It's Where Tabasco Comes From

Avery Island, Louisiana, one of the main stops on any tour of "Cajun Country".  Close to places like Abbeville, Delcambre, and Intracoastal City.  Oysters, crawfish, ducks, speckled trout, and of course, live oaks.

One of many glorious Live Oaks.

I think it says a lot of an area that when I try to write about it I am flooded more with memories and  emotions than words.

I come here as a supporter of the Rainey Conservation Alliance.

A partnership of conservation minded landowners interested in conserving the marsh.


What I have learned, more so than any conservation or biology lesson, is the importance of relationships.

Arriving at a private camp south of Avery Island.

So honored to get to represent Audubon as we renewed an agreement at this meeting.  Pictured From Left: Sherrill Sagrera, Harold "Took" Osborn, P.R. Burke, and myself.

the pros (so sorry I did not get their name)

The people of this area survive some of the harshest events mother nature can cook up.  Many of the communities, economies, and even ways of life have come and gone.

I find that if you take the time to listen though, you can not help but gain an appreciation for the interconnections, mutual dependencies, and rich shared history.

I was wrong at the beginning of this post.  Words....names....do come to mind when I think about this area.  The Osborns, McIlhennys, Simmons, Sagreras, Burkes, and Vincents; heroic families, and for me, privileged memories.