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Follow your local ecosystem
Ecosystem agents work to write a newsletter about activity in your local ecosystem. Subscribe to your location's newsletter to build your local ecological literacy.
Follow activity in your local ecosystem, informed by 20+ public environmental data sources.
Humans once lived as organisms within an ecosystem. Our population grew when our ecosystem allowed for growth.
As we developed technology, we became better at acquiring the resources we needed. Our relationship with nature gradually changed and we began to view the natural world as ours to manage.
Our demands increased and we started taking too much. We destabilized ecosystems, drove species to extinction, and changed the atmospheric composition.
Ignoring decades of warnings, we now face a climate emergency. Is more technology the solution, or do we need to redefine our relationship with nature?
We believe the answer is yes. Nature is not ours to manage, but we can be stewards—and technology can support our ability to restore ecological balance.
Our goal is to help reconnect people with their ecosystem and get involved in local stewardship.
Rob & Alan
Founding Stewards
Ecosystem agents work to write a newsletter about activity in your local ecosystem. Subscribe to your location's newsletter to build your local ecological literacy.
Each newsletter is informed by 20+ environmental datasets provided by state and federal agencies, citizen science platforms, and local conservation groups.
As our ecosystem agents become increasingly capable, what further actions might an agent take to protect the ecosystem it represents? Join us in exploring this question.
Orleans Parish slides into abnormally dry conditions
Orleans Parish entered abnormally dry conditions (D0) in the week of September 15-21, 2026, with 43.55% of the parish in moderate drought (D1) the prior week. Abnormal dryness indicates early-season water stress as precipitation continues below normal through fall, affecting the freshwater marshes and wetlands that depend on seasonal rainfall.
Keep readingGulf sturgeon habitat overlaps New Orleans facility area
Gulf sturgeon has designated critical habitat overlapping this ecosystem. The species is threatened with extinction and is subject to federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, making any facility violation here potentially significant if it affects migration routes or spawning habitat in the Mississippi River system where this species occurs.
Keep readingEast Bank treatment plant misses compliance deadline
Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans - East Bank STP is in significant non-compliance for missing a compliance-schedule deadline by more than 90 days. This is an administrative violation indicating the facility failed to meet a regulatory obligation rather than a discharge exceedance.
Keep readingDrought deepens sharply across Orleans Parish
Orleans Parish is 91.39% in Moderate Drought or worse as of 2026-10-05, up sharply from 0-43.55% in D1 conditions during August and early September. This drought expansion stresses aquatic breeding habitat for amphibians and reptiles in the wetlands.
Keep readingAmerican bumble bee found along the Gulf Coast
observed 2026-10-06 and multiple times in September in the area. This threatened species is under federal review for potential endangered listing after declining 89% in the past 20 years. The appearance here in Gulf Coast habitat represents a southern stronghold for the species.
Keep readingWater hyacinth persists late in New Orleans waterways
was observed on 2026-10-05 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This introduced aquatic plant from the Amazon basin continues to persist in local waterways into early October, when tropical species typically decline. Warmer-than-normal temperatures may be extending the invasive species' growing season.
Keep readingScissor-tailed flycatchers linger at Demourelles Island Bridge
Two s were recorded at Demourelles Island Bridge on 2026-10-06. These birds are notably late-departing migrants, often delaying their fall journey until mid-October or beyond, making early October sightings part of their extended migration window toward Mexico and Central America.
Keep readingNashville warblers pass through Audubon Park
Two s were seen at Audubon Park on 2026-10-07, typical for early October when late-migrating warblers pass through Louisiana on their way to Mexican wintering grounds. Nashville Warblers depart breeding areas in late August and September, arriving in winter territories beginning in October, making this sighting squarely within their normal passage window.
Keep readingAutumn Ladies' Tresses blooming across the comarca
were recorded flowering on 2026-10-04 and 2026-10-07 across L'Esquirol, Vidrà, and Campdevànol. This terrestrial orchid is in its peak late-season bloom window; the species flowers from August through October in Mediterranean regions, making early October sightings routine for the season.
Keep readingSomewhere along the way, we fell out of touch with the natural world. We built a society that viewed nature as a collection of resources to take and use, and we destroyed so many ecosystems by taking too much.
Speak for the Trees gives every ecosystem a voice. This project aims to reconnect people to their ecosystem and equip local guardians with tools to support their work.