Boots on the ground reporting

This week, we've got some reporting from Desk reporter Elise Plunk of Louisiana Illuminator, who has published several stories on wetlands and water issues this month, and is working on a piece for our big upcoming wetlands project.

She shares:

"In February, I had the chance to fall in the mud for work. I was on a reporting trip with researchers on the Wax Lake Delta, along Louisiana’s coast. They warned me the ground could be squishy and to step carefully near vegetation, so the roots would keep my feet from sinking into the muck.

For the most part, I followed their advice – until I saw the chance for a cool photo. Distracted by the small red disc that records key soil metrics for their research, I fell knee-deep into the swampy land. I may have taken on-the-ground reporting a little too literally, I thought, as the researchers pulled me out of the thick mud.

You can read that piece here: "Louisiana’s wetlands store massive amounts of carbon. They also contribute to emissions when lost."

Despite the mess (or maybe even because of it) my trip to Wax Lake Delta was a fascinating experience. Seeing science happen right in front of you is an important part of life that people don't often consider. The results of scientific studies don't just impact people with advanced degrees in classrooms and labs. These studies intersect with and inform policy, politics and the lives of everyday people all across the Basin.

This trip was inspired by an interesting study from Louisiana State University professor Kanchan Maiti in the Dept. of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences. It explored Louisiana’s wetlands and their unsung role in the global carbon cycle. When a wetland is lost, he said, the carbon that’s stored in it is released too.

On to some other recent work, I also reported this piece on Mississippi River mayors lobbying for more government funding for flooding and mitigation.

This was an interesting dive into Basin politics. While the mayors aren’t shy about using words like “climate” in their policy asks, there have recently been significant federal changes to past climate goals. It could be a tough ask to get money for drought and flood protection amidst mass funding freezes and firings. At that intersection of national and local policy, I've also had a chance to explore how federal agency cuts are impacting the 'Solar for Y'All' program, and new legislation to protect fisheries in the Mississippi.

Needless to say, it's an interesting time to be covering these issues, with varied and far-reaching impacts to Louisiana and the larger river basin.

Over the past year working for Louisiana Illuminator and with the Ag & Water Desk, I’ve had many chances to see science and policy in action, much like our trip to the Wax Lake Delta. It's a great privilege to fall in the mud and help people understand how science is happening right under their boots, and how this affects their government and everyday lives."

We appreciate you sharing your reporting Elise, and not being afraid to get a bit dirty in the pursuit of journalism! And as always, thanks for reading. More next week from across the Basin.

Sincerely,

Michael Crowe
Interim Assistant Director,
Ag & Water Desk