Grand Bayou Community Reef Build

Friday, September 20, 2024

Grand Bayou Indian Village – Diamond, LA

10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) is excited to have you join us in Plaquemines Parish! Launched in June 2014, CRCL’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program recycles shell from New Orleans-area restaurants and uses that shell to restore oyster reefs and shoreline habitats across coastal Louisiana. In 2021, CRCL, in partnership with the Grand Bayou Indian Village, completed the construction of the Plaquemines Community Reef to protect a historic mound from further erosion. We are excited to be building a second reef to protect their community from wave action and erosion.

Parking and registration will occur at the Grand Bayou Indian Village Community Center. Please be mindful and respectful of tribal lands and people, as they have graciously invited us into their community. Volunteers will load bagged oyster shells onto boats at the Tribal Community Center to facilitate on-the-water deployment by Grand Bayou community members and staff. Bags of oyster shells weigh about 30 pounds; please be mindful of this when signing up to volunteer.

Volunteers will be taking a boat ride lasting about 10 minutes from the community center to the project site to deploy the bags of oyster shells. Volunteers are invited but not required to get into the water to construct the reef. We recommend that volunteers prepare to get wet and muddy and bring a change of clothes. A hose is available at the launch site.

Registration: 

• 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. Only volunteers who register via this form will receive detailed instructions on accessing the event location.

• If you are interested in carpooling, please post to our carpool board. If you can offer a ride, please include the capacity of your vehicle, departure and return times, and where you are driving from. Please carpool at your own risk and discretion.

• If you are signing up with friends, we HIGHLY encourage carpooling as parking is limited.

Day-of Logistics & Safety:

• Volunteer check-in will be from 9:45 to 10:15 am.

• We will begin the intro speech and logistics discussion at 10:15, so please arrive promptly.

• 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.

For inquiries about any of the above, please contact sofia.giordano@crcl.org.