Delta Dispatches

Thanks for listening to the latest episode of Delta Dispatches. This week Jacques talks to the owners of two eco-tourism companies. First, he speaks with Barbara Johnson, founder of the Great Delta Tours. Barbara has been a respected practitioner, civic leader and consultant in New Orleans for more than 30 years. Tours by the Great Delta Tours cover coastal restoration and bird and wildlife viewing. Next on the show is Marie Gould, founder of Lost Lands Tours. Mary has spent more than 25 years boating and kayaking in the wetlands surrounding New Orleans. Lost Lands Tours focus on educating people on the importance and impact of the Louisiana wetlands, and the devastation that's been caused by human alterations to the Louisiana coast.

Today on Delta Dispatches, Jacques and Simone start the show talking about the hottest debate in coastal Louisiana: is dipping crawfish a crime against humanity or merely deeply unsettling. Once that’s settled, they talk to Stacy Ortego with the Louisiana Wildlife Federation to talk about the progress made on one of our favorite restoration projects: the River Reintroduction into Maurepas Swamp. Finally, they dig deep with Brian Ostahowski, Theodore Marks, and Peyton Finch about about archaeological efforts across Louisiana's coast.

Thanks for listening to the latest episode of Delta Dispatches. This week we’re talking to Samantha Carter, Outreach Manager for the National Wildlife Federation and she’s here to talk about the third annual Cook-off for the Coast! This free event, taking place at Docville Farm on February 8th from 11-3! Come enjoy great (free) food, music, kids events, and more! The event will benefit the Chandeleur Sound Living Shoreline program, which is a partnership Nunez Community College and Chalmette High School where students builds and install oyster breakwaters along the northern edge of Comfort Island. Learn more at CoastCookoff.com (http://CoastCookoff.com)! On the second half the show we talk to Jennifer Guidry, CWPPRA Outreach Coordinator. Jennifer talks about the history of the agency and some of the exciting projects that were awarded funding earlier this week.

Welcome to Delta Dispatches with solo host Jacques Hebert. Today’s first guest is Erik Johnson, Director of Bird Conservation of Audubon Louisiana. Erik talks about the restoration of one of Louisiana’s most important pelican rookeries, Queen Bess Island. They also discuss some of the great work Audubon Louisiana is doing across the coast including an upcoming beach-nesting bird volunteer opportunity. Jacques is also joined by Julia Bland, Executive Director of the Louisiana Children’s Museum. They talk about the museum’s new home in City Park and their Mississippi River exhibit “Move with the River.”

Thanks for listening to the latest episode of Delta Dispatches. This week Jacques and Simone are joined by filmmakers Dom and Nadia Gil with Encompass Films to discuss "Last Call for the Bayou" their 5 short documentaries about Louisiana's land loss crisis. The films are currently being shown at festivals around the country. One film, "On a Wing and a Prayer" was released online by CNN's "Great Big Story," while the other films will be released online later this year. You can learn more about the films at lastcallforthebayou.com (https://www.lastcallforthebayou.com/) and https://www.greatbigstory.com/stories/spotlight-wing-and-a-prayer.

Thanks for listening to the latest episode of Delta Dispatches. On the first episode of 2020, Simone and Jacques speak with Brad Barth, Operations Assistant Administrator for the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA). Brad talks about one of Louisiana’s cornerstone restoration projects: the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion. The CPRA recently completed modeling that showed this project protecting 47 square miles of land over 50 years.

On this special year-in-review episode of Delta Dispatches, Jacques and Simone look back at a busy year for coastal restoration in Louisiana. They’re joined by friends and guests from the past year starting with Chip Kline, chairman of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), Lauren Averill, Jefferson Parish Coastal Zone Director, and ASPBA Central Gulf Coast Board member and Kristin Tracz, Program Officer with the Walton Family Foundation.

Thanks for listening to the latest episode of Delta Dispatches! Today we talk to one of our favorite guests, Dr. Alisha Renfro! Alisha talks to Simone about how a crevasse at Fort St. Phillip is one of the few areas of Louisiana that's growing new land. Alisha also talks about the important River Reintroduction into Maurepas Swamp project, which is up for public comment now. On the second half the show, we're joined by Mary Elise Schlesinger from the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation to talk about Saturday's Lights on the Lake event! Come out to the lighthouse for a great holiday celebration. Learn more at https://saveourlake.org/lights

Welcome to the latest episode of Delta Dispatches. Today hosts Jacques Hebert and Simone Maloz are joined by frequent guests Dr. John Lopez of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation and Dr. Alisha Renfro of the National Wildlife Federation. In this episode, we talk about the science of coastal restoration including 2019's high river, the impacts of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), the upcoming State of the Coast conference, and volunteer opportunities to help our coast!

Welcome to Delta Dispatches, with your hosts Jacques Hebert, and Simone Maloz. Today we're talking to future leaders in coastal restoration! Today’s first guest is Milan Mardia, senior at Jesuit High School. Milan has presented to the CPRA Board about educating younger generations of coastal advocates and is learning how A.I. (artificial intelligence) could enhance how we approach coastal projects. Check out Milan’s website dedicated to Louisiana’s coastal restoration here: https://www.lacoastalerosion.com/. Next up is Martin Mantz, Coastal Restoration Program Manager at Nunez Community College. He brings on a professor and a few students to talk about their new Coastal Studies and GIS Technology program and other opportunities to build a career in coastal restoration at Nunez. You can learn more on their website: https://www.nunez.edu/academics/coastal-studies-and-gis-technology-450799

Simone is joined by Dr. Robert Habans, Economist with The Data Center and Dr. Loren C. Scott, President of Dr. Loren C. Scott and Associates, Inc. to discuss new economic reports with relevance on Louisiana's coast. Kristin Tracz, Program Officer with the Walton Family Foundation, joins as a guest co-hosts!

Welcome to Delta Dispatches, with your host Jacques Hebert. Today’s guests are Jessica Mallindine, Marine biologist at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Marine Minerals Program, along with John Filostrat, Regional Supervisor for the Office of Public Affairs. In the second half of the show, Jacques is joined by Jonathan Foret, Executive Director of South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center to discuss the upcoming Rougarou Fest, October 26-27 in Houma, Louisiana.

On this week’s episode of Delta Dispatches, we’re celebrating #NationalEstuariesWeek! Our friend Kristi Trail, executive director of Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, drops by to talk about one of our favorite estuaries, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin! Learn more about this vital ecosystem and work LPBF is doing to protect it 30 years after the organization's founding. Later in the show, Simone and Jacques are joined by Angela Chalk, executive director of Healthy Community Services to talk about the importance of water management in cities like New Orleans and what YOU can do in your own background or block to help!

On this week's episode of Delta Dispatches, we're talking fish! Today’s first guest is Chris Macaluso, Director of the Center for Marine Fisheries for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. He reflects on the state of Louisiana's fisheries after a historic year of Mississippi River flooding. Simone and Jacques also talk with another prolific fisherman, Todd Masson, host of the Marsh Man Masson YouTube channel. In the last segment, Greg Lambousy, Director of the New Orleans Jazz Museum, joins the show to discuss this weekend's Downriver Festival in New Orleans.

On this week’s episode of Delta Dispatches, we talk with Steve Caparotta, meteorologist for WAFB in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Jacques and Simone are excited to talk to another of Louisiana’s most respected meteorologists. Steve talks about how Louisiana floods, the increase in extreme weather, and how the map of our state has changed. In the final act of the show, we’re joined by David Muth, director of gulf restoration for the National Wildlife Federation. David talks about the Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion and how, despite not being designed or operated to build land, the input of sediment over time has resulted in land gain and increased wildlife habitat.

On today’s episode of Delta Dispatches, hosts Jacques and Simone are joined by Mark Sickle, Corporate and Government Relations for Weeks Marine and Bernie Pinsonat, formerly a partner at ‎Southern Media & Opinion Research, Inc. and now commissions polls for Bernie Pinsonat Inc. Mark kicks off the show to talk about Weeks Marine’s new dredge, which will be used for the upcoming Terrebonne Basin Barrier Island project, which includes West Bell Headlands, Timbalier Island and Trinity East Island. On the second half the show, Bernie joins the show to talk about the results of the recently completed poll of Louisiana voters. This poll found that voters are deeply concerned about the state’s coastal land loss crisis and support coastal restoration efforts to address it. You can read the results of the poll at http://mississippiriverdelta.org/coastal-poll-2019/.