The Pearl River begins upstate in Mississippi and empties directly into the Gulf of Mexico. The bayous (definition = small river) and swamps (definition = flooded forest) that surround it are full of an incredible amount of biodiversity including alligators, crawfish, blue heron, snakes, oysters, and catfish. It includes trees such as cypress and gum, and flowers such as blue irises and spider lilies. All this vegetation offers so much oxygen and thus fresh, clean air to breathe.
This picture depicts a 500-year old Lousiana cypress tree. These trees are in the same family as the sequoias and redwoods with trunks that can get as wide as a pick-up truck. This one is not that big and indeed any that are this old are very rare because so many of the cypress have actually been logged over the years as the wood is very strong and known to last virtually forever. This particular tree was spared because it is hollow inside and thus not particularly useful to humans. Many trees in the swamp are hollow providing safe homes for many critters.
Isolated and peaceful, the bayous were a haven for 18th century pirates seeking a hideout after ship-raiding escapades in the Gulf and generations of families who were able to subsist on the food that is so plentiful. Today, ramshackle camps are interspersed with fancy homes along the river. It's all about the water here - though it provides sustenance, the rains and hurricanes inevitably inundate homes that sit right on the water or on very slight ridges. In South Lousiana, water giveth and water taketh away. As our boat driver said more than once, as he explained the cycles of nature in the swamp to us, "it's just that simple, folks."
