Queen Bess, a historic island off the coast of Grand Isle, LA, is known for its importance as a nesting ground for many coastal bird species. The most significant of these birds, the Brown Pelican, was reintroduced to the island in 1963 after its disappearance caused by the use of a pesticide called dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) which was banned by the EPA in 1972. Multiple named storms, continuous erosion, and impacts from the BP oil spill left the island degraded.

The State of Louisiana hired Pontchartrain Partners, LLC and RES to revitalize this landmark during a five-month period. To meet the need for vegetative cover, 26,313 plants were custom-grown from cuttings at RES’ Pointe Aux Chenes Nursery. These plant species included Matrimony Vine (Lycium carolinianum), Groundsel Bush (Baccharis halimifolia), and Marsh Elder (Iva frutescens).

Vegetating the island required the transport of personnel, supplies, materials, and equipment to the work area by way of a deck barge. Our team subsoiled lines for five-foot spacing in the fresh aggregate within the planting cells, de-potted the plants on site, and installed the vegetation using augers to dig holes for each plant. 1,325 hay bales were employed to help reduce wind erosion on the island. Our team broadcast Bermuda Grass seed and Annual Rye Grass over the sand areas to expedite the root development and foster the stabilization of the island’s surface.

The project was completed two months before the 10th anniversary of the catastrophic oil spill in 2010.

Project Highlights
• Installed more than 26,000 plants that were custom-grown from cuttings
• Completed the plantings, hay bale installation, and broadcast seeding in 15 days