You don’t have to travel to the depths of an exotic jungle to come into contact with endangered species. Several of them, including the red-cockaded woodpecker, are native species of Louisiana.
Teetering on the edge of extinction since the 1970s, only an estimated 14,000 red-cockaded woodpeckers currently exist. Major efforts are being taken by bird fanatics and wildlife conservatists across the U.S. to save the black and white speckled woodpecker, whose eggs have a 10-day incubation period and are highly protected by our federal government. Local wildlife refuge Big Branch Marsh in Lacombe, Louisiana, is one of the organizations working to conserve the species, an effort which has culminated in 47 locally surviving birds.
Kevin Korson, a film student in the Department of Film and Theater at the University of New Orleans, spoke with representatives at Big Branch and chronicled the fleeting bird species firsthand in a short documentary feature.
Big Chem-EZ: How can small Louisiana communities access clean drinking water after a hurricane?
When I went to visit the Pointe-au-Chien tribe after Hurricane Ida with my Service Learning class, I heard that one of the biggest challenges in the aftermath of the hurricane was finding enough drinking water, so in this article, I explore water purification methods: 1) when they are necessary, 2) how they work, and 3) if they really make your water safe to drink.
Big Chem-EZ: Why is southeastern Louisiana heavily impacted by storms?
This article explores the positive and negative impacts of the engineering industry on Louisiana, including how it is impacted by storms. The author also suggests a call to action to support Louisiana coastal restoration. Big Chem-EZ discusses how finding the best course of action can be challenging, and introduces various proposed solutions to wetland loss and environmental impacts on Louisiana industries.
