The TECHE Project clearing the way for Chitimacha Race

The volunteers of The TECHE Project’s Bayou Operations will take to the water again this Saturday, May 9, to spruce up in advance of the race to the Chitimacha Indian Reservation on Saturday, May 16.
These folks don’t just pick up trash (which they do by the tons), they celebrate Bayou Teche with song, refreshments and camaraderie. The event, coming for the first time to New Iberia’s City Park, is called the Trash Bash and Boogie.
“The Trash Bash and Boogie is a great opportunity for those of us who love the Teche to come out and show our gratitude for the beauty that this bayou provides” said Dane Thibodeaux, Bayou Operations coordinator.
Volunteers with boats, motorized or not, are welcome, of course, but volunteers without boats are also needed, Thibodeaux said. Boats and life vests will be provided by Bayou Teche Experience, a kayaking livery and outfitter based in Breaux Bridge.
The first 50 volunteers will receive a Trash Bash and Boogie T-shirt. Cleanup volunteers will receive a complimentary jambalaya lunch with water, soft drinks or beer. Bayou Teche Brewery will be on hand to pour some of their award-winning brews after the cleanup.
The over-arching goal, Thibodeaux said, is to get the bayou looking its best not just for the Chitimacha Race but for visitors from far and wide drawn here by the U.S. Department of Interior and the National Park Service designations of the bayou as a National Paddle Trail and – this is a biggie, only 18 in the country – National Water Trail. Of course local folks appreciate it, too.
The Chitimacha Race, one of nearly a dozen races for kayaks, canoes and standup paddle boards put on by Tour du Teche, offers a challenge for serious athletes and recreational paddlers alike. It’s 20 miles from New Iberia’s City Park to the Chitimacha Tribe’s boat launch at 3548 Chitimacha Trail in Charenton (coordinates are 29º 52’ 59” N, 91º 31’ 44” W).
Boat check for the Voyageur Race Division is 8-8:45 a.m. Saturday, May 16, with a start at 9 a.m. Boat check for the Pro Race Division is 10-10:45 a.m. and the start is at 11 a.m.
For those participants without a coureur de bois (bank runner), the tribe is offering a shuttle. Drop your boat off at City Park in New Iberia, drive to the Chitimacha Nation, and they will bring you back to the starting line. The shuttle will depart at 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.
To register online, go to www.tourduteche.com and click on the green stopwatch icon, which brings you to the Webscorer site. On the upper right of the events listed by Webscorer, click on “Any Sport,” which produces a dropbox of different categories. Click “Clear all,” then scroll down, check “Paddling,” and search by date: May 16 for the Chitimacha Race.
Another Webscorer button on www.tourduteche.com will enable you to see the results of the race.
The award ceremony will begin at 3 p.m., or after the last boat has arrived, whichever comes first. Awards will be issued for class A-O.
To contribute to Trash Bash and Boogie or to report litter or invasive species on your area of the Bayou Teche contact Dane Thibodeaux at techeproject@gmail.com.