Louisiana Oil Spill - Hero of The Environment

Oil Spill Cleanup and mitigation are big concerns for a Louisiana teacher. One of the 12 heroes featured in Heroes of the Environment is Destrehan, Louisiana science teacher Barry Guillot, the founder of the nationally recognized Hurst Middle Wetland Watchers Service Learning Project. The Wetland Watchers is a school-based service-learning project that involves students working with experts to test water and soil quality, grow and plant trees, pick up trash, and creating the first public nature trails in the region. Students use the knowledge they gain from these hands-on experiences to host service trips for other students as well as speaking to thousands of people each year through outreach events about wetland values and the challenges they face.

“I wanted to include a teacher, especially a middle school science teacher, because teachers are so important in shaping the lives of kids and thereby determining what sort of society we’re going to have 15 or 20 years down the road,” said Mrs. Rohmer. “I wanted to profile a teacher who followed the best professional guidelines inside the classroom, but was also able to inspire students to become strong and wise leaders outside their classroom—in the community where they lived.”

 This inspiring book presents the true stories of 12 people from across North America who have done great things for the environment. Other heroes include a teenage girl who figured out how to remove an industrial pollutant from the Ohio River, a Mexican superstar wrestler who works to protect turtles and whales, and a teenage boy from Rhode Island who helped his community and his state develop effective e-waste recycling programs. Plenty of photographs and illustrations bring each compelling story vividly to life. 

“It is all very exciting for me personally to see the hard work of my students and the dedication of my partners be highlighted in such a way.” Says Guillot, "Mrs. Rohmer’s book is amazing! Including me in it is a humbling experience, but I hope that with the popularity of the book our story will introduce young people across the United States how important Louisiana wetlands are to the whole nation as well as inspiring them to learn more about environmental issues in their own communities.”

 Mrs. Rohmer's book is available Here: http://www.heroesoftheenvironment.com/