Linda Drake, executive director of the Center for Volunteerism and Community Engagement works together with SUNY Oneonta professors to provide students with opportunities to learn by doing in different places throughout the world; my project was done as a service-learning component of the Disaster Geographies course that took an entire class of students to New Orleans, Louisiana to volunteer to help restore areas impacted by climate change as well as devastating Hurricane Katrina. This trip provided students with an opportunity to experience and interact with the rich community, culture, and history of New Orleans, while simultaneously giving back to that community.
Final Project Outcome
This research poster was created in collaboration with another student and submitted as the final project for the Disaster Geographies course and was presented at SUNY Oneonta’s Student Research and Creative Activity Showcase. The poster describes land loss and coastal degradation, one of the many issues Louisiana faces as a result of climate change.
What I did
Once we arrived in New Orleans, the entire class collaborated with a nonprofit organization named Common Ground Relief, founded in the midst of Hurricane Katrina to provide disaster relief to the less fortunate, more marginalized groups of the city. The class worked with local gardens planting and potting trees, repotting various plants, and weeding for part of the trip, while the other part of the trip was spent in the middle of the bayou building a berm to prevent coastal erosion and habitat loss. Common Ground previously collected old Christmas trees from the community, as well as bags of sand made from recycled glass, and wooden stakes made from removing invasive trees. All these materials were put together and used to create the structure several feet from the shoreline to prevent waves from hitting the shore, and to help build up sediment to grow the shore over time. Participating in this restoration project inspired me to base my final project on the topic of coastal land loss and degradation in Louisiana, displaying its cause and what people can do to remedy it, since it is such an urgent issue that can harm both wildlife and coastal communities.
What I learned
This project allowed me to truly understand just how beneficial hard work and community service is, and sparked my love for volunteering as I was able to see how much it impacts people. The service trip and Disaster Geographies course also allowed me to visit and experience an entirely different place and culture than what I am used to, and I would not have had the opportunity or funding to travel if not for SUNY Oneonta’s Experiential Learning Center. My visit to New Orleans and my service project there was greatly fulfilling and improved my communication and group work skills, while making me more aware of the diverse people, issues, and injustices of the world.
