Moss Point Students Take Action: Planting Trees to Combat Flooding and Boost Environmental Health

MOSS POINT, Miss. – An empty patch of mulch is about to transform into a vibrant garden at Kreole Primary Elementary School.

Principal Jaworski Rankin highlights the need for this garden. The school often floods during heavy rain, forcing them to evacuate students and staff. This new garden aims to help with that flooding, allowing everyone to focus on learning.

The project is designed to manage water runoff. It will collect excess rainwater and channel it into the municipal system. Arien Hall, a co-owner of Mastodonte, LLC, explains that this natural method will significantly cut down on flooding while benefiting the local environment.

“We’ve already seen positive results during recent rainfalls,” Hall noted. “The system holds a lot of water, and the new bio-retention soil absorbs even more. The plants will also utilize a lot of that water.”

This initiative is backed by an EPA grant and is a collaboration between the Department of Marine Resources and Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.

What’s more, the students from Moss Point School District played an essential role in making this happen. Rankin mentions the teamwork between elementary and high school students, emphasizing how this project will shape their future.

The garden is set to be completed by Sunday, offering both beauty and a practical solution to flooding.