Delta Dispatches

On today’s episode, Jacques and Simone talk with Emily Vuxton, who is the Policy Director for the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana’s (CRCL). Emily talks with Simone and Jacques about the legislation that could impact coastal restoration from the Louisiana Legislature’s 2020 regular session. They also catch up with their oldest and most frequent guest, Dr. Alisha Renfro, staff scientist also with NWF. Alisha reviews a recent Tulane study on the future of coastal land loss in Louisiana.

On today’s episode, Jacques and Simone chat with Charles Sutcliffe, Louisiana’s first-ever Chief Resilience Officer and member of the Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities. Charles recently participated in an information exchange convened by Environmental Defense Fund with resilience officers from across the country to discuss strategies that help protect communities, businesses and ecosystems in the face of sea level rise and climate change. Charles discusses the work his team has done to build resilience in Louisiana and highlights some lessons learned from other coastal states. In the second half of the show, Simone chats with Jeannette Dubinin, Director of Coastal Programs for Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX) to discuss work her organization has done to help communities build resilience to Louisiana’s changing coast and climate.

On this week's episode, Simone and Jacques chat with Dr. Robert Twilley, Executive Director of Louisiana SeaGrant and professor of LSU College of the Coast & Environment, about the latest news from SeaGrant and resources available to the public through their website. They then bring on first-time guest Thomas Hymel, marine extension agent with both the LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant, to discuss the Louisiana Fisheries Forward program and Louisiana Seafood Direct, where consumers can get their fresh, delicious Gulf seafood directly from fishers.

On this week’s show, Simone and Jacques welcome back a favorite guest, Dr. Alex Kolker, Associate Professor with The Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON). Dr. Kolker is recently back from a Fulbright Scholarship in Morocco for his research “Understanding How Sea-Level Dynamics Influence Coastal Processes Along The Moroccan Coast.” Simone and Jacques talk to him about the experience, what challenges are facing the coast of Morocco and highlight any parallels to Louisiana’s coast. They also get Alex’s take on his recent big-screen debut in Last Call for the Bayou and catch up on the latest with Dupre!

On today’s episode, Simone and Jacques recognize the 10th anniversary of the Gulf Oil Disaster and highlight what people are saying about progress and ongoing challenges in the Gulf a decade later. Learn more at http://mississippiriverdelta.org/decade-after-disaster/. They then bring on Laurence C. Smith, the John Atwater and Diana Nelson University Professor of Environmental Studies and Professor of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences at Brown University, to discuss his new book: RIVERS OF POWER: How a Natural Force Raised Kingdoms, Destroyed Civilizations, and Shapes Our World, which explores the underappreciated relationship between rivers and civilization as we know it, and examines the importance this vast, arterial power holds for our present, past, and future.

Ten years after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, restoring the Mississippi River Delta and its surrounding coastline isn’t just about recovering the wildlife and habitats harmed from the 2010 oil spill; it is ultimately about the opportunity to envision a more sustainable and resilient delta for future generations. On today's show, Simone and Jacques discuss where we are ten years later and highlight progress made on restoration since the spill and opportunities to build on this progress in the years ahead. They are first joined by Greg Grandy, Deputy Executive Director Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana, to discuss restoration projects CPRA has completed to help ecosystems and wildlife recover. They then chat with Amanda Moore Deputy Director, National Wildlife Federation, to hear her perspective on the immediate aftermath of the spill and work that she and others have done to help communities recover and become more resilient. Visit mississippiriverdelta.org/decade-after-disaster/ to learn more.

Thanks for listening to the latest episode of Delta Dispatches. This week we replay a recent episode with the filmmakers Dom and Nadia Gil with Encompass Films to discuss "Last Call for the Bayou" their 5 short documentaries about Louisiana's land loss crisis. Their documentary series is now available to watch free online here: https://watch.smithsonianchannel.com/details/series/last-call-for-the-bayou.

On today's show, Simone and Jacques chat with several guests who provide recommendations on coastal resources and content that people can access during this time of quarantine and self-isolation. First, they interview Chris Cook, lighthouse director with Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, who highlights educational tools parents can use to occupy kids who are at home. Then, Helen Rose Patterson, senior outreach coordinator with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), unveils the coalition's new Coastal Care Package, full of recommendations for books, movies, articles and more to keep you informed and engaged. Last up, frequent guest Dr. Alisha Renfro, staff scientist also with NWF, discusses the coalition's new virtual flyover that takes you on a flight over the Terrebonne and Atchafalaya Basins to learn about coastal restoration from the comfort of your couch.

Thanks for listening to the latest episode of Delta Dispatches. In an interview recorded last week, Jacques and Simone sit down with Chip Kline, Executive Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Activities and Chairman of the CPRA Board. They talk about the CPRA’s 2020 goals, the Governor’s recent Coastal Priorities speech, sediment diversions, the Bonnet Carre Spillway, river management, hypoxia and more.

Welcome to Delta Dispatches with Jacques Hebert & Simone Maloz! This week on the show, they talk with Tyler Buckingham, one of the co-hosts of the American Shoreline podcast! Delta Dispatches is a proud part of the American Shoreline Podcast Network, which is focused on preserving coastlines around the world. We also check in with James Karst, Director of Communications and Marketing at the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. James talks about crawfish dipping, potato salad in (or out of) gumbo and the recently announced speakers at this year’s State of the Coast, happening May 26-28, 2020. Finally we talk with John Price, General Manager of the Old No. 77 Hotel and the New Orleans Magazine’s Thought Leader of the Month!