Zachary Elementary Students Participate in LSU Coastal Roots Planting Project

Students at Zachary Elementary recently planted bitter panicum nodes and cypress tree seeds as part of the LSU Coastal Roots program. Students also installed a nursery where they will nurture and maintain the seedlings until the fall planting season. Throughout the year, the students will learn about coastal erosion issues throughout Louisiana, while overseeing the entire growth cycle of the plants. Next fall, the students will take the seedlings to Grand Isle, where they will have the opportunity to actually plant the grasses on the beaches of the eroding barrier island. LSU Coastal Roots establishes school-based nurseries at schools within the coastal zone of Louisiana. These nurseries are student managed and are capable of producing native wetland plants for use in habitat restoration. Each school is partnered with a long term restoration site, which they are able to revisit each year for planting trips. There are currently over 40 schools in eighteen parishes participating in the program. Since 2000, 3,573 students have planted more than 29,000 student-produced seedlings in Louisiana. Students from grades 3-12 across 18 parishes of south Louisiana are taking part in this project by establishing wetland plant nurseries at their schools. Students are growing native plant seedlings that they will plant in a coastal habitat restoration project in south Louisiana.

Students are working with a variety of seeds, including the water oak, southern baldcypress, southern wax myrtle, black mangrove, red mulberry, and Spartina alterniflora grass - just to name a few.