Maia Roseval Volunteers in New Orleans Wetlands

2016 Mar 14

Maia Roseval of Levittown, 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.

Roseval, who is majoring in Environmental Science 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.

“The entire trip was so amazing,” said Roseval. “I came home with a much greater understanding of our country's environmental vulnerabilities and the most sustainable ways to tackle environmental issues. The days were challenging because of the physical labor. It was hard to push through and get our work done, but once we did and I got to stand back and see how much we accomplished, it was worth it. "Doing field work for the first time changed my view on how our environmental problems should be handled. I had always thought that the most practical ways to handle these issues were to take them on on a larger scale such as nationally or globally. Now, I see that doing that can be too expensive, time-consuming, or just not feasible. The best way to help the environment is on a local scale, by actually sloshing in the swamp ourselves with machetes and cutting the invasive species, or going knee-deep into the marshes to plant long grass. These are the things that are going to really make a difference and help protect the precious wetlands that do so much for our environment. I'm so glad I was able to be a part of this group that made such a difference!”

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.