Wetlands Youth Summit signup deadline is Friday

The Wetlands Discovery Center will host the 2014 Wetlands Youth Summit Aug. 22 and 23 at the Duhe’ Building, 235 Civic Center Blvd., Houma.
The Wetlands Youth Summit aims to bring young leaders together to discuss the various challenges and potential solutions for gulf coast communities. The summit is open to all high school students living along the gulf coast.
On Friday afternoon, students will have an opportunity to network with each other at the seafood social before watching My Louisiana Love, a documentary of love, loss and resilience in southeast Louisiana. The film’s co-producer, Monique Verdin, will be available for a question and answer session after the screening.
Saturday will be filled with guest speakers including Dr. Gary LaFleur from the NSU Bayou Studies and Biology departments and Dr. Barb Kleiss from the Army Corps of Engineers. There will also be breakout sessions where students can choose to learn more about the topics that peak their interests most. Partners for these sessions include LSU’s Coastal Sustainability Studio, T. Baker Smith Civil Engineers, CWPPRA, and TPCG’s department of Coastal Restoration and Preservation to name a few. Students will also be tasked with developing action plans addressing local concerns that can be implemented in their communities. The summit will conclude with our very own Wetlands Olympics.
The Wetlands Youth Summit is supported by grants from BHP Billiton, BTNEP, the Bayou Community Foundation, the Buquet Family Foundation, the Fourchon Oilman’s Association and the Gray Foundation. This program would not be possible without the support of these businesses and organizations.
“The Wetlands Discovery Center has always done a great job of teaching students about the science of restoration. Through the Wetlands Youth Summit, we are teaching students about the politics of restoration, which is as equally valuable to understand,” said Wetlands Discovery Center Executive Director Jonathan Foret.
The registration fee to attend the Wetlands Youth Summit is $25 per student, however, scholarships are available and all meals are included. The fee is due by Friday. Students must be a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior to attend. If you are a high school student, or, if you know of a high school student interested in attending this program, call 985-580-7289, email apercle@slwdc.org or visit our website at www.slwdc.org/wys for registration information.