JC
Jaclyn Courter
  • Communication Studies
  • Milford, NY

Jaclyn Courter Volunteers in New Orleans Wetlands

2016 Mar 14

Jaclyn Courter of Milford, NY, spent two days gator-crawling through a gooey marsh, planting native grasses to help slow the erosion that's costing Louisiana a football field of coastal land every hour.

Courter, who is majoring in Communication Studies/Geography with an urban and regional planning concentration at SUNY Oneonta, took part in a wetlands restoration service-learning project in the Lower 9th Ward from Feb. 27-March 7. Working with a nonprofit organization called Common Ground Relief, 12 SUNY Oneonta students planted hardy, fast-growing native plants and removed invasive species in coastal areas imperiled by hurricanes, development and engineering projects that have eroded land and endangered wildlife.

They were accompanied by Wendy Lascell, assistant professor of geography and environmental science, and Linda Drake, director of the college's Center for Social Responsibility and Community. This is the second consecutive year for the trip, which is part of Lascell's Geography 294: Disaster Geographies of Post-Katrina New Orleans course.

Being immersed in real-world problems, and having the chance to make a difference, was a powerful experience.

“It completely changed my direction. I know I want to do disaster relief and disaster prevention now,” said Courter, a senior who had such a rewarding experience in 2015 that she came back as a teaching assistant this year. “That moment when you’re out in the field, waist deep in mud, you fall in love with what you’re studying and realize why you love it so much,” she said. “You learn your passion in field work."

The trip was supported by a Domestic Intercultural Immersion Grant offered through SUNY Oneonta's StAR (Strategic Allocation of Resources) program.

See photos and learn more on the group's Facebook page.