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Environmental Programming
Through wetlands restoration and stewardship, Common Ground Relief empowers communities to resist climate challenges while reconnecting with nature and fostering resilience.
Common Ground Relief works to proactively address the dangers faced by New Orleans and the Gulf Coast Region due to coastal land loss. Our environmental programs are focused on rebuilding wetlands and forest habitat to promote biodiversity and climate resilience. To meet these goals, we use volunteer labor and native plants such as rushes, bald cypress and Louisiana irises that we grow in our plant nursery. We do this work with the understanding that environmental justice means meeting people’s current needs, understanding their environment and empowering them to protect and rehabilitate the land and water for future generations.
Impact
Our Vision:
Common Ground Relief is working to create a future in which land is created and trees are planted faster than they are lost, where all residents have their needs for food and housing met regardless of economic or natural disasters; and all coastal life has the means to thrive together for generations to come.
Common Ground Relief was founded with the values of community care and stewardship, which means protecting and restoring Louisiana’s endangered coastline and training volunteers to do this work alongside our small team. We believe that hands-on engagement is essential for keeping people connected with the land and creating engaged and informed citizens who can protect and care for the land and water where they live.
To meet these goals, we grow native plants in our nursery in the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans, host visiting volunteers at our volunteer housing as well and work with life-long New Orleanians to do marsh plantings in Southeastern Louisiana and gardening in our nursery. We also do environmental outreach and education in schools and around the state to spread awareness of our efforts and bring young people into the work of environmental protection.