Students work with volunteers to plant trees
The friends of Cat Island has partnered with West Feliciana middle school since 2020 on a local wetland restoration project. Today, students from Mr. Craig & Ms. Jewells classes met with community volunteers at Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge to plant trees, take tree core samples and write poetry at the base of the 1,500 year old grand champion bald cypress. Personnel from the US Fish & Wildlife Service and Louisiana Sea Grant were there to support the efforts of these community stewards.  Since 2020, over 200 middle school students have visited the refuge and planted over 150 trees on the middle school campus, which when mature, will be transplanted to the refuge.
Students visit Cat Island
Students measure trees
Students pose inside largest cypress tree
Students measure trees
Students plant trees with help from volunteers
Volunteers educate students