Bayou Teche, La – Keep Louisiana Beautiful, the State’s premier anti-litter and community improvement organization selected the Teche Ecology Culture and History Education (TECHE) Project as a recipient of this year Healthy Communities Grant.
This year’s grant, in the amount of $10,000, will support the TECHE Project in an initiative to educate and engage the community by placing high-quality signs on bridges and access points along the Bayou Teche to remind visitors and residents to reduce the amount of litter and non-point source pollution in the Bayou Teche. Litter thrown along roadways as well as lawn debris, pesticides and fertilizers find their way into the Teche and reduce its water quality. The grant funds will be used to design and install high quality signs at 4 bridge locations including Arnaudville, Breaux Bridge, St. Martinville and Franklin and several access points along the Bayou Teche Paddle Trail.
Bayou Teche is a 135 mile long bayou that runs through 4 parishes; St. Landry, St. Martin, Iberia and St. Mary. In January 2015, the bayou was included in the U.S. Department of Interior National Water System. The TECHE Project manages the water trail which is nestled in the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area.
“We believe this grant will enable us to continue help us engage our communities to protect our most beautiful and historic Bayou in Louisiana,” said TECHE Project Bayou Operations Coordinator Dane Thibodeaux. “We are proud to become part of the Keep Louisiana Beautiful team and we thank them for selecting us for the Healthy Communities Grant.”
To emphasize their message, the TECHE Project has partnered with Leave No Trace, a national recreation and land ethics organization whose mission is to protect the outdoors by teaching and inspiring people to enjoy it responsibly. “We join the TECHE Project in their efforts to create a low-impact recreation experience on the Bayou Teche Paddle Trail that embraces responsible paddling and camping,” says Dave Winter, Strategic Partnerships and Outreach Manager at Leave No Trace.
The TECHE Project will collaborate with municipalities and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to install signs. Implementation will be completed by October 8 in advance of the week-long Subaru/Leave No Trace workshop hosted by the TECHE Project.
About TECHE Project
The Teche Ecology, Culture and History Education Project has served the Bayou Teche communities in St. Landry, St. Martin, Iberia and St. Mary Parishes since 2009. We are passionate about making Bayou Teche a healthier waterway for fishing, kayaking, canoeing, boating, tubing and even swimming. Along with aesthetics and recreation, we advocate for improved water quality in the Bayou Teche by working with our communities to reduce non-point source pollution.
About Keep Louisiana Beautiful
Keep Louisiana Beautiful, Inc. is the state’s anti-litter and community improvement organization focused on education, enforcement, awareness and cleanups. Affiliated with Keep America Beautiful, Keep Louisiana Beautiful’s mission is to promote personal, corporate and community responsibility for a clean and beautiful Louisiana. With a network of 39 affiliates in communities throughout the state, over 23,000 volunteers work toward a clean and beautiful Louisiana.
