Coastal Roots

The Class of 2026 continued the middle school tradition of participating in the Coastal Roots Project based out of LSU. Each year, eighth graders plant native plant seedlings in a coastal habitat restoration project. The group planted nuttall oaks and willow oaks in Jungle Gardens on Avery Island as part a black bear corridor being built there. Later this year, the students will establish a new native plant nursery on the Cade campus so that next year's eighth graders can transplant the new seedlings after they've grown for several months. Thanks to chaperones Sara Robicheaux, Britni Brown, Reese Fuller, and Daniel Gould for accompanying the class for the project and Avery Island tour. More than 50 schools across 21 Louisiana parishes currently participate in the LSU Coastal Roots Program. ESA students have taken part since 2015.