A Postcard from Louisiana

Visions from the swamp

Honey Island Swamp was named for its abundance of bees. It may come as no surprise that the swamp is no longer home to many bees at all.

As our tour guide, “Raspberry,” a 10th generation Louisiana Cajun guides us through the waters, he speaks of a time, prior to colonization, when the swamp water was so clear you could see all the way to the bottom.

“Why is it so mucky now?” a teenager on our tour boat asks.

“People. Humans doing stupid things. Everything we touch we mess up,” he says.

“But why can’t we see to the bottom?”

Raspberry pauses.

“Agriculture.”

Iowa’s runoff beat me here.

---

Raspberry points out numerous “invasive” species on the tour. Elephant’s Ear (Colocasia), aka taro root, line the swamp for miles. Nutria, a rodent that were originally introduced for their furs, nibble at the precious grasses Raspberry says protect the swamp. Feral pigs. Apple snails.

In the world of flora and fauna, some academics claim the term “invasive” is a misnomer. The word has a negative connotation, and some species have quite the neutral impact.

Merriam-Webster defines invasive as:

1. tending to spread especially in a quick or aggressive manner: such as

   1. of a non native organism: growing and dispersing easily usually to the detriment of native species and ecosystems

There was anger on the boat toward the Nutria and the apple snails and the species that came to the swamp and destroyed it.

The USDA brought Elephant Ear here. Trappers and fur traders brought Nutria. Colonizers brought feral pigs. Aquarium traders likely brought apple snails.

The swamp tells a story of one species better than any other.