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Air Products Teams Up with Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation to Fund Free Field Trips to Turtle Cove for Students this School Year

Teachers in Livingston, St. John the Baptist and Tangipahoa parishes can take their classes on field trips to the Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station on Lake Maurepas through a $200,000 grant from the Air Products Lake Maurepas Community Fund to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation (LAWFF).

The LAWFF will use the funds to cover the costs of field trips to the Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station, which is run by Southeastern Louisiana University researchers who focus on the ecology of the lake. The Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station is located in the wetlands on Pass Manchac, a natural pass that connects Lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas.

“Southeastern researchers are doing vital work at Turtle Cove and it’s incredibly important for our younger community to get to learn about the history of the Lakes and the value of the ecosystem there,” said Danna LeBlanc, Commercial Executive Director of Air Products’ Louisiana Clean Energy Complex. “It is our hope that these field trips can contribute to students’ lifelong interest in science and the environment and offer teachers an outlet for hands-on learning in the outdoors. As Air Products is a safety-focused company, we also will be providing life jackets for each student participating in the field trip to keep for their future adventures on the water.”

"As a foundation dedicated to enhancing the public’s appreciation of Louisiana’s rich natural resources, we are thrilled to offer students the opportunity to learn about the unique ecosystems of Lake Maurepas and the Manchac wetlands," said Missy Fox, Executive Director of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation. "This grant will help foster a deeper connection to our environment, giving students hands-on experiences that will not only inspire their love for science but also cultivate future stewards of our state’s invaluable natural habitats."

“Southeastern is happy to have this opportunity to expand community and educational outreach while exposing the next generation of our region to the beauty and biodiversity of Lake Maurepas and its environment,” said William Wainwright, President of Southeastern Louisiana University.

About the field trips

Field trips are available to students in third grade and higher in the three parishes and grants for teachers will be administered through the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation, which supports work to encourage public enjoyment and use of the wildlife and fisheries resources in Louisiana. Teachers can visit lawff.org/ap-turtle-cove-grant to complete a field trip application.

A typical field trip starts with a short teaching session and discussion on the wetlands ecosystem and the physical and biological aspects of the Manchac wetlands. Then the group will board a 40-foot pontoon boat for a trip to the wetlands surrounding the research station, where students will have the opportunity to see the natural flora and fauna of the Lake Maurepas ecosystem. Topics discussed include wetlands ecology, bald cypress and marsh restoration, and plant and animal adaptations to the wetlands environment.

Grant funds will be used to cover transportation costs, lunches, and other refreshments at the Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station for school groups from Livingston, Tangipahoa, and St. John the Baptist parishes.

To apply for funding, please click here.

Caption: Air Products employees join Missy Fox, Executive Director of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation to present a check for $200,000 from the Air Products Lake Maurepas Community Fund to support field trips to Turtle Cove Research Station. From left to right, they are Jeff Bellelo, Missy Fox, Danna LeBlanc and Christina Stephens.

About the Air Products Lake Maurepas Community Fund and Air Products’ Community Giving in Louisiana

Air Products supports the communities where it operates through community giving and employee volunteer efforts. In addition to grants through the overall corporate Air Products Foundation, in 2023, the company launched the Air Products Lake Maurepas Community Fund, which plans to contribute $1 million per year to community projects that meet its intended mission during the duration of the operation of the Louisiana Clean Energy Complex, which is expected to be at least 25 years.

Already through the Fund, Air Products has made grants to worthwhile projects with the Livingston Parish Fire Protection District #2 and the Manchac Volunteer Fire Department for enhanced public safety efforts on Lake Maurepas; the Livingston Fire Protection District #2 to support its ongoing night staffing needs; for a Lake Maurepas fish stocking program managed by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation; and also to the Livingston Parish Homeland Security to fund communications equipment in its emergency operations center, among others. In St. John parish, it has funded $75,000 to the United Way and New Wine Christian Fellowship for disaster recovery efforts, and $25,000 to Louisiana Splash and Water Safety for swimming lessons, among other grants. 

The Fund assists parishes bordering Lake Maurepas by supporting needed educational, ecological, safety, and recreational projects, with a focus on Livingston, St. John the Baptist, and Tangipahoa Parishes.

Looking forward, Air Products strives to continue its more than five-decade history of safe and responsible operations in Louisiana, both through its proposed Louisiana Clean Energy Complex currently under development and in future investments. To learn more, visit: https://www.cleanenergylouisiana.com/community

(To demonstrate what a Field Trip would look like, we are also including photos from a similar field trip last summer that Air Products sponsored for New Wine Christian Fellowship.)

Campers from New Wine Christian Fellowship’s summer camp participated in an educational field trip to the Turtle Cove Research Station in Lake Maurepas. The campers learned about the different types of wildlife and fish in Lake Maurepas and how planting cypress trees can help lessen the loss of wetlands in the area. The campers took a boat ride to the Turtle Cove Research Station and were given life jackets to keep. Campers who were too young to go to Turtle Cove were able to visit the nearby zoo to learn about animals instead. Air Products’ Lake Maurepas Community Fund covered the cost of both field trips, transportation and lunches for the campers.

About the Louisiana Clean Energy Complex

Air Products is developing the Louisiana Clean Energy Complex, which will advance energy independence by creating clean energy at a blue hydrogen production plant. This project is Air Products’ largest investment in the United States and will help Louisiana meet its long-term carbon-reduction goals while creating and supporting local jobs. 

The new facility will create 170 new permanent jobs with an average salary of $93,000 a year, and 2,000 jobs during construction. Currently, Air Products employs 330 people in Louisiana at 18 facilities across the state, with employees actively contributing to the communities where they live and work. For more detailed information about Air Products’ Louisiana Clean Energy Complex, please visit CleanEnergyLouisiana.com. People can also follow the project on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.