Field Session

FRI-FS-05: Working Landscapes: The Living Coast of Terrebonne Parish

Field Session Leader(s)

• 

  Wes Michaels, ASLA, PLA, LEED AP

  Principal
  Spackman Mossop Michaels
  New Orleans, Louisiana
• 

  Christopher M. Pulaski, ASLA, PLA

  Director of Planning and Zoning
  Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government
  Houma, LA

Field Session Presenter(s)

• 

  Julie Falgout

  Seafood Industry Liaison
  Louisiana Sea Grant
  Houma, LA
• 

  Gary LaFleur, Jr.

  Director of the Center for Bayou Studies at Nicholls
  Nicholls State University
  Thibodaux, Louisiana
• 

  Brian J. Roberts

  Executive Director and Chief Scientist
  Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON)
  Chauvin, LA

Terrebonne Parish, LA, courtesy Wes Michaels, Spackman Mossop Michaels

A field expedition through Terrebonne Parish exploring how multigenerational fishing families adapt alongside coastal protection infrastructure. Participants will meet seafood industry leaders, cultural and ecological advocates, local officials, and engineers to understand how this working landscape balances ecologies, flood control, and preservation of Louisiana’s maritime heritage while facing climate change.

Includes transportation and catered lunch.

Learning Outcomes:

• Analyze the integration of large-scale coastal protection structures—such as levees and floodgates—into working landscapes that maintain fishing grounds, tourism, and cultural heritage.
• Identify community-based strategies for adapting to land loss and sea-level rise, with an emphasis on collaboration among local industries, scientists, and governmental entities.
• Discuss the role of cultural preservation and traditional knowledge in shaping resilient coastal infrastructure, balancing ecological health with economic sustainability.
• Evaluate how nature-based solutions and contemporary engineering approaches can work hand-in-hand to reduce flood risk and strengthen the regional economy.