Insights > Employees, Volunteers Beautify Areas Around Lake Pontchartrain

Employees, Volunteers Beautify Areas Around Lake Pontchartrain

By:

04/19/2018

Entergy Louisiana sponsors Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation's 4th annual Spring Sweep.

Armed with gloves, garbage bags and grabbers, Entergy employees and volunteers descended on areas around Lake Pontchartrain on March 24 to help clean up and protect some of south Louisiana's most precious green spaces and waterways.

The effort was part of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation's 4th Annual Spring Sweep, a designated cleanup day sponsored by Entergy Louisiana and held in conjunction with the Great American Cleanup.

Entergy employees and their family members were among the volunteers who helped beautify areas around Lake Pontchartrain as part of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation's 4th Annual Spring Sweep.

"We're proud to sponsor events such as these and to give back to the communities we serve in such a personal and meaningful way," said Customer Service Representative Ann Johnson, who was part of the team coordinating the Spring Sweep events. "By taking care of outdoor green spaces, we're not only helping the environment, but we're also making the area in which we live and work a place everyone can enjoy."

Entergy employees and volunteers focused their efforts on four locations. In Jefferson Parish, volunteers placed pine straw around trees, added mulch to flower beds and a kayak launch area, trimmed trees, repaired lighting, and picked up trash at the Bonnabel Boat Launch and Bucktown Marina.

Customer Service Representative Patrick Hamby and his family enjoyed a fun, productive day at the Bonnabel Boat Launch, Hamby said.

"It helped instill in my young children the value of giving back to the community," said Hamby. "The event was a success and really made a positive impact on the Bonnabel Boat Launch – it is now ready for the increased springtime activities!"

In Orleans Parish, volunteers picked up trash at the Riverview, also known as "The Fly," behind Audubon Zoo. In Tangipahoa and St. John parishes, Entergy volunteers teamed up with volunteers from Tangipahoa Parish government, Manchac Greenway, Manchac Boat Association, Manchac Coalition and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Heavy equipment, bucket trucks, small boats and airboats were used to pick up debris and litter along the Manchac Greenway.

By removing litter and debris, volunteers helped care for areas that drain the Pontchartrain Basin. They also helped mitigate a dangerous threat to birds, fish, turtles and other estuarine species.

"Everyone benefits from getting the litter off our streets and we always have a good time out there. We are grateful to Entergy Louisiana for sponsoring this event. It's impressive to see how much we can achieve when we work together for just a few hours," said Kristi Trail, executive director for the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation.