Lowlander Center

Programs: Nas capacity grant-the project funded by the national academy of sciences is a collaborative process between multiple partners with the tribe of isle de jean charles leading the effort to help the tribe carry its culture & ecology forward into the future. It will also create a conceptual design for science center/seed bank . The conceptual design can be used as one of the pieces of shared community space and be used for fundraising. The concept for the building is not only part of the landscape but the landscape itself -- the heart of a larger body that extends beyond the site. The project will also create and develop a replicable model for cross-disciplinary collaboration by means of a tool-kit. Some of the outcomes include: > science center memorialization (of a lost heritage) a place to learn and understand past heritage: > seed kiva/network of paths preservation (of the culture and ecology) allowing preservation through connection: > lecture hall/educational spaces continuation (of a culture) a place to keep pushing forward through the means of the new site: > library/science center education (of future generations) resource availability for cultural/ecological knowledge.

coastal communities collaboration- the coastal communities of southeast louisiana are bayou communities at risk due to land loss from industrialization, mostly from oil related work, and from climate change. Many of the communities have similarities in that they have been in place for many generations and are people who have been historically displaced, escaped, sold or pushed out of other regions of the world. The bayou communities have deep roots and knowledge to and of the land, water and traditions of their place and now that place is threatened. New maps created every several months by various agencies and research teams are only confirming what the people already know- the land is vanishing faster than plans for restoration or action to accommodate the inhabitants, human and non. Out of these concerns a loose coalition of communities, tribes and people have formed various networks and timely coalitions to address both root causes and to build agency- capacity of communities to have voice and decision power over their lives and of the places they love so much. As one leader has said, 'we can only continue to adapt in place until there are other alternatives available and those alternatives will not be available to us unless we make it happen'. The coastal communities collaborative project supports the work of the coastal communities.

entergy- in 2011 entergy corporation sponsored a detailed study that examined the likely infrastructure damage that the gulf of mexico communities would experience from future storms and environmental changes including in light of expected population and infrastructure growth. Following the release of the report, a series of meetings were held coast wide to bring community leaders together to talk about the future and the ways in which the region might come together to address these risks. The lowlander center is undertaking an effort focused upon small/middle sized businesses who are frequently not at the forefront of consideration when community resilience is considered. This effort includes reaching out to small/medium size businesses and the non profit, for profit and government agencies who work with them to learn about the businesses' awareness of the coastal storm risk, their concerns, resilience resource needs as identified by the businesses and their partner stakeholders and to create an actionable resilience plan with them that will be addressed in the second part of the project. This effort builds upon the 2011 study.

idjc-dc trip- this project consisted of a trip to washington dc in order to meet with stakeholders, policy makers, and provide testimony regarding the isle de jean charles resettlement isle de jean charles resettlement- the primary aims of the project are: 1. To provide a safe resettlement for members of the isle de jean charles tribe who are descendants of the historic biloxi, chitimacha, and choctaw tribes through blood lineage and cultural heritage. 2. Through careful observations of the resettlement process and outcomes to gain practical insights into the process of resettlement as an adaptation strategy that can serve as a model elsewhere and can be reproduced by coastal communities throughout the united states, a country where more than 13 million people must soon reckon with inundation due to rising seas (l. A. Times, march 15, 2016).