This summer the University of New Orleans Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences is again offering the Minority Awareness Louisiana Earth and Environmental Sciences Field trip.  This program takes students to locations across southern Louisiana, to both coastal and upland sites.  Students will explore the natural environments of Louisiana from an Earth Science perspective.  Part of the program will be spent in coastal locations such as Grand Isle and Fourchon, where the students will gain an understanding of the Mississippi River delta and the environmental issues affecting our coastal wetlands. Here they will participate in activities such as measuring beach profiles and erosion rates; map analysis; water quality analysis; exploring and learning about the diverse wetland habitats, visiting barrier islands by boat and assessing how well various coastal restoration projects work.  The students will also explore the Loess Bluffs and learn about the engineering project that controls the flow of the Mississippi River at the Old River Control Structure near Simmesport.  On another excursion the students will visit the Atchafalaya River Basin and the salt dome at Avery Island.  The students will stay at state parks in air-conditioned dormitories during this portion of the program.