Our program on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast began summer 2006 as a direct response to Hurricane Katrina and that clean-up effort. The effects of this natural disaster remain evident, and we continue to help promote environmental remediation and community come-back. You have the unique opportunity to learn first-hand how social, environmental and political issues intertwine, and sometimes collide explosively within a community. These very real and charged issues come critically into play in North Gulfport, Turkey Creek and Moss Point, our host communities since 2006.

We can look back more recently than Hurricane Katrina to a not-so-natural disaster, the BP oil spill, and witness its negative impact on the people and wild environment of the Gulf Coast. While VISIONS’ projects do not respond directlyto the oil spill, nevertheless, some of your service time will be spent in work that has positive environmental effects.

We have a strong partnership with the Pascagoula River Audubon Center in Moss Point. Past Visionaries have built sophisticated wildlife observation decks and low-impact docks, extensive boardwalks that protect the underlying fauna, walking paths through Turkey Creek’s unique wetland eco-system, information kiosks that identify the variety of flora, even a 50-foot suspension bridge over Turkey Creek. The very best part of our collaboration with Audubon is Dr. Mark LaSalle, Audubon’s Pascagoula Center Director, and Mozart Mark Dedeaux, the Center’s Education Coodinator, who work side-by-side with us most days.

This summer we will undertake strategic carpentry projects with the Audubon Society. In addition to one or two huge, tower-like nesting stands for Chimney Swifts, whose population is rapidly declining on the Coast, we may construct footpaths or observation decks in the environmentally protected areas of Turkey Creek and Moss Point. Mark knows VISIONS well and can be counted on to identify projects that will make a real difference.

You also will engage in social projects with the North Gulfport Youth Council and our other strong partner, the North Gulfport Land Trust, by building handicapped ramps, maintaining a community garden and doing maintenance and renovations for the Isaiah Fredericks Senior Center.