HE R F LUNG
Beach Bound Festivals are back and there’s more to do than ever before at Gulf Shores and Orange Beach BY CHERÉ COEN
F
estivals are coming back in a big way to Alabama beaches, including the enormously popular Hangout Music Festival May 20-22, which combines music, food and activities such as roller disco and beach volleyball. Speaking of volleyball, the National Collegiate Women’s Beach Volleyball Championship takes over Gulf Shores beaches May 6-8. For the loftiest among us, there’s the Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival May 12-14 in Downtown OWA and the Park at OWA in nearby Foley. Heading east to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach sounds more fun than ever.
GET OUTSIDE
Miles and miles of sparkling white beaches and emerald-colored waters greet visitors to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, with accommodations ranging from high-rise condos and elegant home rentals facing the water to cabins and RV hook-ups at the expansive Gulf Shores State Park. For those who wish for a less-crowded experience, Dauphin Island lies southwest of Mobile, the barrier island facing the Gulf of Mexico with Mobile Bay at its back. In addition to exploring dunes, beaches and marshlands, visitors may climb ancient cannons and watch blacksmiths at work at the 19th-century Fort Gaines or get up close and personal with sea life at Alabama Aquarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (formerly called the Estuarium). Learn more by following marine scientists and researchers into native habitats with the Aquarium’s Excursion program. One more reason to choose Alabama beaches is its expanded beach access. “Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Dauphin Island all have beach access for the disabled,” said Andi Martin, public relations manager at Alabama Tourism Department, although she added, “But no dogs on the beach except at Dauphin Island.” For something unique on the water, Anonyme Cruises has leisurely tours out of the Orange Beach Marina aboard a luxury electric boat. There are a variety of options at Sea View Tours, but the night glow tours in clear kayaks is something special to experience.
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GET LEARNED
Visit Gulf Shores State Park for its extensive paved nature trails and boardwalks but don’t miss the opportunity to learn more about Alabama’s wildlife and flora and fauna. The Learning Campus recently opened in the park, offering “a little of everything,” said Chandra Wright, director of environmental and educational initiatives. Visitors may choose a guided walk, learn about the pirates of Perdido Bay, catch a glimpse of the 300 bird species that call the park home or visit during migratory season. For groups — family reunions, corporate retreats, Scout outings and the like — there’s special programming and two bunk houses that sleep 32 each. For individuals looking for a nature walk, lecture or class, check the website calendar regularly at learningcampusgsp.com. “The events show up on a live Google calendar every month, along with all the other events of the park,” Wright said. “Just keep checking.”
JUST BE SAFE There were 400 water rescues last summer, Maghan said. She impresses upon visitors to swim in areas with lifeguards or with adult supervision and to be aware of weather and hazards. Check beach flags for water conditions and obey them.
NEW EATS
New restaurants have been popping up all over Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, said Kay Maghan, public relations manager for Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism, but there’s one trend that’s particularly exciting. Several entrepreneurs have established businesses that offer ready-to-cook meals or will deliver groceries to visitors. “That’s half the battle down here — grocery shopping,” Maghan said, adding that traffic to stores can get hectic in the height of the season. Sarah’s Homemade delivers ready-to-cook meals and Beach Moms concierge service deliverers groceries, makes dinner reservations and plans outings for the family. The Beach Moms arrange elegant picnics with a view, right on the beach. For takeout, Maghan suggests the drive-through at Efes Greek Kitchen that’s quick and easy but not fast food. “Their fries are amazing,” she said. Murder Point at The Wharf sells fresh Gulf oysters to go, as well. “But if you must dine out, avoid peak times or call ahead to check for waits or to reserve a table,” Maghan advised. n
LOUISIANALIFE.COM 63
LIVING LOUISIANA
Nature’s Sanctuary A tiny frog rests on a large mushroom at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. BY MELANIE WARNER SPENCER, NEW ORLEANS
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