Spartina
Team information
Category:
Sadikshya Gautam
Master
University of Padova
Valentina Matteucci
Master
University of Padua
Isabella Griffin
Master
University of Padua
Cheylin Patenaude
Master
University of Padova
Michela Prealta
Master
Università degli studi di Padova
Sylvie Aoun
Master
University of Padua
Thea Minea
Master
University of Padova
Cecilia Marina Secli
Master
University of Padova
Kailey Strachan
Master
University of Padua
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About the team
We are a group of students from the University of Padua completing our Masters of Forestry. We have diverse backgrounds in topics such as biology, ecology, sustainability and governance. We are bringing global experience from our home countries of Nepal, Canada, Lebanon, Italy, and the United States. We are interested in scalable nature based solutions and building a resilient future in the face of growing natural disturbances.
Our vision
Spartina’s strategy focuses on revegetation as a long-term, cost-effective and ecological approach to protect Louisiana’s coast. The strategy is three-pronged: first, vegetation must be established. Coastal Louisiana already has emergent regeneration within its ecosystems, and our project will nurture this through the use of appropriate silvicultural techniques that promote survival and growth, such as thinning. In areas lacking regeneration, our project will plant new seedlings based on site conditions and relevant species. Second, for this regeneration to survive it will be necessary to protect it through soft and hard green infrastructure tailored based on local risk factors. Third, processes will be developed to allow volunteers to participate throughout the project and facilitate community engagement and education. Volunteers will be able to help in all stages of vegetation establishment, from planting to managing plants. Furthermore, processes will be developed to monitor vegetative stands and ensure their resilience to future changes. In 100 years, Spartina envisions a green, healthy and thriving Louisiana coast. Vegetation will provide habitats for myriad species and bolster biodiversity. In some areas, forests will develop and rich ecosystems will pave the way for eco-tourism and local revenue streams. Finally, and most crucially, vegetation will stabilize the land, minimize flooding and subsidence, and protect crucial infrastructure and agriculture.
Our inventory & analysis
The regions that our team will focus on are Barataria and Terrebonne. These are the two hardest hit areas of Louisiana in terms of land loss. Moreover, with the recent major cancellation of the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project, there is a major gap in strategies to protect further land from being lost. Our team will focus on three themes throughout the next assignment based on the sections of our strategy. First, our team will identify where regeneration already exists and what silvicultural approaches could promote its survival. Our team will further identify areas where planting is relevant, and what species would be best-suited to local conditions. Next, our team will develop infrastructure proposals based on the major risk factors and their intensities throughout the region. Finally, community engagement processes will be developed based on existing successful projects along the coast, and relevant stakeholders will be assessed to understand the plan’s impacts and create the largest local benefit and environmental justice.