Fundraising benefit for Replant New Orleans

A fundraising benefit will be held in support of Replant New Orleans on August 25, 2006, at the Garden for the Environment, at the corner of 7th Avenue and Lawton in the Inner Sunset. The benefit begins at 5:00 pm and runs until 8:00 pm. Food will be provided by Feel Real Café and live music will be performed. Casual attire. Replant New Orleans, a non profit organization, was formed in March of 2006 in response to testing done by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) that revealed high levels of pesticides, petrochemicals, heavy metals including arsenic, mercury, and lead, and asbestos in sediment soil samples in the city of New Orleans. While the EPA insists that there is no lasting health danger present in the city, the agency also recommends on its website that families should avoid bringing their children to New Orleans. Much toxic pollution is locked in the soil, a favorite play place for children. Bioremediation is an environmentally sound and effective method for neutralizing and removing toxic materials from soil and water systems. Replant New Orleans has developed a plan for using compost, compost tea, and specialized plants known as hyperaccumulators to help neutralize and remove toxins from soil on people’s properties in New Orleans. The organizers of the project, Hillary Strobel and Charlotte Ely, have created collaborations with community gardens to provide central locations for compost production and distribution, as well as for offering educational workshops and outreach regarding soil health. Additionally, Replant New Orleans is developing plans with individual neighborhood associations to maximize the effectiveness of distributing information and bioremediation resources to residents in each neighborhood. Currently, Replant New Orleans is collaborating with the non-profit organization Parkway Partners to provide trees and other vegetation to residents whose properties were damaged by flooding following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. 5 pm - 8 pm Friday August 25th, 2006 Garden for the Environment, 7th Avenue and Lawton in the Inner Sunset $20-$100 suggested donation, no one turned away for lack of funds. All proceeds go to Replant New Orleans and Garden for the Environment for charitable purposes.