RESERVE, La. (press release) – On Monday, March 15, Marathon’s Garyville Refinery and Pontchartrain Conservancy — a leader in coastal sustainability, water quality and environmental education — delivered over 500 trees to Fifth Ward Elementary School, located in Reserve, La. Students at the school will plant trees in the school’s nursery, growing them until they are ready to be transferred to the wetlands of St. John the Baptist parish. The trees will then be used to restore the wetlands to help protect the community by serving as a natural storm buffer.
Funding for the coastal restoration tree nursery comes from a $25,000 grant awarded to Pontchartrain Conservancy from Marathon Petroleum Company, one of Pontchartrain Conservancy’s swamp restoration program partners, to help restore Louisiana’s coast after Hurricane Ida’s destruction.
“Our recent efforts are centered on strengthening our community, where we work and live,” said Marathon Petroleum’s Vice President of Refining Michael Henschen. “Our partnership with the Pontchartrain Conservancy not only helps further local education related to coastal erosion mitigation work, but will tangibly help restore wetlands impacted by Ida, helping to protect our coastline and our community as we continue to recover together.”
“We are excited to work with the students at Fifth Ward Elementary on this tree nursery to not only help restore the wetlands, but to also teach them about the importance of wetlands for not only their area, but all of south Louisiana,” said Kristi Trail, executive director of Pontchartrain Conservancy. “Pontchartrain Conservancy is thankful for our partnership with Marathon for their support with this project. Together, we can save our coast!”
