Environment

The Startup That's Restoring Louisiana's Coast

Two scientists believe their method of planting cypress and tupelo trees—in special rodent-resistant pods—can revive the region’s disappearing marshes.
A cypress tree planted by coastal restoration experts in Venice, Louisiana, in 2011Sean Gardner / AP

In its ongoing battle against coastal erosion, Louisiana is looking for all the help it can get—including from the husband-wife research team of Gary Shaffer and Demetra Kandalepas. The couple has found a way to restore wetlands by planting trees in an innovative pod and nourishing them with wastewater.

This spring, their company, Wetland Resources, won $10,000 in seed capital from the Greater New Orleans Foundation at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week. It could prove a crucial ally in combating the state’s land loss.