What: The Southeast Louisiana Refuge National Wildlife Complex — a network of eight areas of land and water in Louisiana, similarly protected within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to conserve and restore regional flora and fauna — relies on interns and volunteers to keep its systems running. One method of volunteering, resident volunteering, gives out-of-town folks the opportunity to travel to national refuges all over the country and simultaneously support each organization’s respective ecosystem. In exchange for part-time work for three months out of the year, these volunteers are provided complimentary living quarters in fully equipped RVs onsite the refuges.
Film by: UNO student and filmmaker Case Milligan
Editor’s Note: NolaVie partners with students of UNO professor László Zsolt Fülöp, pairing them with artists, non-profits, environmental groups, and cultural entities to facilitate a live curriculum that results in a short documentary. Case Milligan , a film student in the Department of Film and Theatre at the University of New Orleans, speaks with Balog and fellow Southeast Louisiana Refuge resident volunteers Joe Balog and Tom Hilko about the program.
Environmental initiatives in NOLA: Slowing down and shopping consciously
New Orleans is synonymous with resilience. The city and its residents have overcome natural disasters, yet the longevity of the city is threatened by rising sea levels. Author Hannah Hogan encourages readers to consider that in the wake of anthropogenic climate change, we are met with individual challenges like shopping slow and being community conscious.
The power of art
Looking at the power of different art forms, Isabel Deutsch explores two different forms of art: painting murals and using comedy. They are both used to express feelings toward certain situations, and in this case, it is racial injustice. Brandan Odums has created three separate studios, with large murals that depict racial injustice in this country and Phoebe Robinson, an author and a comedian, uses jokes and stand up comedy to express her feelings on this topic.
