The TECHE Project and the Teche-Vermilion Fresh Water District will reveal the information kiosk for the beginning of the Bayou Teche National Paddle Trail at a public 2 p.m. ceremony on Tuesday at 227 Bayou Drive, Port Barre.
The information kiosks will be placed at each of the 15 trailheads along Bayou Teche and the Lower Atchafalaya River from Port Barre to Patterson. These kiosks will orient water and land trail users to the bayou and present the special stories of the 15 trail communities.
The TECHE Project is celebrating its 10 years of being the all-volunteer, non-profit organization representing the many assets of the Bayou Teche. In 2015, The TECHE Project received the exceptional designation of ‘National Water Trail’ from the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. This recognition is one of 21 such designations in the United States and the only one in Louisiana.
The Teche-Vermilion Fresh Water District provides essential pumping and fresh water flow management from the Atchafalaya River to the Bayou Teche and the Vermilion River. And the Fresh Water District is prime sponsor of the Port Barre Information Kiosk. The Town of Port Barre along with all water users will maintain the floating dock and the kiosk.
Installing the floating docks with federal and state funding and the information kiosks with local sponsorships in the 15 bayou towns is a major part of the TECHE Project’s ‘TECHE Renaissance’ initiative comprised of programs to increase the recreational use of the bayou and to enrich the boater’s enjoyment.
“Because it is one of the first information kiosks to be installed on the 135-mile paddle trail,” says Conni Castille, Executive Director of The TECHE Project, “it serves as a model for other water trail towns of what is coming to their community very soon.”
The information kiosk measures 4 feet wide by 5 ½ feet tall and holds two panels: an orientation panel and a community panel. The orientation panel depicts a bayou-long map, safety tips, and an inset map of each bayou town. The community panel presents stories about the locality, the bayou, wildlife and native plants, and helpful advice for exploring Bayou Teche and Lower Atchafalaya corridor.
“For many towns along the Teche and Lower Atchafalaya, these information kiosks serve as a primary ‘storytellers’.” says David Dahlquist, kiosk designer and TECHE Project Council member. “Our primary design objective is to provide information which is easily accessible, useful, and encourages to learn and do more in each town and all along the bayou.”
The TECHE Project plans to adapt the content of the information kiosks to a digital version in multi-languages, especially French to honor our Creole and Cajun heritage. Where appropriate, the Chitimacha language will also be included.
