One of the most characteristic of Louisiana wetland scenes (you know, the ones that
you see in the movies at around 3:00 a.m.) is that of the dark, spooky, pest-ridden,
disease-causing, nasty, hell-hole of a baldcypress swamp. Does this look like the
above description to you? IT DOES?! (get a better video card) These precious wetlands
are home to countless species of plants and animals, including such threatened and
endangered species as the Florida Panther and Louisiana Black Bear. Obviously, the
swamps are home to baldcypress trees which, although not endangered, are disappearing
at a tremendous rate. We would like to encourage the use of our remaining swamp forests
in a wise and thoughtful manner.

Baldcypress swamps represent a significant portion of Louisiana’s wetland resources.
Although much less abundant than they historically were, baldcypress swamps still
cover a few relatively large areas of the state. One of these regions surrounds Lake
Maurepas (just west of, and adjacent to, Lake Pontchartrain). These swamps are as
close as 15-20 minutes south of the Southeastern Louisiana University main campus
in Hammond, LA and offer excellent opportunities for field studies of plants, reptiles
and amphibians, fish, birds, and parasites. They are also just very cool places to
wander about and take photographs.

Cypress swamps serve many vital wetland functions. Habitat is only one aspect of swamp
forests. Other functions include the storage of flood waters (preventing greater flooding
downstream),de-synchronization of riverine flood waters, and improved water quality.
What we, here at the Wetlands Restoration Laboratory, would like to see is a well
thought out plan for the conservation and wise use of these priceless natural resources.