Egrets in the Bayou
by Susan Rissi Tregoning
Title
Egrets in the Bayou
Artist
Susan Rissi Tregoning
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
The Great Egrets are out in force in the Atchafalaya River Basin.
At 260,000 acres, Atchafalaya is the largest wetland and swamp in the United States. It also includes the Henderson Swamp which is the most well-known portion of the Atchafalaya Basin since the Interstate 10 Bridge cuts right through the middle of it.
This area has long been home to the Cajuns, descendants of French Canadians also known as Acadians that were expelled from Canada by British forces in the 1750s. Their progeny have kept their native language alive, still speaking a version of it today. Cajuns thrived on the abundant wildlife here in the swamps with everything from catfish, crawfish, and alligators to otters, beavers, turkeys, and even the Louisiana black bear.
The Atchafalaya is different from other Louisiana basins because it has a growing delta system with wetlands that are almost stable. The basin is approximately 70% forest habitat with 30% marsh and open water. It contains the largest contiguous block of forested wetlands remaining in the lower Mississippi River valley and the largest block of floodplain forest in the United States.
Copyright 2018 Susan Rissi Tregoning
Uploaded
August 27th, 2018
Statistics
Viewed 3,818 Times - Last Visitor from Cambridge, MA on 04/25/2024 at 2:05 AM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet