The Christmas Tree Project
(2009)

An area of Louisiana wetlands the size of a football field disappears into the Gulf of Mexico every 35 minutes.

In an attempt to slow the loss, each winter local officials and volunteers load old Christmas trees onto boats at a hurricane-damaged marina in Lafitte, one hour south of New Orleans. The trees are piled between stakes along the edges of a nearby bayou, creating a protective barrier from saltwater intrusion and boats' wakes, as well as allowing silt to gradually build up and create land.