Keri Surita Volunteers in New Orleans Wetlands

2016 Mar 14

Keri Surita of Alfred, 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.

Surita, who is majoring in Sociology/Geography 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.

"This trip was such an amazing experience," said Surita. "It is an incredibly rewarding feeling to do the work that we did and to be able to see the progress right there. My favorite day of volunteering was when we went to the Grand Bayou to help with wetland restoration. We had to swim and crawl through several feet of mud to plant grasses around each island. It takes all of your energy to try to get through the mud to plant the grasses. At the end of the day we were all exhausted and coated in mud from head to toe, but looking at what we accomplished and knowing that we helped to make a difference made it all worthwhile."

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.