Supporters of “For The Bayou”

Reader Lex Tyndall sent in these fun photos from a fantastic event held recently for the launch of “For the Bayou” at the Great American Music Hall with famous blues musician Tab Benoit.

Tab Benoit on stage. Tab was named Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year and B.B. King Entertainer of the Year in 2007, and in 2006, he received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album.

“Elizabeth Welborn, the founder, has made it her mission to alert us to the catastrophe going on with our beloved natural resource, the wetlands,” Lex tells us. “Her husband, Hearst Welborn, plays polo and they belong to the Cerra Pampa Club in Petaluma. All their friends were there in support of her and this important cause. She is off to a running start with this event!”

Hearst Welborn, Jamie Dupont; Stephanie and Jon Plexico

Shaila Freyer, Marissa Goodman, Monica Coakley, Lex Tyndall

The Great American Music Hall was packed to the doors with the audience dancing to Tab’s Cajun-roots-style, rock ‘n blues, while learning of Louisiana’s serious coastal wetlands crisis. In between sets, Tab answered questions from the crowd about one of the nation’s biggest environmental crises, of which most people are sadly not aware.

Louisiana has one of the nation’s largest coastal wetlands systems and, to date, has lost over 2000 square miles of wetlands. This loss is equivalent to the size of 42.5 cities of San Francisco. Currently, Louisiana has the most rapidly eroding estuaries on earth. These wetlands act as host to thousands of species of animals: aquatic species, migratory fowl and mammals.

Additionally, coastal cities, such as New Orleans, live on the fringe of these wetlands and rely on them for protection against storm surges and hurricanes. If the coastal wetlands and barrier islands continue to disappear at the current rate, not only will be lose precious habitat, but within just a few decades, the whole area of south Louisiana will be severely threatened.

Ryan Simon, Jon Plexico, Elizabeth Welborn and Amy Coleman

Joe Conte and Michael Downing. Joe, a local San Francisco musician, jumped up on stage and jammed with Tab on his harmonica. He and many other San Francisco based musicians are looking to help For the Bayou’s cause, while simultaneously bringing more Louisiana roots style music to the Bay Area.

Lady Fuller and Kate Baker

Lady Fuller, Kate Baker, Monica Coakley, and Marissa Goodman

For the Bayou, www.forthebayou.org, is a grass roots, San Francisco based organization working to increase public awareness, and like all such organizations, could use your help. Please visit their site to learn more!