Giving Back to the Community in Katrina Ravaged New Orleans

I’m fortunate to be a part of a really great non-profit educational organization called the Water Environment Federation. Three years ago the WEF Student and Young Professionals committee decided to start a community service project in conjunction with our annual convention, WEFTEC. This year our service project was incredible, taking place in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, a low income neighborhood that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. We teamed up with a local group called Global Green to construct a bioswale, which helps abate flood waters with efficient drainage at the same time creating a community garden. Here’s the local CBS news covering our event with my good friends, Haley and Bob.

Laying pipe in the bioswale ditch.

It was back breaking work for the 75 volunteers who showed up to dig and move gravel and plant for eight hours straight. But the end result was gorgeous, and a beautiful spot amidst an ugly community.

My friend Dan Dair digging the bioswale.

Concurrently we held a water carnival, with about a 16 booths from sponsoring companies hosting hands on water related educational activities. Girl scouts, boy scouts, Brownie troops and just kids from the hood came by to pick up a passport, go through the activities and receive a pin.  The most profound activity from my point of view was a race up the grass levee with buckets full of water, which demonstrated what it is like for people in the third world who have to walk miles to retrieve their daily supply of drinking and washing water.

Girl scouts learning about transporting water.

I have never been so proud to be a part of a community of water engineers as I was last Saturday during the Bioswales in the Bayou project. Next year’s tentative plans have already begun, which may involve transforming an abandoned bus depot in South Central Los Angeles to a natural wetlands community park. Looking forward to being there!

Here’s a slideshow of lots of photos from the event.

Author: Sarah

Mom of three. Triathlete. View all posts by Sarah