Learning Tour For Funders

In response to the BP Oil Drilling Disaster, The Gulf Coast Fund collaborated with the Jennifer Altman Foundation to organize a learning tour for funders from May 18-20, 2010. The purpose of the tour was to help initiate a fast, coordinated, and deeply informed response from the philanthropic community.

After the devastation of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we at the Gulf Coast Fund experienced first-hand the value of bringing grantmakers to the frontlines. The trip offered a unique opportunity to:

• Visit sites across the Gulf Coast impacted by the disaster to understand the disaster first-hand;
• Meet with oystermen, shrimpers, and local fisherpeople and explore impacts to local economies and food systems;
• Hear from environmental networks working in the Gulf and coordinating with national and international partners;
• Meet with community leaders on the front lines of the disaster;
• Hear from scientists about immediate and long term health and ecological impacts and options to address them.

The tour included representatives from GCF staff and advisors, the Jennifer Altman Foundation, the 11th Hour Project, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Rachel's Network, the Waterkeeper Alliance, The Baton Rouge Area Foundation, and many other individuals and organizations.

Aaron Viles (Campaign Director for the Gulf Restoration Network, and Advisor to the Gulf Coast Fund) spoke about his work in the disaster response at opening breakfast of the Learning Tour at the Loews Hotel in New Orleans, LA.

The tour group also got a chance to hear from Marylee Orr (Louisiana Environmental Action Network), about the role of community leaders in disaster response.

We then traveled to Coden, AL...

In a meeting hosted by the Community Foundation of South Alabama, Barbara Reid spoke to the tour about her frustrations over the preventable nature of the BP Oil Drilling Disaster, as well as her work protecting historic coastal towns with the Portersville Revival Group

Although not many people are aware, Vietnamese immigrants represent a huge proportion of fishermen in the Gulf Coast. In the picture above, Danny Patterson stands with two fishermen and their translator, while the tour group listens to their fears regarding the BP Oil Drilling Disaster. As many people in the Vietnamese fishing community do not speak English, the need for translation services are an essential need for this community.

The tour also got a chance to hear from John Wathen (Hurricane Creekkeeper - Tuscaloosa, AL), and he passionately expressed his frustrations with the lack of answers, the abundance of uncertainy, and the need to hold BP accountable for their disaster.

Off to Biloxi, MS...

Our community meeting was held in the historic Church of Crist the Redeemer. This bent flag pole and the iron framework is all that's left of the original church in the aftermath of the disaster of Hurricane Camille in 1969 - an eerie reminder of the enduring damage of disasters.

Throughout the tour, Derrick Evans (Director for the Turkey Creek Community Initiatives, Advisor to the Gulf Coast Fund, and resident Gulf Coast historian) spoke to participants of the Learning Tour -- representatives from Papercut Films, Rachel's Network, The Jennifer Altman Foundation, and the 11th Hour Project.

DAY 2: The next day, we visited Grand Bayou, LA...

Marni Rosen (Executive Director of the Jennifer Altman Foundation) in Grand Bayou, LA next to a docked fishing boat - "The Screaming Woman."

Rosina Philipe of the Atakapa Nation (along with GCF Advisor Derrick Evans) spoke to the tour in Grand Bayou, LA. She described her tribe's situation as "cultural genocide." Her small tribe is in danger of losing everything - their livelihood, their homes, their entire way of life - because of the BP Oil Drilling Disaster.

During our boat tour, we passed the house and boat that belonged to a fishing family living in Port Sulfur, LA. Their lives and livelihoods are directly threatened by BP Oil Drilling Disaster.

More time on the water in Barataria Bay...

The tour heard from community leaders discussing the imminent impact of the BP Oil Drilling Disaster, and the evidence of the disaster thus far (He's holding a tar ball in his left hand).

The size of the tar balls found in the Barataria area are about the size of your palm.

After hearing from many community leaders in Barataria at Tracy Kuhns' (Louisiana Bayoukeeper) house, we all enjoyed a boatload (literally) of boiled shrimp. Soon, shrimp boils like these will become a thing of the past.

Out on the water, we passed hundreds of docked fishing boats in Barataria Bay. Although this time of year is the beginning of fishing season for shrimpers and oystermen, fishermen are unable to go out on the water because of the extensive closing of fisheries. If fishermen are caught fishing, it could mean the confiscation of their fishing nets, high fines, or even the removal of their fishing license.

DAY 3: On the final day, a visit to the Lower 9th Ward....

[images/video for our visit to the Lower 9th coming soon...]

Solidarity Fundraiser at the historic House of Blues...

To support the Gulf Coast communities respond to the disaster, we held a fundraiser the Gulf Coast Fund Solidarity Fundraiser for Gulf Coast Communities at the House of Blues in New Orleans, LA. The event attracted almost 100 guests, raised money for Gulf Coast communities, and was a chance to honor the people who made the last 5 years of recovery possible.

The night ended with a candle light vigil for the Gulf Coast...

A candle light vigil for the Gulf Coast, acknowledging the one-month mark of the beginning of the BP Oil Drilling Disaster (April 20, 2010 - May 20, 2010) and prepare for the incoming waves of oil that would soon ravage the coast line. This is only the beginning of a difficult struggle that will last for years to come...

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Learning Tour!

This would not have been possible without the staff from the Jennifer Altman Foundation, the dozens of organizations who hosted us, and the participants from across the country who are interested in BP Oil Drilling Disaster response effort. After learning about the issues facing the coastal communities and hearing their stories, you are now responsible for raising awareness and addressing the needs of these communities. Do not take this responsibility lightly - do your part to protect the Coast!