With the continuous erosion that south Louisiana has suffered throughout the years, the Iberia Parish Library brought in a guest to discuss coastal land loss for its Brown Bag Speaker Series on Saturday.

Rose Anne Raphael, a resident of New Iberia and the organizer for the event, said after witnessing the changes throughout the years knew that conversations were needed.

“I grew up around here and I noticed that there was no conversation going on with this very important problem with our are region,” said Raphael. “Which is coastal land loss and flooding.”

Raphael said the land loss series, which lasted from noon, to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday was called a brown bag event, believing it would be ideal for those who attend to bring their own food and learn some important information on coastal erosion.

Raphael added that this was the second of a three-part series on land loss.

“I’m a big believer in having the knowledge and how they affect us, so this is a really important issue for our area and I think the more we know the better,” Raphael said.

Raphael said that she thought it’d be helpful to bring in experts in to talk about the issues so they can become more educated.

One expert who spoke to a room full of participants, JoAnne DeRouen, used the day to spread the erosion concerns that have risen over the years. 

DeRouen, who specializes in environmental sociology, disaster research coastal and community resilience at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, has been studying the effects of coastal damages for 20-plus years.

As DeRouen, a native of New Iberia, spoke to her fellow residents, Sandy Crochet, a concerned citizen, said he was there to understand why the coast of Louisiana is eroding in a lot of the areas.

“I’m interested in costal erosion and trying to find out a little more with what’s going on,” Crochet said. 

Crochet, a retired engineer, said it’s interesting to hear and learn a different perspective from those like DeRouen, adding that he’s noticed over the last years how much places like Cypremort Point Beach have changed.

“I look back to the 1950s when I started going to the Point,” Crochet said. “You can see a tremendous amount of difference back then to what it is now.”

Crochet said when he first started going out to the Point, there was nothing but marsh, but now if he takes a boat he noticed that it’s all going away, which has been going on for years now.

Crochet think it’s important to have the conversation, but added he doesn’t think we can do anything about the constant land loss.

“I don’t think we can do anything to overcome the force of nature, Crochet said.” I think nature is going to determine what nature wants.”