Participatory Action Research as a model for coastal Louisiana and a contributor to science writing

Many Native American communities across the country face overlapping environmental and climate threats.The remaining members of the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw tribe of Isle de Jean Charles reside on a two mile island,vulnerable to environmental and commercial pressures. True survivors, tribe members have seen hurricanes come and go, erosion wash away their land, salt water kill their vegetation, and fishermen set up camps on their land. In the summer of 2012, two students of NCAR's SOARS program set out to do community-based research there, directed by members of the tribe. Both conducted their research under the guidelines of Participatory Action Research (PAR), defined as a systematic inquiry, with the collaboration of those affected, for the purpose of taking action or effecting change.One student, Sandra Maina, focused on developing a smart phone application of important cultural landmarks that are especially vulnerable to land loss, which aims to share the story of the community and also inform about ongoing restoration projects in the area. Frances Roberts- Gregory focused on documenting important cultural plants at risk of extinction.Interviews with students and community members, carried out as part of a visit to the SOARS research area, illustrate how the principles of participatory action research fit in the context of coastal Louisiana and how PAR can be applied to science writing. Photos, aerial images and video, and interviews from Louisiana will illustrate the topic.