Wednesday, November 5, 2008

In the Muck

Do you know the difference between a marsh and a swamp? I didn't until our lesson in wetlands restoration today, courtesy of Bayou Rebirth. Apparently the largest difference is salt. A marsh has some degree of salinity and is affected by the tides, whereas a swamp is characterized by the presence of trees, which grow in fresh water.

Apart from the educational component today, we also had the opportunity to canoe through the wildlife refuge, to muck around in the mud wearing huge waders planting marshland plants, and to cap off the evening with some classic creole food and zydeco at Mulate's.

Today was a great day. It's now mid-week, and it was nice to take a break from our work with NOFFN and Rebuilding Together for a little time outside in the wetlands. It was a beautiful day, and there's something about wearing waders up to your chest and digging around in the swampy muckiness that makes you feel like a kid again! Tomorrow we're back to work again, and I'll be heading off to work with NOFFN again on their farming center in the Hollygrove neighborhood, and spending the afternoon cooking with a local home chef, in preparation for our big neighborhood party on Saturday.

No comments: