The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) is teaming up with the National Football League, the Super Bowl LIX Host Committee, Force Blue, Chefs Brigade, Verizon, Entergy, Venture Global and Dow for a Super Bowl project to create a living shoreline of recycled oyster shells and marsh grasses that will help mitigate storm damage and minimize coastal erosion in Leeville, in south Lafourche Parish.
Launched in 2000, CRCL’s Native Plant Program has planted millions of plants across Louisiana’s coast with thousands of volunteers. Launched in June 2014, CRCL’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program recycles shell from New Orleans and Baton Rouge restaurants and uses that shell to restore oyster reefs and shoreline habitats across coastal Louisiana.
Parking and registration will occur at the boat launch. You will see signs to guide you. We will be working to move bags of oyster shells from land to water via a line of volunteers. Bags of oyster shells weigh about 30 pounds; please be mindful of this when signing up to volunteer. We will also be working to plant marsh grasses behind the bags of oyster shells. Some volunteers will take a short boat ride lasting about 10 minutes from the boat launch to the project site to deploy the bags of oyster shells and marsh grasses. Volunteers are invited but not required to get into the water to construct the reef.
Everyone must sign our release and waiver of rights upon registration. Volunteers 17 years old and younger must have a parent or guardian complete the registration on their behalf.
Please note the minimum age for volunteers is 16. No one younger than 16 will be allowed to participate. Minors are required to have a waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian and must be accompanied by an adult.
This event may fill up quickly. If you register and later discover you are unable to attend, please notify by email at volunteers@crcl.org so another volunteer can take your slot.
Communications:
Please be sure to provide an email address you check frequently during registration. This is the address that will be used to communicate any last-minute event details.
Registered volunteers will receive an additional email 2 to 3 days prior to the event with SPECIFIC driving directions and additional event details. If it is the day before the event and you have not received this email, check your spam folder. If it is not there, email volunteers@crcl.org.
Day-of Logistics & Safety:
Volunteer check-in will be from 8:45 am – 9:00 am.
We will begin the intro speech and logistics discussion at 9 am, so please arrive promptly.
It will likely be cold during this event, if you own waders, we encourage you bring them with you. CRCL may provide a limited number of waders for volunteers getting in the water.
We will be fire-lining bags of oyster shells from the shore into boats, and then taking a boat ride to the reef site and fire-lining the bags out of the boats. There may be a good bit of downtime during the day. Please take this time to rest, hydrate and reapply sunscreen.
Please note that moving shell and boarding boats can be a strenuous physical activity. If you are hesitant to participate or have questions, feel free to email sofia.giordano@crcl.org to discuss any physical limitations. We may be able to find an alternative task for you.
Snacks, lunch, water, sports drinks and all necessary equipment (including work gloves) will be provided to volunteers. Please bring a reusable water bottle to cut down on plastic waste. CRCL provides waterproof boots on a first-come, first-serve basis.
If you have a severe allergy or dietary restriction, please email sofia.giordano@crcl.org, and we will do our best to accommodate you. We are currently unable to accommodate gluten-free volunteers. If you are gluten-free, please bring a lunch. If you have a severe allergy that requires an EpiPen, please be sure to bring it with you.
CRCL staff members are wilderness first aid-certified. If you get injured during any activity, please report it to a CRCL staff member immediately.
All volunteers must wear life jackets while on boats and listen to the boat captain at all times.
What to bring:
Reusable water bottle
Closed-toed shoes
Change of clothes (especially socks!)
Not sure what to expect? Check out the video of a previous reef build event here!
Volunteering on our coast is a wonderful way to spend a day, and we would like to ensure that everyone gets a chance to have a great experience. We require that all volunteers register to let us know if you plan to attend.
If any additional members of your family/friends are attending, they also must register.
If the event registration is full, you can be added to a waiting list. Please email volunteers@crcl.org.
If you’d like to bring a group to volunteer, please let us know and we’ll try our best to accommodate you.
