Phillip Riccobono Volunteers in New Orleans Wetlands

2017 Mar 13

Phillip Riccobono of Schenectady, NY, spent a week in New Orleans for a wetlands restoration service-learning project in the Lower 9th Ward.

Accompanied by Wendy Lascell, assistant professor of geography, and Linda Drake, director of the college's Center for Social Responsibility and Community, the students arrived in New Orleans on Feb. 25 returned March 5. They documented their trip on a Facebook page.

Riccobono is majoring in Spanish at SUNY Oneonta.

Working with a nonprofit organization called Common Ground Relief, the students planted grasses and cypress trees in coastal areas imperiled by hurricanes, development and engineering projects that have eroded land and endangered wildlife.

"My favorite part was getting to see environments we wouldn't normally see, like when we were planting cypress trees on a landmass in the middle of a swamp," Riccobono said. "The terrain was like nothing else I'd been on, the land was bouncy and if you stepped in the wrong spot you'd sink. The view surrounded by water was incredible! And with our work there, it really felt like we were making a difference for the environment in a tangible way, getting directly into the ecosystem."

Now in its third year, the trip offers a valuable opportunity for students interested in working in wetlands restoration or disaster management to gain field experience. Cultural immersion is also a big part of the trip, and some of the most powerful experiences happen through the students' personal interactions with other volunteers and residents of the Lower 9th Ward.

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