New Orleans residents and volunteers are reclaiming a natural resource hidden for decades in the 9th Ward

There is a lot of quiet in the Lower 9th Ward, but this was different.

The only sound was that of a gentle breeze and a couple of volunteers picking up trash. Everyone else — the rest of the volunteers and two residents — was silent, looking out over the tranquil water of the Bayou Bienvenue Cypress Triangle.

UW-Madison students are involved in the effort.