The University of Texas at Arlington will hold an LARE Prep Class November 10th and 11th (Section 4) November 17th and 18th (Section 3).

For information, click here.

Calling all Volunteers!

Bayou Land RC&D has a fantastic service project planned   for Make A Difference Day, coming up on October 27^th, 2012.    If you like free music and food, then this is the project for you!

Click here to register now!

Make A Difference Day 2012 happens to fall on the same day as   Houmpalooza, a local music festival in downtown Houma!   Bayou Land   RC&D has incorporated the two by building a service project that focuses   on the importance of protecting and keeping clean the Bayou Terrebonne Watershed.    On the 27^th, volunteers can help us plant Cypress Trees   along the Bayou as well as clean and mark storm drains (with markers designed   by local school children) in downtown Houma.  The service project will   go from 10 am – 3 pm, but afterwards we invite all the volunteers to stay and   enjoy some local food and music at Houmapalooza!   Volunteers will   receive complimentary lunch and a Bayou Land RC&D T-shirt.

You can read more about the event and register on our website and Facebook.  You can also contact Julia at jstrasser@bayoulandrcd.org   or 860-794-7757   with questions. Please help us spread the word to anyone who may be   interested.

Register today to be part of this national day of service.

We hope to see you there!

Sincerely,
Jennifer Roberts
Program Director, Bayou Land RC&D

Visit our website for more information: www.bayoulandrcd.org.

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The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation are looking for volunteers to participate in a coastal forest tree restoration project near the Caernarvon Diversion in Plaquemines Parish, LA (near Chalmette, LA) on Tuesday, October 16, 2012.  This project will promote  healthy coastal forest on land that has been accumulating from sediment outflow from the Caernarvon Diversion.  The trees will provide critical habit for wildlife, restore areas that were damaged during Hurricane Isaac, and provide storm protection to the adjacent marsh and inland communities.

Project Details:
When:             Tuesday, October 16, 2012
                         9:00 a.m. to no later than 4:00 p.m.
Where:            Caernarvon Diversion Outfall Canal

Directions and additional information will be provided to registered volunteers via e-mail a few days prior to the event.
All planting equipment (gloves, shovels, etc.), lunch, and refreshments will be provided.
Volunteers will be planting 300 cypress trees and wrapping the trees with protectors to shield them from predators.
Volunteers will be transported to the planting site by boat.  This will be a muddy day.  This is a strenuous and dirty activity, so physical fitness is required.
Additional information, including directions and what to bring, will be provided a few days prior to the event.

We request that all volunteers please register to let us know if you plan to attend.  You can complete an online registration form at the www.crcl.org or call the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana at 1-(888)-LACOAST for more information. 

We understand that plans can change.  If, after registering, you find you are unable to attend the event, please email Coalition@crcl.org and let us know if you have to cancel so we can make your spot available to other potential volunteers.

VOLUNTEER TODAY TO HELP RESTORE OUR CYPRESS FORESTS!

Additional support for this project comes from the Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration,  Shell and Restore the Earth Foundation.

Please click here for the Write-up below and here the Announcement Card

For Immediate Release:

 The Idea Village & Greater New Orleans Foundation Launch3^rd Annual Water Challenge

An effort to establish Southeast Louisianaas an entrepreneurial leader in the water industry.

(New Orleans) September 6, 2012 – Today, in partnership with the Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF), The Idea Village is excited to announce that applications for its annual Water Challenge are now open.Going into its third year, thisprogram aims to identify and support entrepreneurial solutions that apply innovative approaches to how we live with water in Southeast Louisiana, which is especially relevant in the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac.Interested entrepreneurs can apply at www.waterchallenge2013.orguntil 11:59pm CT on October 15, 2012.

“Idea Village Challenges seek to solve community challenges through entrepreneurship, while strengthening partnerships in the entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Tim Williamson, Co-founder and CEO of The Idea Village. “Now in its third year, the goal of the Water Challenge is to build a cluster of entrepreneurs creating innovative solutions to living with water.”

“The Water Challenge capitalizes on Louisiana’s rich aquatic assets in an attempt to elevate our region’s position as a leader in progressive water management,” said Marco F. Cocito-Monoc, Ph. D, GNOF’s Director for Regional Initiatives.

In Southeast Louisiana, water dominates life as both an asset and a threat. From coastal land loss to abundant seafood, from flood to drought, water is a major source of both spending and revenue. Because manyof our regional issues are similar to those faced by other countries, the Water Challenge is a powerful vehicle for discovering and nurturing innovators whose solutions may be of global significance.

Dr. Sarah K. Mack of Tierra Resources won the 2012 Water Challenge and $50,000. Tierra Resources is a nationally recognized innovator and quality leader in the research, development, and monetization of blue carbon contained in coastal wetland ecosystems, such as estuaries, mangroves, and salt marshes. Their pioneering work is critical to bringing wetland offsets to carbon markets and their methodology will monetize the value of Louisiana wetlands and enable funding for their restoration.

“The Water Challenge was a catalyst for taking Tierra Resources to the next level. From access to unbelievable networks, to intensive mentorship and strategic business consulting, it was as if I had an entire management team behind me,” said Mack.

This year, the Water Challenge is expanding its reach in an effort to further solidify our region’s position as a business leader in the water industry. Applicants who meet the following criteria will be invited to participate in an educational program from October through December.

• Entrepreneur has an idea or business that addresses a specific water problem relevant to Southeast Louisiana
• Entrepreneur has identified an idea that can be commercialized
• The proposed solution/ idea is exportable and scalable
• Entrepreneur and venture are taking an innovative approach to solving this problem
• Entrepreneur is committed to participating in the educational and consulting program
• The entrepreneur and business are based in the Coastal 5 plus 1 region (Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John, St. Tammany and Terrebonne Parishes)
• The business is generating less than $1 million in annual revenue and has fewer than 10 full time employees

In December, select entrepreneurswho have identified scalable, for-profit business models and demonstrated the passion to take their start-ups to the next level will transition into a three-month accelerator program managed by The Idea Village Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs). The EIRs, seasoned entrepreneurs, will provide strategic consulting to help entrepreneurs refine their strategy, organize their business, and develop their pitch for funding.  Finalists will have the opportunity to pitch for a $50,000 grant, courtesy of GNOF, during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, March 16-22, 2013.

The Water Challenge received the 2012 Nania Award from Tulsa Partners, an organization that honors corporate entities and individuals that have done outstanding collaborative work in building a disaster-resistant and sustainable community.

To learn more about The Idea Village and the 2013Water Challenge, please visit www.waterchallenge2013.org 

About The Idea Village

In 2000, The Idea Village was formed by a group of New Orleans citizens who returned home energized by experiences in thriving communities across the United States. The founders determined that the key to creating positive economic and social change in New Orleans was to create a vibrant entrepreneurial community. The Idea Village formalized in 2002 as an independent 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization with a mission to identify, support and retain entrepreneurial talent in New Orleans by providing business resources to high-impact ventures. The Idea Village team supports entrepreneurial talent by identifying growth challenges, setting goals, providing business strategy, marketing support and financial direction. To date, The Idea Village has supported over 1,798 New Orleans entrepreneurs by engaging 2,028 professionals to allocate over 56,949 consulting hours and $3.1 million in seed capital. Collectively, this portfolio generates over $100 million in annual revenue and has created over 2,000 jobs for our community. www.ideavillage.org

About the Greater New Orleans Foundation

The Greater New Orleans Foundation is one of the oldest and largest philanthropic organizations in the region. Every day, the Foundation joins other foundations, non-profit organizations, community leaders, and government officials to address the needs of the community and build consensus for solutions. Together with its family of donors, the Foundation has invested over $100 million in our region since it opened its doors over 25 years ago to respond to community needs. www.gnof.org

Presented by:
The Idea Village
(For Entrepreneurs & Those Who Believe in Them)
and
The Greater New Orleans Foundation

CONTACT
Cameron Yancey Adams
504.858.3806
Cameron@ideavillage.org

###

Register Now

The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) and Abita Beer invite you to participate in “Save Our Shore: Volunteer for the Coast,” Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012 at Grand Isle State Park on Grand Isle.  Hurricane Isaac’s impact in August washed away many of the dunes along the park’s shoreline, which is critical to the protection of wetlands and communities there.  This storm was just the latest hit that Grand Isle has taken, having sustained prior damage from 2011’s Tropical Storm Lee and the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Disaster.  Help us save this important stretch of Louisiana coast by volunteering to install dune fences and plant dune grass, which helps stabilize the fragile beach along Grand Isle.

Abita Beer is partnering with CRCL to implement this and other restoration projects which will directly restore dune habitat and strengthen Grand Isle State Park and other sites in the future.  “Save Our Shore: Volunteer for the Coast” restoration projects will also allow volunteers the opportunity to learn about coastal land loss while participating in projects that promote Louisiana’s ties to our coast, culture, food and love of life.

Where:            Grand Isle State Park
Admiral Craik Dr. Grand Isle, LA 70358

When:             Saturday September 29, 2012
9:00 a.m. to no later than 4:00 p.m.
Click HERE to register for the event. 

Minimum age for volunteers is 10, but all minors must be accompanied by an adult.

All equipment (shovels, gloves, hammers, etc.) will be provided.  Lunch and drinks will be provided to all volunteers.  Abita will be on hand to provide additional refreshments to participants over 21.

We request that all volunteers please register to let us know if you plan to attend.  You can complete an online registration form at the www.crcl.org or call the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana at 1-(888)-LACOAST for more information.

Directions and additional information will be provided to registered volunteers via e-mail a few days prior to the event.

Want to stay for the weekend?  CRCL and Abita encourage volunteers to come down and spend the weekend enjoying all that Grand Isle has to offer.  If you need assistance finding a place to stay on Grand Isle, please email Coalition@crcl.org.

We understand that plans can change.  If, after registering, you find you are unable to attend the event, please email Coalition@crcl.org and let us know if you have to cancel so we can make your spot available to other potential volunteers.

Visit www.crcl.org for more information.