A $50,000 donation from Shell Oil Company will help the Department of Biological Sciences with their ongoing coastal restoration efforts.

Allyse Ferrara, associate professor of biological sciences, said the donation will increase their freedom for volunteer events and student research.

“It will allow us to do things that are not tied to a specific grant and help expand our existing projects,” Ferrara said. “It will help us to restore more areas.”

The donation will benefit the Native Plant Initiative that focuses on increasing the variety of seeds that are native to Louisiana. The seeds are grown at the Nicholls Farm and, after they have matured, are transported to various restoration sites along the coast.

Although Nicholls is focused on the coastal unit of the Native Plant Initiative, the donation will help the biology department expand their research with coastal prairies and in the upland areas.

Along with their recent donation, Shell has helped the biology department with volunteer efforts. The large oil company brought teams of 15 to 30 volunteers to the Nicholls Farm to help increase plant production for restoration projects.

Ferrara said that Shell volunteers and Nicholls students began preparing plants for an ongoing restoration projection at Elmer’s Island near Grand Isle in the beginning of February.

On June 1, the biology department is planning a trip with Shell volunteers to plant dune grasses and sea oats to help hold sand together. Without these restoration efforts, the sand would fall victim to erosion on the island.

Ferrara said the initiative is important because it helps researchers learn the differences in plant seeds that have matured in Louisiana and other states. Learning the difference is important since the life span of a plant helps with coastal restoration efforts.

For example, Ferrara said big blue stem grass can be found in Texas and Missouri, but the seeds grown in Louisiana are better linked with Louisiana wildlife and foster a better lifecycle for the animals that rely on them.

She also said plants grown in this area tend to last longer than plants from other areas since they can deal with heat and excessive amounts of water. Ecotypes not from this area tend to die after two years.

Ferrara said she is happy Shell supports coastal restoration projects and the efforts put forth by Nicholls.

“These are people who live in the same area as us,” she said. “We see them for different projects, and they are becoming more like friends.”