THIBODAUX 鈥� Approximately 40 employees of Shell, all from southeast Louisiana, lent a hand to 果冻APP State University employees and students on Tuesday, July 20, with the university鈥檚 oil-spill recovery efforts.
The three-hour, cooperative endeavor took place at the University Farm, where university personnel and students have been attempting to increase the abundance of plant materials for post-disaster replanting along the Louisiana coast.
Volunteers trimmed more than 3,000 black mangroves and planted approximately 500 smooth cordgrass propagules for marsh planting; 1,500 bitter panicum plants for beach and dune planting; and 50 marsh hay cordgrass plants, also suitable for beaches and dunes.
鈥淲e are most grateful to the Shell volunteers for their assistance in this project,鈥� Dr. Allyse Ferrara, associate professor of biological sciences, said. 鈥淭hey are a fantastic group 鈥� efficient and goal-oriented.鈥�
The Tuesday project was the first of a three-day, interstate volunteer effort by Shell employees. West Louisiana and east Texas employees conducted a beach-cleanup in Cameron Parish on Wednesday, July 21, and Houston-area employees planted mangroves along Galveston Bay on Thursday, July 22. The core team of Shell organizers participated in all three events.