News Release Distributed 10/19/11
The LSU AgCenter’s 4-H Youth Wetlands Program will host a Louisiana Wetlands Exploration Day at Fairview-Riverside State Park in Madisonville on Tuesday, Oct. 25, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
“The program will give students the opportunity to learn about the importance of wetlands as well as become directly involved in the restoration and conservation of this invaluable ecosystem by planting a Louisiana aquatic plant collection at the park,” said Youth Wetlands Program associate Mindy Brooks.
Fourth-grade students from St. Tammany Parish will attend the event. They will enjoy a day filled with numerous fun and educational activities as well as the opportunity to plant a native wetland plants collection that will help improve the bayou at Fairview State Park, Brooks said. LSU AgCenter Master Gardeners also will lead the students in planting irises in an area of the park that is in need of improvement.
The 4-H Youth Wetlands Program is funded by the Louisiana Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration. For the past five years, this program has seen great success in educating students around Louisiana about the importance of Louisiana’s most valuable resource, its wetlands, she said.
The Youth Wetlands Program, along with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, the Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum, the LSU AgCenter and Fairview State Park provides interactive and educational activities for fourth-grade students in Louisiana.
"The cooperative program with the LSU AgCenter and other agencies lends support to the educational goals of Fairview State Park, enabling an extended student program while utilizing and enhancing Louisiana's natural resources,” Fairview-Riverside State Park’s site coordinator Ann Durel said.
Craig Gautreaux