America's Wetland Foundation

America's WETLAND Foundation (AWF) Managing Director Valsin A. Marmillion addressed the stability of major delta regions around the world to leaders gathered at the World Delta Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, presenting issues specifically about America's Gulf Coast. Marmillion presented findings from five recent resilient communities leadership forums from Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi in a session entitled, "Mitigating and Adapting to Global Sea Level Rise in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico." Read More...

Photo by Juan Pisani for i.c.e. images

Planning Begins for DELTAS2013

After his presentation to the World Delta Summit (above) Val Marmillion met with representatives of Vietnam National University, Southern Institute for Water Resources Science, the Pacific Disaster Center, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Vietnam River Network, and Chevron Vietnam, in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, Vietnam to begin planning for DELTAS2013.

DELTAS2013 will bring together national and international experts to identify best practices and comprehensive strategies for sustaining deltas, using the Mekong Delta in the Asian Continent as a model.

AWF representatives are planning to return to Ho Chi Minh City in of the Spring of 2012 to continue discussions. The America's WETLAND Foundation thanks the U.S. Consulate, U.S. Department of State, and U.S. Embassy for their help in setting up meetings and providing advice on protocol for the country. DELTAS2013 is the international second phase of the success launched by DELTAS2010.

From Left to right (Ed Morgan, Terry Hartman, Tuyet Tran, Val Marmillion, Trung Nguyen, and Long Hoang) Photo by Juan Pisani for i.c.e. images

45 days left to enter to win $5,000!

The Keep Your Eye on the Prize program encourages students across the state to consider the significance of Louisiana's coastal wetlands to their own lives by writing essays, creating artwork or taking photographs on the topic. The subject of the 2012 contest essay entries will be "How can Louisiana adapt to coastal land loss and what changes should be made?" The subject of the 2012 contest art/photo entries will be, "Why should the area known as "America's WETLAND be saved?"

Click Here for Contest Rules

Click Here for Entry Form

"Turning the Tide"

"Turning the Tide," will air statewide on Louisiana Public Broadcasting's network of stations on December 27, at 7:00 pm and on Friday, December 30 at 9:00 pm (WLPB - Baton Rouge, LPB - Lafayette, KLTM-DT - Monroe, KLTS-DT - Shreveport, KLPA-DT- Alexandria, KLTL-DT - Lake Charles).

New Orleans' PBS stations will broadcast the program in January with WLAE airing the program on New Year's Day night, January 1st at 8:30 pm. WYES will broadcast the program on January 8 at 7 pm and again on January 9th at 10 pm.

Coming Up

America's WETLAND Foundation is sponsoring the 35th Annual Conference on the Caribbean and Central America to be held December 1-2, 2011 in New Orleans. The CCAA Conference, co-hosted by the World Trade Center of New Orleans, in partnership with the Louisiana Committee of 100 for Economic Development, Inc. and other local and national organizations will focus on the important issues of trade, investment, and jobs. Read More

On December 6, 2011, AWF Managing Director Val Marmillion, Senior Policy Advisor Sidney Coffee, and Vice President for Research at the University of Louisiana Lafayette, Dr. Robert Twilley, will present at the State of the Gulf Summit in Houston, Texas. The Foundation will also be presenting at the 9th Intecol Conference on Wetlands in June 2012, in Orlando, Florida. Read More

The next "Blue Ribbon Resilient Communities" leadership forum, a project of the America's Energy Coast, will be held in Mobile, Alabama on January 25, 2012 at the Five Rivers, Alabama's Delta Resource Center. For more information and to register to attend the free forum, please send an email with your full contact information to Dominick Maggio at dm@mcopr.com. In 2012, the Foundation will also host forums in Orange Beach, AL; St Mary/Iberia, LA; and New Orleans, LA. For more information on future forums please visit www.futureofthegulfcoast.org.

Pictured from left to right: R. King Milling, Val Marmillion, Buddy Garcia and Brent Dorsey. Taken at the Galveston Forum on November 17, 2011

Join the Estys and SASSAFRAS LOUISIANA for the 1st Annual Nutria Rodeo at the Oak Ridge Community Park in Golden Meadow, LA, on December 3rd, 2011, from 11 AM to 5 PM. The judging categories include the following: nutria, Asian carp, feral swine, and coyote. Scales will open at 11 AM and will close at 4 PM; awards will follow at 4 PM. The Estys will be there from 3:30-4:30 pm. Read More