NEW IBERIA, La. --- For the past year, with the help of partners and contributors, The TECHE Project has been hard at work collecting extensive research from historians, folklorists, local community residents, the Center for Louisiana Studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area (ANHA), and the state of Louisiana, to compile the story of the Teche corridor for display on 16 information kiosks.
Two of those kiosks are located in Iberia Parish, in Loreauville and Jeanerette, and the one in New Iberia will be installed soon.
Funded by local businesses, residents and, in part by a $46,000 grant from ANHA, these kiosks welcome visitors arriving by land or water to the Bayou Teche National Water and Paddle Trail and Bayou Teche National Byway. Each kiosk tells the community’s individual stories and its relationship to this majestic waterway.
“The Atchafalaya National Heritage Area program seeks to build understanding of the unique cultural, environmental and recreational resources of the Atchafalaya basin and floodway,” said ANHA Executive Director Justin Lemoine. “The Bayou Teche National Water and Paddle Trail tells the story of the water’s influence on these resources, and we are proud to provide grant funds for the 16 interpretive kiosks along the trail.”
Sponsorships for individual kiosks from the Teche-Vermilion Fresh Water District, SLEMCO, Iberia Parish Convention & Visitors Bureau, parish and city governments, and families collectively provided The TECHE Project with nearly $100,000 for the planning, research, artwork, fabrication and installation.
“Iberia Parish welcomes the proposed Bayou Teche Paddle Trail’s forthcoming kiosks,” said Iberia Parish President M. Larry Richard. “In Iberia Parish, we have many jewels, with the Bayou Teche being one of them. Whether for a canoe trip down the bayou or just for the vast beauty of the oaks, Iberia Parish is a wonderful place to visit. We are very grateful for the partnership with The TECHE Project and for highlighting Iberia Parish once again.”
Measuring 4 by 5.5 feet, the kiosks accompany the docks at each site. Kiosks are two-sided, with an orientation panel on one side that depicts a map of Bayou Teche and the Paddle Trail, safety tips and an inset map of each trail town. On the other side, a community panel presents stories about the locality, the waterway, wildlife, native plants, musical traditions and more.
For example, visitors in Loreauville can learn about the New Acadia Project, shipbuilding history and the “King of Zydeco,” while Jeanerette’s kiosk features the Bald Cypress species and cypress lumber industry, a recipe for Crème Pralines and the interurban railway streetcar line. New Iberia’s kiosk will highlight “Bunk” Johnson, the World Championship Gumbo Cookoff and early bayou transportation.
“The Bayou Teche is a major asset to Iberia Travel’s marketing strategy for the parish,” said Fran Thibodeaux, executive director of the Iberia Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The TECHE Project kiosk installation is occurring at a pivotal moment when traveler sentiment for economical outdoor activities is peaking due to the pandemic. It’s been our pleasure to contribute with the very generous sponsors that funded the design and installation of three kiosks in Iberia Parish. We’re so grateful for the partnership and resource we have in The TECHE Project.”
Other kiosks can be viewed in Port Barre, Leonville, Arnaudville, Breaux Bridge, Parks, St. Martinville, Charenton, Baldwin, Franklin, Centerville, Patterson and Berwick. The kiosk for Poché Bridge will be installed soon. An accompanying music playlist can be found at
TecheProject.org, and the next step is to have the kiosk content available online in French, German and Spanish.
About The TECHE Project
The TECHE Project is the nonprofit, membership-based organization begun as a litter and debris removal program in 2010. The TECHE Project now manages the Bayou Teche National Water and Paddle Trail, with the goal of bringing recreational tourism to the bayou.
The TECHE Ecology, Culture and History Education Project started in 2008 in St. Landry Parish. The nonprofit, membership-based organization is made up of individuals passionate about making Bayou Teche a healthier waterway for fishing, kayaking, canoeing, boating, tubing and even swimming. Members advocate for improved water quality in the Bayou Teche watershed and have removed 54 tons of garbage to date. The TECHE Project encourages everyone to ENRICH, EXPLORE and EMBRACE the Bayou Teche.
In 2015, The TECHE Project received the exceptional designation of “National Water Trail” from the U.S. Department of the Interior National Parks Service program. This recognition is one of 33 such designations in the United States and the only one in Louisiana.
Since this prestigious designation, The TECHE Project has installed 11 official Bayou Teche/Lower Atchafalaya River National Paddle Trail floating docks and will soon install the remaining docks to complete the trail.
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