The Duralde Cajun Prairie Restoration Project, Evangeline Parish

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service initiated the Duralde Cajun Prairie Restoration Project in Evangeline Parish in 1994 to restore the coastal tallgrass prairie from historical agricultural and land conversion degradation. They arranged purchased of 334 acres of Cajun Prairie and then conducted series of restoration activities, including clearing invasive tallow trees and transplanting native vegetation. By around 2001, more than 100 species of native Cajun Prairie plants have been re-established, and areas that were subject to transplanting are close to being 100% restored back to Cajun Prairie. Practitioners hoped that these 334 acres will eventually become an important sanctuary for Cajun Prairie plants and animals.