Here at GRN, we have some pretty amazing friends. Last month, one of our friends, Dean Wilson of Atchafalaya Baskinkeeper, took us on a boat trip through Bayous Sorrel and Pigeon. The Atchafalaya is beautiful, and we couldn’t have asked for a sunnier day to enjoy all the swamp has to offer.The Atchafalaya Basin is the largest swamp in America; 260,000 acres of iconic cypress and tupelo trees. It is called the “River of Trees” because it contains the largest forested wetland and the largest floodplain forest in the United States. It’s fed by the Atchafalaya River, a 137-mile long distributary that originates where the Red and Mississippi Rivers converge, in the crook of Louisiana’s boot.These expansive wetlands were severely logged in the 1800’s and 1900’s and still bear the scars of wagon-wheel shaped logging canals. Most of the trees in the Atchafalaya are around the same age, having been clear cut in a matter of years, mere babies. These trees are resistant to rot, some ancient stumps still haunt the swamp. What’s 100 more years after a lifetime of two millennia! Today, the Atchafalaya Basin is severely threatened. Much of the Atchafalaya Basin cypress/tupelo swamps are at risk of being lost within our generation.But its easy to feel comforted in these beautiful swamps and reinvigorated in our commitment to fighting for the extraordinary natural spaces we have in the Gulf. We want to offer our sincerest thanks to Dean, and everyone at the Atchafalya Basinkeeper – you inspire us! Keep up the good work.Here are some photos to share the inspiration!
