Prospect Hill Academy New Orleans 2023
June 12, 2023
Today was a pretty light day due to the fact that this was our first day, we just got off our flight. But two things we did today was, try out a local restaurant & go on a swamp tour at honey island. As we were on the swamp tour we discovered & learnt many new things. A few things we learnt were about the many different tress, birds & species all around the environment. We also saw a few animals, the alligator, racoons, birds. Lastly a few interesting fun facts we learnt, lots of people invaded the area back in the days, lots of trees were named after those people like the Spanish moss.
By Jemeemah & Briana
June 13, 2023
Today we went to the lower 8th ward to plant trees. We visited common grounds a NGO and learn about a lot of plants, trees and insects. We learnt that the treas we were planting helps restore lost lands in new Orleans because of erosion, industrialization, climate change and other factors. We helped pot plants & trees into fresh soil and so into the water. After that we took buckets of soil that had invasive worms and separated them from the soil. It was a lot of hard work in the sun, yet it was interesting to learn about how to help costal lands. After the nursery we went to the Katrina Museum in the French Quarters and saw exhibits about what happened during the hurricane and also during Mardi gras. Today we learnt a lot about New Orleans history.
-Priyanka & Peterly
June 14, 2023
Today we went in a little river off the Mississippi river that lead into a bayou. We got to choose whether or not we wanted to go into the bayou. I choose to get out of my comfort zone a lot & go into the knee deep bayou.
We waited patiently for the boat to comeback then headed off to marsh anywhere between 2-4 feet deep. We planted grass in order to maintain the errosion of land. We ended up planting four coloumbs of grass in the middle of an enclosed area that in 2-3 years will grow 8-15 feet taller.
After getting our entire body covered in swamp water & mud we got hosed down and changed into some clean clothes. And then got treated to ice-cream before we came back to our cabins momentarily to shower and freshen up before we went back out to eat dinner at a local favorite restaurant.
Today was a fun day and I would overall rate it an 8.5/10.
-Adrine
June 15, 2023
We started with a trip to the Whitney Plantation. Here we learned about the vast history between Africans in the state of Louisiana. From the cash crop age of Indigo to the huge boost that sugarcane provided, we learned that the western world was built on the laborful hands of African and Haitian slaves alike. To end the tour, we read the names aloud of Africans from the past, brought here forcibly from the indigo age to the sugarcane age, simply giving them the recognition they couldn’t get when they were alive. A true tear-jerker to say the least.
After leaving the plantations, we went to the Backstreet Museum. Here we saw the costume collection of Blackmasking Indians that spoke of the rich African & Native American culture here in Louisiana. From team face off to bead costumes taking a year to make, it depicts a true mixing of cultural heritages.
We then visited Congo Square in Treme. A culture rich neighborhood that is predominantly black. It was a safe haven for those who were freed or enslaved people to converse, dance and enjoy each others’ vast music & cultural agendas without any hesitation or bondage.
Last but not the least, we enjoyed a performance by the band Maroons, teaching us the origins of voodoo & other culture’s influence here in NOLA that were brought from the African Continent.
-Nathaniel
