Delta Dispatches

On today's episode, Simone and Jacques welcome back National Wildlife Federation Outreach Manager Samantha Carter to discuss the fourth annual Cook-off for the Coast (https://coastcookoff.wordpress.com/). Although this year's cook-off will be virtual, Sam highlights how it will still feature great content, including music from the Michot’s Melody Makers with special guest Leyla McCalla, a virtual coastal flyover, cooking demonstrations with celebrity chefs, as well as a recipe and artwork contest. On the second half of the show, Friends of Bayou Lafourche Executive Director Ryan Perque joins to discuss exciting progress on the bayou, including a new partnership with Nicholls State University, improvements along the waterway, as well as upcoming events and opportunities to get involved. Learn more and support this organization at bayoulafourche.org (http://bayoulafourche.org/).

This episode of Delta Dispatches features environmental law experts providing an overview of the legal and regulatory backdrop upon which Louisiana is executing its coastal restoration and protection efforts. Amy Reed, Staff Attorney, and Jarryd Page, Public Interest Law Fellow, both from the Environmental Law Institute, join Simone and Jacques to discuss the forthcoming draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Mid Barataria Sediment Diversion. They also discuss the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other important laws guiding the implementation of this large-scale coastal restoration project. More importantly, they highlight how the public and stakeholders can get involved and participate in this process. Learn more at ELI.org (http://eli.org/) and by reading this ELI blog post (https://www.eli.org/vibrant-environment-blog/sediment-diversions-big-projects-confront-land-loss-mississippi-river-delta) about the regulatory process surrounding the diversion.

On today's show, Jacques checks in with Blaise Pezold, Coastal and Environmental Program Manager at The Meraux Foundation, who provides updates on a number of exciting programs the foundation is carrying out in St. Bernard Parish, from a new citrus research facility to ongoing coastal education and volunteer initiatives. Freelance journalist Sara Sneath then joins to discuss her recent reporting and highlight a unique way to tour St. Bernard Parish and the rest of our coastal communities -- on your bike.

Welcome back to Delta Dispatches as Simone and Jacques kick off 2021 with a favorite guest, Dr. Robert Twilley, who updates the duo on the exciting development of Louisiana being considered for a National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR). Louisiana is one of the few coastal states that doesn’t currently have a NERR. Dr. Twilley discusses what value a NERR would bring to a state and how having one would allow Louisiana’s coast to have greater attention at the national level. Simone and Jacques then chat with Karen Gautreaux, Director, Government Relations, Louisiana Chapter, The Nature Conservancy, who highlights Louisiana’s first-ever Climate Task Force and gives an update on important work happening in the Atchafalaya Basin.

Simone and Jacques close out 2020 with their 150th episode of Delta Dispatches, welcoming Greg Grandy, Deputy Executive Director for Louisiana's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA). Greg highlights the immense progress that the agency made on implementing coastal restoration and protection projects in 2020 (https://coastal.la.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/In-Review.pdf), despite obstacles ranging from the Covid pandemic to an extremely active, unprecedented hurricane season. CPRA advanced 112 coastal projects with 49 projects in construction in 2020, and Greg also highlights what's to come in 2021. Jacques then welcomes Marissa Wendte and James Karst from the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana on to highlight progress on the coalition's oyster shell recycling program, a new virtual store (https://coalition-to-restore-coastal-louisiana.myshopify.com/), next year's virtual State of the Coast and their annual Shell-A-Bration!

Thanks for listening to Delta Dispatches! As we close out 2020, Jacques & Simone chat with one of Louisiana’s most iconic television journalists: WVUE Fox-8 News Anchor John Snell! You may know John from his decades-long career as a reporter and news anchor at WVUE Fox-8 in New Orleans, but in this episode, we get to know more about the man in front of the camera. John discusses what brought him to and kept him in New Orleans, advice to aspiring journalists, reflections on how the industry has changed, as well as his love of photography. He also highlights his award-winning "Coast in Crisis" series and why Louisiana's land loss crisis is such an important and compelling story for him to cover.

This week Simone and Jacques catch up with Pontchartrain Conservancy Executive Director Kristi Trail who recaps the biggest milestones for her organization in 2020. Kristi also highlights ongoing programs, from on-the-ground science on water quality and coastal restoration, to STEM education and volunteer tree plantings. There are many ways to support Pontchartrain Conservancy in their mission, from donations to volunteering to shopping at the New Canal Lighthouse. Learn more at scienceforourcoast.org.

Thanks for listening to this episode of Delta Dispatches. Our hosts, Simone & Jacques, catch up after a few weeks off and reflect on the long (and finally over) 2020 hurricane season. Our first guess is Ilissa Ocko, senior climate scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund. She talks about her work and how climate change impacts hurricanes. On the second half the show, we chat with Meg Adams, the Director of Environmental Stewardship at New Orleans City Park. Meg talks about the great history of City Park and how it’s embracing environmental stewardship. Ediit: We updated 2nd half of the show. Apologies for the mistake.

Thanks for listening to the latest episode of Delta Dispatches. This episode was recorded early last week, before Hurricane Zeta made landfall. Everyone at Delta Dispatches sends good vibes to all our listeners, as we’ve been impacted with the rest of Southeast Louisiana and coastal Mississippi. We hope this episode will provide some entertainment as you may be waiting for the lights to come back on. We talk to Maida Owens, Louisiana Folklife Program Director about her important work capturing the cultural heritage of our state. We are also joined by one of our favorite (and most frequent) guests, Erik Johnson from the National Audubon Society! He talks about his work with the elusive Black Rail.

Thanks for tuning in this week! Today, Simone and Jacques have a special, panel-esque episode all about the infamous Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, nicknamed the "Hurricane Highway", and progress made in the decade since its closure. Pontchartrain Conservancy Coasts & Community Program Director John Lopez (https://mississippiriverdelta.org/staff/john-lopez/), National Wildlife Federation Gulf Program Deputy Director Amanda Moore (http://mississippiriverdelta.org/staff/amanda-moore/), and Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement & Development CEO Arthur Johnson (http://sustainthenine.org/team/) offer their invaluable perspectives on the channel's devastating impact to the surrounding communities and ecosystem prior to its closure in 2009, particularly when it acted as a funnel for storm surge when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. The panelists also discuss the rebound made by the ecosystem over the past 10 years that was captured in a recently released report (https://mrgomustgo.org/wp-content/upload

Thanks for listening to this week’s episode! Today, Simone and Jacques talk about the ongoing efforts by Louisiana's state agencies and nonprofits to increase coastal resilience in relation to climate change. First, we catch up with Jeannette Dubinin, the Director of Resilience and Adaptation for the Center for Planning Excellence, or CPEX. She talks about some of their exciting new projects and their free virtual Smart Growth Summit that is currently underway -- and accepting participants (https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsummit.cpex.org%2Fregister.&data=02%7C01%7Cjhebert%40edf.org%7C6cf3b8f0ef7f436edae908d8706beb4d%7Cfe4574edbcfd4bf0bde843713c3f434f%7C0%7C0%7C637382956117667552&sdata=inSS%2Bm%2BV%2B%2B%2B4y5xnfIjxAlyqrR%2FcJw%2B1rfVKrN9%2FB3o%3D&reserved=0)! Their next session is focused on green infrastructure (https://www.facebook.com/centerforplanningexcellence/photos/a.468217931361/10157000250536362/) in Louisiana. Louisiana's first Chief Resilience Officer Charles Sutcli

Thanks for listening to this week’s episode! Today Simone and Jacques talk about the ongoing needs and obstacles in the wake of Hurricane Laura. First, we speak with Sara Judson, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana. She talks about the relief and recovery after the storm and the role her organization is playing to help the people of Southwest Louisiana. Also joining us is Corey Miller, Director of Community Resilience with our friends at CRCL. Corey talks about how you can help in the recovery through volunteering and donations. If you want to help support the people of Southwest Louisiana, visit https://www.helpswla.org/

On this week’s episode, we talk with Samantha Carter, Outreach Manager with the National Wildlife Federation to talk about her new project, the Coastal Community Cookbook (http://mississippiriverdelta.org/recipes/)! Inspired by the paper bound cookbooks passed around by our grandmothers, the Coastal Community Cookbook is designed to promote our favorite seafood recipes and raise awareness of the issues found along our coast. You can submit your own recipe here (https://forms.gle/fhLU16QVpqfVKP2h7)! In our second conversation, Simone and Jacques chat with participating chef, Randy Cheramie (https://www.nicholls.edu/culinary/faculty/chef-randy-cheramie/)! He’s the Chef Instructor, CJFCI at Nicholls State University and tells so many amazing stories about his life as a restaurateur, professor, and chef.

In the wake of the destruction of Hurricane Laura, we sit down with Chip Kline, Executive Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Activities and Chairman of the CPRA Board. Chip talks about the work CPRA is doing to protect the people who call South Louisiana home, what it’s like in Louisiana’s Emergency Center, what he saw when he toured southwest Louisiana, the importance of coastal restoration in the face of future storms and more. Please consider helping those affected by Hurricane Laura. We’ve compiled a list of organizations here that you can support to get relief, supplies and more: http://mississippiriverdelta.org/LauraRelief

This week we sit down with two guests to reflect on where we've come in the years since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. First we talk to Sidney Coffee, who headed the Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities in 2005 at the time of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. She would go on to be the first chair of the CPRA and has been instrumental in shaping that agency, the Coastal Master Plan, and coastal restoration in Louisiana. Next we welcome Arthur Johnson back to the show. Arthur is the Chief Executive Officer of the Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development (CSED). Arthur and his organization have played a crucial role in helping communities, such as the Lower 9th Ward, recover and rebuild in the years since Katrina. He reflects on the progress since 2005 and the challenges communities still face in building a more equitable Louisiana for all communities. Please consider helping those affected by Hurricane Laura. We've compiled a list of organizations here that you can support to get relief, sup

On this extra special, lagniappe episode of Delta Dispatches, we welcome Congressman Garret Graves back to the show. We reflect on the coming 15 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and how coastal restoration has played a role in preparing Louisiana for future storms. Rep. Graves also talks about how he sees bipartisan work to create cleaner energy and community resilience in Louisiana.

This week on Delta Dispatches, we speak with Jessica H. Schexnayder about her book, Fragile Grounds (https://www.upress.state.ms.us/Books/F/Fragile-Grounds), which compiles stories and photographs of endangered cemeteries throughout Louisiana's coastal zone and beyond. On the second half the show we welcome back Deborah Visco Abibou, Ph.D., restoration programs director for the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. CRCL is about to install their latest oyster reef as part of their oyster shell recycling program.

Thanks for tuning in! Last week, forecasters updated their outlook calling for an 'extremely active (https://www.wafb.com/2020/08/05/updated-forecast-calls-extremely-active-hurricane-season/)' remainder of the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Simone and Jacques chat with WAFB Meteorologist Steve Caparotta (https://twitter.com/SteveWAFB) to get his insights on the update and what is driving it, as well as discuss prior record-breaking seasons and other trends. On the second half of the show, Jacques and Simone discuss a number of coastal updates, including reflecting on the legacy of Dr. Sherwood "Woody" Gagliano, highlighting the ongoing Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion scoping process (http://mississippiriverdelta.org/your-voice-is-needed-why-and-how-to-participate-in-the-mid-breton-sediment-diversion-scoping-process/) and unveiling a new Coastal Community Cookbook (http://mississippiriverdelta.org/recipes). Listen now!

We're dedicating this entire episode to the Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion, which is officially in the scoping period. During the scoping period, the public can provide comments and suggest questions about the project that they think should be addressed in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to ultimately inform how the project moves forward. This episode breaks down the scoping process and talks about how you can deliver your comments about the project to the Army Corps of Engineers. The official regulatory page can be found here: https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/Permits/Mid-Breton-Sediment-Diversion-EIS/ For more information about the process visit our website: http://mississippiriverdelta.org/your-voice-is-needed-why-and-how-to-participate-in-the-mid-breton-sediment-diversion-scoping-process/

Thanks for listening to another episode of Delta Dispatches with Jacques Hebert and Simone Maloz! Today we talk with Dr. Ehab Meselhe, Professor, Tulane University, School of Science & Engineering about his illustrious career. He talks about his time studying two of the largest rivers in the world, the Nile and Mississippi. Dr. Meselhe also recently completed a study that looks at the impacts of planned upper river diversions on operations of the Bonnet Carré spillway. Later in the show, we’re joined by Kristi Trail, Executive Director, Pontchartrain Conservancy (née, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation)! She talks about her organization’s new name, mission, and how they’re using science for our coast. Visit their new website here to learn about the new Pontchartrain Conservancy: https://scienceforourcoast.org/