Hard Work Does Not Deter BTNEP Volunteers
Since its inception, the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program has been working with our partners and a host of local, state, and community groups to enhance our formal volunteer program and these efforts are paying off for the good of the estuary! The BTNEP Volunteer Program provides participants the opportunity to work shoulder-to-shoulder with the agency employees, engineers, scientists and field agents who play a vital role in the fight to resolve the problems of coastal land loss and to restore a healthy, sustainable estuarine ecosystem for this and future generations. The BTNEP Volunteer Program continues to annually recruit hundreds of devoted citizens from throughout the United States, who offer their time and talents at various events and volunteer opportunities year-long. Volunteers can sign up for projects and events via the BTNEP Volunteer Program website, or at many events in the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary. The BTNEP Volunteer Program is continuously identifying potential volunteer projects with a variety of skill levels, environments, and geographic locations within the estuary. This means that BTNEP is working closer than ever before with our many partner agencies throughout the estuary to provide a multitude of potential volunteer opportunities. The BTNEP volunteer program has worked with its many partners to give hundreds of volunteers the chance to work on a variety of projects in the estuary. The future holds even more promise for this growing program to continue moving forward in the important work of fostering active stewardship in our estuary communities, and performing important habitat restoration and cultural stewardship work throughout the system. One of the most important roles of the BTNEP Volunteer Program is to ensure that residents and visitors have open access to natural areas so that we can continue to educate the nation on the importance of our fragile ecosystem. Our national, state, and local parks provide an excellent opportunity for local, regional, and national visitors to learn about the history, culture, and environment of South Louisiana.
Many of our public access areas were heavily damaged by the catastrophic hurricane seasons of 2005 and 2008. While much attention has been focused on the plight of humans and urban areas, our natural environments continue to await much-needed recovery effort. In addition, limited resources make it difficult to sustain the progress that has been made. Continued maintenance is necessary to keep trails clear and to allow visitors access to this beautiful and educational wilderness.
By providing reliable access to natural areas, BTNEP, and our partners can continue to increase awareness of the challenges that face the environment and people of Coastal Louisiana and the potential long-term solutions to those challenges. With this knowledge, visitors can return to their homes across the nation and share the importance of our environment, our economy, and our culture. Other past and upcoming volunteer opportunities include invasive species removal, native garden plantings, vegetative marsh plantings on newly restored wetlands, clerical support, and outreach assistance. For more information on specific volunteer opportunities, a calendar of events, or to sign up to become a BTNEP volunteer, visit the Volunteer Program's web site at http://volunteer.BTNEP.org or contact the Volunteer Program coordinator, Mel Landry, at 1-800-259-0869 or via email at mel@BTNEP.org . -Kerry St. Pe'
Executive Director | 
