From Jazz to Jambalaya 11 Fun Things to Do in New Orleans

From Jazz to Jambalaya Fun Things to Do in New Orleans SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Lively jazz, extravagant costumes, 19th-century steamboats, spicy Creole food, and cold cocktails are a few key ingredients that go into the unique mix of New Orleans, Louisiana. This eclectic southern city goes by many names- NOLA, Crescent City, the Big Easy- and its culture has many faces, including French, Creole, Caribbean, African-American, Irish, German, and Vietnamese. No wonder the specialty food of this melting pot is gumbo stew, and the music it invented is an improvisational jumble of mixed musical heritage. Read on for the top things to do in New Orleans, the vibrant, multicultural city on the banks of the Mississippi. Top Things to Do in New Orleans: Table of Contents There’s a lot to see and do in New Orleans, so this list of New Orleans attractions gets pretty long. Use this table of contents to go directly to a point of interest, or simply scroll down to read my full list of the best things to do in New Orleans! Stroll through Historic Neighborhoods Listen to Live Jazz Celebrate Mardis Gras and other Festivals Enjoy Creole Food Sip on Crescent City Cocktails Explore the Museum District Dance the Night Away Let a Guide Teach You About Voodoo, Creole Food, or Plantations Ride a Steamboat Down the Mississippi See Elephants, Komodo Dragons, and Tigers at the Audubon Zoo Glide Past Alligators in the Louisiana Swamps Let’s start this New Orleans travel guide with an exploration of the city’s historic neighborhoods. Get ready to step back in time to NOLA’s beginnings as a colony of France. #1: Stroll Through Historic Neighborhoods New Orleans is one of the oldest cities in the United States, making it also one of the prettiest and most atmospheric. It was first settled by the French in 1718, later came under Spanish rule, and was finally bought by the U.S. as part of Thomas Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase in 1803. You can still see French and Spanish influences in the architecture today. New Orleans’ French Quarter, in particular, retains its historic charm and dates back to the city’s colonial beginnings. We’ll start in the French Quarter, and then look at some of the other districts that you should visit on your trip to New Orleans. French Quarter The French Quarter is the oldest and most visited section of New Orleans. Its colorful buildings boast French and Spanish-style balconies, pretty long windows, and tumbling flowers. The French Quarter is about six blocks wide and 13 blocks long. It’s filled with shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, music venues, clubs, and antique stores, so there’s plenty to do, see, buy, and eat. As the French Quarter is a heavily visited area, it has a lot of places to visit. Below are some of the French Quarter’s most important streets and historic sights. Where to Go in the French Quarter The French Quarter is a great place to start your visit in New Orleans and get a sense of its colonial beginnings. You can walk the oak-shaded streets, admire the colorful architecture, look at historical statues and churches, shop, eat at exciting new restaurants, and see live jazz at night. Here are some of the top places to walk during the day and go out at night. Bourbon Street: If you couldn’t tell from the name, Bourbon Street is bar central. It’s relatively quiet during the day, but turns into a raucous party at night. Bourbon Street is one of the more touristy areas, but there are a few nice restaurants and authentic music venues mixed in. This street can get pretty sleazy at night, but it can also be a lot of fun, depending on what kind of experience you’re looking for. Royal Street: This street is more upscale than Bourbon Street, with specialty shops, art galleries, and restaurants. It’s a pretty place to walk and window shop, even if you’re not planning to buy anything. Jackson Square: This old town square gets filled with performers, live music, food vendors, portrait artists, and tarot card readers. You can see St. Louis Cathedral here, the oldest Roman Catholic church in the U.S. Lower Decatur Street: This street has a lot of restaurants, bars, and music. It’s a more authentic spot for live music than Bourbon Street. Chartres Street: Here you can find the best preserved colonial architecture in the French Quarter, along with a bunch of shops, cafes, and restaurants. Old French Market: This 250-year-old market sells foods, crafts, and souvenirs. St. Louis Cemetery: Come here to see a spooky Southern Gothic cemetery with marble tombs and moss-covered statues. Visit the burial site of legendary "voodoo queen" Marie Laveau, and you might see pilgrims making offerings at her grave. St. Louis Cemetery is a popular stop on New Orleans ghost tours. Uptown The Uptown area of New Orleans is largely residential, but visitors enjoy it for its beautiful 19th century architecture. It’s also a good spot to walk around for a break from the tourist crowds that can fill the French Quarter. The most visited street is Magazine Street, six miles of antique stores, clothing stores, specialty shops, art galleries, restaurants, and cafes. You can also come here for the expansive Audubon Park and Audubon Zoo and see the campuses of Tulane University and Loyola University. A unique way to get around Uptown is to take the St. Charles Avenue streetcar, one of the oldest trollies in New Orleans that runs through this neighborhood. Downriver If you head down the Mississippi from the French Quarter, you’ll get to this bohemian, relaxed area of New Orleans. Its main attraction is Frenchmen Street, which is probably the best place to come for nightlife and live music. On any given night, you’ll find live jazz, rockabilly, Latin American, and other types of music. The Downriver district also contains the 7th, 8th, and 9th wards of New Orleans, the areas most affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Many of these areas are still working on rebuilding after the devastation. Central City Come to the Central City district on your New Orleans vacation if you want to see a game at the Superdome or visit art museums. This area contains the business district of New Orleans, with its skyscrapers and high-rises. On one edge sprawls the Superdome, one of the world’s largest sports venues. The Superdome hosted the 2013 Superbowl. It also provided shelter for people who hadn’t evacuated the city during Katrina. The other main attraction of Central City is its revitalized Warehouse District. It contains the experimental Contemporary Arts Center, as well as the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, the National WWII Museum, and the Louisiana Children’s Museum. Come here to see interactive modern art exhibits, learn about NOLA’s role in WWII technology, or let kids play and learn at the children’s museum. Mid-City and Treme Mid-City area and Treme neighborhood are best known for three New Orleans attractions: historical architecture, City Park, and the annual Jazz Fest. Jazz Fest, a celebration of music that attracts thousands of visitors each year, is held at the New Orleans Fairgrounds. Other attractions in this area are the Botanical Garden and the New Orleans Museum of Art, a traditional art museum with a respectable collection of 18th and 19th century European and American paintings and sculptures. Fans of the HBO show Treme may be excited to visit the historic Creole neighborhood in real life. You’ll find Louis Armstrong Park (fun fact: Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans in 1901), as well as great restaurants and venues with live jazz. How to Get Around New Orleans MisterDavidC/Flickr There are several options for navigating your way from place to place as you experience all the fun things to do in New Orleans. You can drive, although you’ll find that parking can be tough along the narrow streets of the historic quarter. Plus, a lot of the streets here are one-way or pedestrian-only. There are some parking lots, but the prices can get outrageous during festivals like Mardis Gras. New Orleans also has lots of taxis, as well as Uber and Lyft. If you're making your New Orleans visit during Mardis Gras or Jazz Fest, then you might have to deal with long waits and those annoying Uber surge prices. You could also give the New Orleans bus system a try. The buses run regularly, usually every ten minutes at central stops. It’s $1.25 for a single ride, or you could buy a one day, three day, or 31 day â€Å"Jazzy Pass† for unlimited rides. A fun way to get around to see New Orleans attractions is to hop on the historic, above-ground trolleys. These picturesque trolleys date back to 1835 and are as much of a tourist attraction as they are a convenient way to get around. The trolleys cost $1.25 to ride and 25 cents to transfer. Finally, you can take river cruise boats and ferries to make your way down or across the Mississippi River. You might take a ferry to visit the Algiers neighborhood, or join a river boat tour for an afternoon of live jazz. Speaking of jazz, let’s take a look at some of the top spots for live jazz as you plan out what to do in New Orleans, the birthplace of this uniquely American music form. #2: Listen to Live Jazz New Orleans was the birthplace of jazz in the early 20th century. New Orleans-born musician Wynton Marsalis describes the elements that came together to form this uniquely American music form: "New Orleans had a great tradition of celebration. Opera, military marching bands, folk music, the blues, different types of church music, ragtime, echoes of traditional African drumming, and all of the dance styles that went with this music could be heard and seen throughout the city. When all of these kinds of music blended into one, jazz was born." Fans of jazz can find some of the world’s best live music on a nightly basis in New Orleans. You might also come across a â€Å"jazz funeral,† a procession held following a funeral during which the music gradually shifts from somber to more upbeat. Below are some of the best venues for live jazz on a regular basis, but you might also just walk down Frenchmen Street after dark and listen for music that you like! Where to Find the Best Live Music in New Orleans Here are some of the top spots for live music within New Orleans’ vibrant nightlife scene. The Spotted Cat: This is a popular spot on Frenchmen Street. Besides traditional jazz, they also host bands that play gypsy swing, blues, and Latin music. Whatever the genre, the music is usually upbeat and great for dancing. Another nice perk: The Spotted Cat doesn’t charge a cover. Address: 623 Frenchmen St. Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro: Close to the Spotted Cat is this small, intimate jazz club attached to a larger restaurant. You have to pay a cover charge of $10 or more to get into the jazz club, depending on the performer. Alternatively, you could eat at the restaurant and watch the performance live on TV screens. Address: 626 Frenchmen St. Preservation Hall: This well-known music hall hosts a lot of local talent. Because the music is so good, the lines can get long and there’s often only standing room. Address: 726 St. Peter St. Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: This place belongs to Irvin Mayfield, a Grammy-winning trumpeter. It's an upscale but comfortable playhouse that features local jazz musicians every night of the week. Address: 300 Bourbon St. Fritzel’s: This spot is a German beer hall on Bourbon St with nightly music. It often has a big international crowd. Address: 133 Bourbon St. Candlelight Lounge: Come here to see Treme Brass Band perform every Wednesday or The Treme Tet Funk Band on Sundays. Address: 925 N Robertson St. The Davenport Lounge: This elegant, upscale lounge hosts four performances a week by the well-known jazz trumpeter and singer, Jeremy Davenport. Dress up a bit. Address: 921 Canal St. It almost feels sacrilegious to narrow down the list of excellent music venues in New Orleans, because there might actually be no limit to them. So as not to anger the jazz gods, here are a few more great options: Palm Court Jazz Cafe, The Maison, Sweet Lorraine’s, Bacchanal, Monteleone Hotel Carousel Bar, Vaughan’s Lounge, Maple Leaf, Blue Nile, and Polo Club Lounge. #3: Celebrate Mardi Gras and Other Festivals Where can you find the ultimate expression of New Orleans' lively music, bright colors, and general celebration of excess? That would be in its yearly celebration of Mardis Gras in late February and early March! Beyond this famous party, New Orleans also hosts several other annual festivals celebrating music, fun, and life in general. Since some of these festivals attracts hundreds of thousands of people, you’ll need to make reservations well in advance if you plan to attend. Here are some of the top festivals and things to see in New Orleans! Madris Gras: Fat Tuesday! No one celebrates the weeks leading up to Ash Wednesday like New Orleans. The streets fill with celebrations and parades for weeks. People don elaborate costumes and ride on top of extravagant floats, throwing out treats and bead necklaces to the crowds. You can actually see some of the sculptures, floats, props, and costumes year-round in an exhibit at Mardis Gras World. Many of the parades follow the same route every year. Some of the most popular ones are Endymion, Bacchus, Zulu, and Rex. Jazz Fest: This huge music heritage festival attracts hundreds of thousands of people to New Orleans on the last weekend of April and first weekend of May every year. Held at the New Orleans Fairgrounds, Jazz Fest hosts jazz, Cajun, blues, RB, gospel, folk, Latin, rock, rap, country, and bluegrass music. You’ll also find lots of delicious Creole food and crafts for sale at this top attraction in New Orleans. San Fermin en Nueva Orleans: Running of the Bulls in New Orleans? Why not! This July festival was started by a group of friends to mimic the Pamplona tradition. One small difference- the â€Å"bulls† are women on roller skates with plastic baseball bats. Southern Decadence: This LGBTQ pride festival is held every year on Labor Day weekend. It involves big parades and dance parties that follow a new theme every year. The 2016 theme is Decadence Takes the World, and the official colors are ruby, pearl, sapphire, and amethyst. Halloween and the Voodoo Experience: New Orleans residents take Halloween seriously, wearing elaborate costumes and marching in parades on the days leading up to Halloween. The Voodoo Experience festival takes place in late October too, and it brings in lots of pop, alternative, and contemporary musicians. #4: Enjoy Creole Food Nowhere is New Orleans’ multicultural heritage clearer than in its native Creole cuisine. Creole food combines elements from French, Spanish, West African, Native American, and European cooking. A lot of it incorporates the so-called Creole trinity: celery, bell peppers, and onions. You can also find some good Cajun food in New Orleans, but it’s not actually from here. Cajun food developed in other areas in Louisiana. Foods You Should Try Gumbo: gumbo is a thick, flavorful stew. It usually contains meat or shellfish, has the â€Å"trinity† of celery, bell peppers, and onions, and is sometimes served over rice. Jambalaya: This tasty rice dish has meat or seafood, spices, the trinity, tomatoes, and chili. It can be made with chicken, pork, crayfish, seafood, and/or Andouille sausage. Crawfish: aka, crayfish. They’re usually boiled in spicy water and served with corn and potatoes. Oysters: usually served raw or battered and fried. Dirty rice: rice fried with chicken liver, celery, pepper, and onion and spiced with cayenne and black pepper. Po’ Boys: sandwiches on French bread. The exact fillings differ by restaurant, but are most commonly roast beef with a gravy, oysters, and fried shrimp. If you ask for the sandwich to be â€Å"dressed,† then it will have lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayo. Beignets: delicious square donuts with powdered sugar. Bananas foster: warm bananas with cinnamon, sugar, and butter, usually served over vanilla ice cream. Snowballs: shaved ice flavored with condensed milk or syrup. Some places just have one or two syrups, while others give you over 20 options, including various kinds of fruit, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, ginger, and more. Restaurant and Cafe Recommendations Here are a few suggestions for where to find great Creole food and desserts. I also included one of the more gourmet snowball stands, though if you’re visiting New Orleans in the summer, the best snowballs are usually located at whichever stand is the closest! Dryade’s Public Market: This big market has lots of affordable options for brunch, lunch, or dinner. The space includes sandwich, oyster, pasta, and salad bars and other prepared foods. Address: 1307 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. Cavan: This modern restaurant has rave reviews for its seafood and raw bar. Make a reservation or sit at the bar or upstairs cocktail lounge. Address: 3607 Magazine St. Killer Po’ Boys: This sandwich shop in the French Quarter serves up a variety of po’ boys, including vegetarian ones. Address: 219 Dauphine St. Copper Monkey: I can’t speak to most of the food on the menu, but I had jambalaya so good here I went back the second day to get it again. They also apparently have homemade beignets stuffed with bananas, cinnamon, and sugar. I’m hoping that this dessert is a new addition to the menu; otherwise, I’m kicking myself for missing out on it while I was there! Address: 725 Conti St. Bennachin: This restaurant serves up New Orleans-influenced West African cuisine, including lots of vegetarian dishes. Address: 1212 Royal St. Brigtsen’s: You can find modern Creole food in this quaint Victorian cottage. Entrees range between $20 and $30. Address: 723 Dante St. Cafe du Monde: This is the most famous spot in New Orleans for beignets. It opened by the Mississippi River in 1862. Today, the lines can get very long. I actually felt let down by Cafe du Monde. It was a big, super touristy cafe, and I prefer cafes to have a smaller, more intimate atmosphere. The beignets and cafe au lait are really good, though. Address: 800 Decatur St. Cafe Beignet: I prefer Cafe Beignet for tasty Southern donuts. It’s a cozy indoor cafe with amazing beignets and coffee. Address: 334 Royal St. Hansen’s Sno-Bliz: This place has been serving the shaved ice treats since 1939! It has lots of homemade syrups in a variety of flavors, including various fruits, cream of chocolate, cream of coconut, anise, cardamom, ginger-cayenne, and honey lavender. Address: 4801 Tchoupitoulas St. #5: Sip on Crescent City Cocktails New Orleans only has one law about public drinking: keep your cocktail in a plastic cup. You can easily find these plastic cups at most bars, where bartenders let you take your drink to go if you’re not finished with it before you’re ready to move on to the next stop. Coming from regulation-happy Boston, New Orleans’ attitude toward closing times (basically a quarter to never) and public drinking felt totally foreign and free-spirited. I remember especially being struck by the upscale art galleries that had â€Å"drink tables† by the entrance for you to place your cocktail while you browsed. While you can find any kind of cocktail in New Orleans, which ones are native to the city? Cocktails and Other Drinks From New Orleans New Orleans is known for bourbon, sazeracs, Ramos gin fizzes, grasshoppers, and Abita beer. Sazerac is a cocktail containing rye whiskey, bitters, a sugar cube, and sometimes absinthe. The Ramos gin fizz is a bit more complicated, with a mix of gin, simple syrup, lemon juice, lime juice, egg white, heavy cream, orange blossom water, and club soda, all shaken together vigorously. New Orleans is also home to the grasshopper, a mint-flavored after dinner drink containing creme de menthe, creme de cacao, and cream. It’s usually shaken with ice, strained, and served chilled. Another popular drink, mostly among partying tourists, is the hurricane, a fruit punch and rum concoction. You can also try the local beer, Abita, or the brews of NOLA Brewery (NOLA stands for New Orleans Lager and Ale). As a city that loves to celebrate, New Orleans holds an annual festival around its drinks. Every July is the Tales of the Cocktails celebration for people to sample cocktails and bartenders and mixologists to attend seminars. So where can you find some of the best sazeracs and Ramos gin fizzes in the country? Below are some recommendations for the best bars in New Orleans. Best Bars in New Orleans Narrowing down a list of bars in New Orleans is as hard as narrowing down its music venues. I made the attempt, though, with this list of places ranging from dive bars to fancy hotel bars. You might also find a favorite walking along Frenchmen, Lower Decatur, or Bourbon Street after dark. Read on for the best places to imbibe on your New Orleans visit. Tujague’s: Birthplace of the grasshopper. This atmospheric bar has great cocktails, and the structure of the bar itself dates back to 1856. Address: 823 Decatur St. Jean Lafitte’s Old Absinthe House: This 200-year-old bar is famous for its absinthe drinks, plus it serves lots of other traditional New Orleans cocktails. Because of its history and location in the French Quarter, it’s a popular spot with tourists. Address: 240 Bourbon St. Arnaud’s French 75 Bar: This upscale bar serves up classy cocktails inside its warm wooden interior. Address: 813 Bienville St. Pat O’Brien’s: This rum bar invented the hurricane. You’ll find big, inexpensive drinks, a touristy crowd, and dueling pianos. Address: 718 St Peter St. Carousel Bar and Lounge: Sit around a charming old merry-go-round in this upscale bar and enjoy one of the best Ramos gin fizzes in New Orleans. The seats, you might be relieved or disappointed to hear, aren’t moving. Address: Hotel Monteleone, 214 Royal St. Sazerac Bar: As the name suggests, this fancy bar serves great sazeracs, as well as other cocktails in the Roosevelt Hotel. Address: The Roosevelt New Orleans, 130 Roosevelt Way. Napoleon House Bar and Cafe: This atmospheric, 200-year-old bar was once home to a New Orleans mayor who offered it as refuge to Napoleon. For one reason or another, Napoleon never managed to get himself to Louisiana. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself shouting, â€Å"Vive l'empereur!† over high-quality cocktails and food. Address: 500 Chartres St. Twelve Mile Limit: This large indoor and outdoor place has inexpensive drinks and a young crowd. You can get cheap beer or carefully crafted cocktails. Address: 500 S Telemachus St. Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop: This bar dates back to the early 1700s, when it was used as a base for smuggling operations. In addition to the well-priced drinks, you might spot the apparitions of long-dead pirates floating in the eaves. Address: 941 Bourbon St. #6: Explore the Museum District Silver Wiesel1/Flickr While it’s easy to lose yourself in the non-stop parties and concerts of New Orleans, you should also check out its thriving traditional and contemporary art scene. Below are some of the best art and history museums in the city. New Orleans Museum of Art: This huge museum has 46 galleries housing 16th to 20th century European paintings and sculptures and 18th to 19th century American paintings and sculptures. It also has collections of Asian, African, and Native American art, photography, and decorative arts and treasures. Contemporary Arts Center: New Orleans’ modern art museum was established in a 30,000-foot warehouse. In addition to the exhibits of bold contemporary art, the center hosts performing arts, events, and educational programs. Ogden Museum of Southern Art: This museum has the largest collection of American Southern art in the world. It also holds a music series on Thursdays in the atrium. National WWII Museum: This history museum, affiliated with the Smithsonian, focuses on the US role in the war. It also features the New Orleans-based Higgins Industries, which developed Higgins boats, amphibious crafts that played an important role during the war. Louisiana Children's Museum: This museum’s great for kids with its playful, educational, and interactive exhibits on art, music, science, math, health, and New Orleans. One exhibit has a model for kids to â€Å"pilot a towboat down the Mississippi.† 1850 House: This house is furnished in its original 1850 style. You can see domestic goods and decorate arts of the 1850s, which was a prosperous time in New Orleans. #7: Dance the Night Away Now that we've taken a look at museums in New Orleans, let’s get back to the party! Along with all the festivals and live music, NOLA also has a big nightlife and dancing scene. You’ll find everything from big nightclubs to casual dancing on outdoor patios. Here are a few suggestions for where to dance the night away in New Orleans. Beach on Bourbon: You can find this big club on Bourbon St. It has an outdoor and indoor area, nightly DJs, a big dance floor, and last but certainly not least, a mechanical whale. Address: 227 Bourbon St. Cafe Negril: Come to this Frenchmen Street club for funky live music and a busy dance floor. Address: 606 Frenchmen St. Mojitos: This bar has live music and salsa dancing every Sunday night on its outdoor patio. Address: 37 Esplanade Ave. One Eyed Jack’s: If you were hoping for a place to break out your shoulder pads and hairspray, this is it. One Eyed Jack’s holds an 80s themed dance party every Thursday night, and a lot of people dress up in their 80s finest. Address: 615 Toulouse St. Metropolitan Nightclub: This two-story warehouse club has bar stations, a light show, smoke machines, and top DJs. Address: 310 Andrew Higgins Dr. #8: Let a Guide Teach You About Voodoo, Creole Food, or Plantations Guided tours may sound like one of those boring activities you’re forced to do with your parents or on a school field trip, but New Orleans actually makes them lots of fun. You can see all sorts of strange corners of the city on these themed tours, whether you’re hunting for ghosts on a voodoo tour or driving out to the massive, oak-shaded plantations that sit just outside the city. Here are some of the top tours that you can enjoy on your vacation to New Orleans. Ghost tour: New Orleans ghost tours bring you around the old cemeteries and haunted houses of the city, filling your ear with eerie legends about the dark and mysterious events in the city’s past. The original group to give these nighttime walks is Haunted History Tour. The two-hour jaunt is $25 for adults ($18 reduced). Horse and carriage tour: If you’d rather opt for romantic over macabre, then hop in one of the horse-drawn carriages waiting around Jackson Square. The driver will tell you anecdotes and history as you travel around the French Quarter the way people did a hundred years ago. The carriages cost about $12 for half an hour. Culinary tour: These walking tours stop at restaurants and bars throughout the city for yummy samples. Check out Bon Moment Culinary Tours (about $45) or Doctor Gumbo Tours (about $55). Plantation tour: Visit extravagant homes from the antebellum south and the surrounding slaves quarters. Some good tours are Gray Line New Orleans, Cajun Pride Plantation Tours, and Plantation Tours by Isabelle. They cost about $80 for a full day tour with transportation. If you have a car, you could also visit the plantations yourself. Some of the best ones to see are Laura, Whitney, Oak Alley, San Fransisco, and Destrehan. #9: Ride a Steamboat Down the Mississippi A hundred years ago, the main way to get to New Orleans was by boat along the Mississippi. Today, you can travel on a 19th century riverboat down the wide river while enjoying Creole food and live jazz. The most popular boats to show you all the things to see in New Orleans along its shore are the Steamboat Natchez and the Creole Queen. You can go in the daytime or later on for dinner and a night-time cruise. The cost is about $30 to $40 a person. #10: See Elephants, Komodo Dragons, and Tigers at the Audubon Zoo Elephants, komodo dragons, and tigers, oh my! Another fun thing to do in New Orleans is to visit the 58-acre Audubon Zoo, home to over 2,000 animals. You can visit gorillas, orangutans, anacondas, giraffes, flamingos, jaguars, and rare white tigers, to name a few animals who call the zoo home, and make your way over to see fish and insects at the aquarium and insectarium. One of the zoo's most unique exhibits is the Swamp Exhibit, an area designed to look like a Louisiana swamp. The area contains a floating Cajun houseboat, as well as taxidermied animals native to Louisiana, including black bears, raccoons, otters, and alligators. Zoo tickets are $19.95 for adults and $14.95 for children. It's open everyday from 10 AM to 5 PM. #: Glide Past Alligators in the Louisiana Swamps The Louisiana swamps evoke a sense of timelessness. You float through the still waters beneath curtains of Spanish moss hanging from gnarled cyprus trees. You’ll see sunbathing turtles, sneaky raccoons, delicate white herons, and the watchful eyes of alligators lurking beneath the surface. Along the shore squat old, single-room cabins where people used to live in the swamp. The closest swamp to New Orleans is now protected as part of the Jean Lafitte Nature Preserve. I went on a New Orleans swamp tour and loved the beautiful surroundings and unique chance for nature photography. Prices range depending on whether or not you need transportation. A boat ride is just about $20 without transportation from and to the city, but it goes up to $50 or so with a ride. You can also go on two or three hour kayaking and canoeing tours, which cost somewhere between $50 and $60. The top rated New Orleans swamp tours outside New Orleans are Cajun Encounters Tour Company, Ultimate Swamp Adventures, and Honey Swamp Tours. Some of the best kayaking groups are Wild Louisiana Tours and New Orleans Kayak Swamp Tours. While New Orleans is a highly popular tourist destination and bursting with festivals and celebrations, it’s also still dealing with the aftershock of Hurricane Katrina. Many areas, particularly those of lower-income that aren’t prime tourist spots, are still struggling to rebuild years later. New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina Over 80% of New Orleans flooded when the levees broke during Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest and most destructive hurricanes to ever hit the U.S. Over 1,400 people died, many of them still unaccounted for, and thousands lost their homes during the flooding. The 7th, 8th, and 9th ward of New Orleans suffered the most damage, with the lower 9th ward being the worst hit. There are New Orleans tourism groups that take visitors on â€Å"disaster tours,† showing them the restored and still struggling areas. These tours are controversial, with some people considering them to be voyeuristic and exploitative. In 2006, the tours were so intrusive that the New Orleans City Council banned them in the lower 9th ward. These areas are still in need of resources and rebuilding, and there are opportunities to volunteer for those interested. Two volunteer groups are New Orleans Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together New Orleans. Visiting New Orleans: Final Tips Sorting through my impressions from my trip to New Orleans, a few images rise to the surface. I think about listening to live jazz in a dark, hundred-year-old bar. I remember jambalaya beside a cold gin cocktail with fresh mint. There were purple flowers tumbling off of Spanish balconies, old riverboats on the Mississippi, and silent, spooky swamplands full of alligators. As one of the oldest cities in the U.S., New Orleans bursts with historic charm and a lively atmosphere. Over the last few hundred years, New Orleans became home to people from all over the world. From its blend of global cultures grew distinct new forms of music and food. Each and every night, you’ll find great live music of all genres, from traditional or contemporary jazz to blues to rockabilly. New Orleans is a city that wakes up all of your senses. Go see the Big Easy for yourself and learn what New Orleans writer Chris Rose means when he says, â€Å"We dance even if there’s no radio. We drink at funerals. We talk too much and laugh too loud and live too large and, frankly, we’re suspicious of others who don’t.†

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Computer System Crash - Assignment Example If this occurs, and the computer user has stored information on their machine’s hard drive, but has not backed it up in any other way, the consequences can clearly be serious. In some cases data is recoverable from the hard drive when it has been removed from the computer, but this is not always possible. A student might lose all of their research data for an assignment, project or dissertation; a business person might lose data vital to the day-to-day running of their commercial operations. It is true that more recent operating systems, including Linux, and newer versions of Windows, are more likely to recover after a crash, when the machine’s hard drive has been scanned, errors have been repaired, and the system rebooted. Even if this all goes smoothly, data which was unsaved at the time of the crash may not be recoverable. However, there are several means by which data can secured, so that even if it cannot be recovered after a system crash, it can be accessed on a different machine. The most popular forms of external storage are USB mass storage devices, and external hard drives. The latter are usually able to store as much data as a PC, but the device can be connected and disconnected from a computer, and so data backed up using such devices will be safe in the event of a

Rhetorical Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rhetorical Strategies - Essay Example These error patterns are â€Å"deal breakers† – I cannot see them in your work if you want to pass the course because they demonstrate to me your inability to control your own sentences, a core skill you need to have mastered upon entering English 101A. As I’ve suggested in the past, you should be working with a tutor regularly, and you should consider (re)taking English 846 (which focuses on sentence building and communicative fluency in your writing) before attempting a course at this level again, alright? I can’t pass this work, nor do I expect to be able to pass you in the course at this point given what I’m seeing here. You may rewrite if you wish. You’ll have two weeks to submit a revision via email. Assignment & Proofreading 1/4 Thesis 2/4 Focus & Clarity 2/4 Development & Support 3/4 Language & Mechanics 1/4 Late (2 pts = -10%) -/20 Total 9/20 ________________________________ 20 = 100% A 15 = 75% C 19 = 95% A 14 = 70% C- 18 = 90% A- 1 3 = 65% D 17 = 85% B 12 = 60% D- 16 = 80% B- 11 = 55% F *Please see the Grading Rubric Explanation found within the course for a detailed description of the numbers and criteria on the grading grid each of the component marks above corresponds to. *If this essay is marked as a late submission, either because it missed its deadline or was not in an acceptable form at the time of submission, it is ineligible for the rewrite option and this grade will stand as the final mark for the essay. This policy is laid out clearly in the Course Syllabus. Please apply these grading marks and comments to your next essay work instead. Difficulties of Crossing the Line Award-winning journalist Ruben Martinez effectively demonstrates the difficulties of crossing the boundary between Mexico and America in â€Å"The Crossing†, a selection in Reading America. Martinez’ mother is from El Salvador and married to a Mexican American. His parents merge with American culture yet maintain their M exican heritage with frequent family visits to relatives in Mexico. Martinez claims both his Mexican and American backgrounds, and recalls early visits to Mexico in his story. His memories of leaping back and forth between the two counties comprise the foundation of his childhood. Through his recollections, Martinez highlights the importance of the border line as a boundary full of historical and economic heritage. Many people want to cross from Mexico to America, and the line acts like a sieve—catching some people, but letting others through. Many unpredictable events, like death, can occur to people crossing the boundary, and people’s reasons for wanting to make the journey are countless. The author recounts the story of Victor, an illegal immigrant who has diabetes. Victor is attempting to cross the border line from Mexico to America to find his sister. He hopes for a good life, and believes America can offer better treatments for his medical condition than what Mex ico can offer. The author’s memories convey the truths about crossing the border, and the difficulties of passing through it. Martinez creates pathos by telling about his experiences and those of others he met while traveling across the border. He considers himself an American today because the expansion of

Final Project- Step Two Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Final Project- Step Two - Assignment Example A good example is the use of a well labeled diagram to explain the internal working structure of the human ear in a biology class. This is more effective than the verbal version of the same information. This shows that visual representation of information is more effective due to the fact that more senses of an individual are involved when information is passed using visuals (Dartmouth, 2010). This message is very important and everyone should be able to know that the use of visuals in learning and other processes of information sharing are more effective. However, this message is specially intended for various educators. Teachers and other educators have a special and vital role of passing information to the students. It is therefore very important that they realize the value of visuals in passing on the knowledge that they have to their students. Teachers responsible for students in their early stages of education are encouraged to use a lot of visuals as this helps in developing t he senses of the child and make them understand things much better. Students to should read and understand this message. They need o realize that when reading, using visuals to read and understand a particular subject is much practical and easier as compared to the theoretical use of words without any visuals (Dartmouth, 2010). ... The main tone that I want this project to achieve is the active tone. This is a very professional tone that clearly brings out the value of a message to the audience. This therefore means that the language to be used has to be active and passive only in relevant places. I will use various visuals to support my message by involving many of them in the learning process and weighing out the most effective method between the use of visuals and other instances when visuals are not used. This is done by examining different intermediate students by using words and visuals. After this, the results are compared to confirm whether the visual techniques are most effective. I will bring in diagrams that are relevant to the topic of discussions and ask people to weigh out the most effective method that brings out the message clearly (Dartmouth, 2010). Visuals will therefore have an important role in the passing of the message. The main platform that I intend to use to communicate my message is Mi crosoft power point. As the name suggest, Microsoft power point is a very important tool in learning. With this application, one is able to embedded visuals, music and even words. It is therefore an effective way of bringing in the visuals into a real life scenario. This application not only involves the students in words but also uses visuals to accompany this message. It is for this reason that the students get engaged in the activity. Since this is a visuals message, power point is even more effective. Practically, power point is refreshing and breaks down the monopoly of boring classes due to the presence of visuals that are used in the application. The points are also short and direct and as a result ensure that the message is passed within a short time and I an efficient

Tescos Market Position Analysis

Tescos Market Position Analysis This is a report on Tesco PLC which is one of the largest grocery and general merchandising retailer in the UK and in other countries around the world. Tesco is the third largest retailer in the world; the first two largest retailers are wall-mart which is also known as Asda in the UK and Carrefour which is a French international retail organisation. Tesco is the 2nd largest retailer in the world in comparison of profits which is leaded by Wal-Mart. This report looks at the organisation on how it was formed to how it has become successful around the UK and the rest of the world. Tesco is a highly reputable organisation which has been growing over the last 8 decades and is still growing. Tesco is a highly profitable organisation and evidence has been shown of this in this report. In this report I will use a range of models and strategic analysis both internal of the organisation and externally as well as strategy formulation. I this report I have use a rage of model and tool to demonstrate what TESCO is all about. Tescos has over 4,330 stores around the world but mainly around the UK. In this report I have used the strategic tools like PESTEL, Porters Five Forces, SWOT analysis and a value chain analysis. 2. Background how and when TESCO was introduced and its current position in the market Tesco initial was founded by Jack Cohen early in the 1920s. The brand was initially named when jack Cohen bought a shipment of tea from T.E.Stockwell and by using the initials of T.E.Stockwell Cohen added the first two letter of his surname to create the brand TESCO. The first Tesco was open in 1929 in the north of London in the area of Brunt Oak. Tesco first started by selling food and drinks and over the year has diversified its product range from clothing, insurance, telecommunications and retailing and renting DVDs to online services like music download and software. The organisation has also diversified geographically as it is a well known brand around the UK which was the primary focus to the rest of the world and is now operating in 14 major countries around the world. TESCO is on the London stock exchange as the FTSE 100 Index which shows Tesco is one of the 100 most capitalised organisations in the UK. In 2009 Tescos has staggering revenue of 54biillion and the organisation employs over 472,000 employees worldwide. Tesco have over 960 Tesco express stores around the UK which sell around 7,000 products which include fresh food around the Tesco express local stores. Tesco also has around 170 metro stores which sell a diverse range of food products around city centres. Tesco currently has over 450 superstores which Sell all their product rage including services such as DVD rental and Tesco Mobile. Tesco provides financial services called Tesco Personal Finance (TPF) as well as providing broadband internet connections.  The position of Tescos in regards to shares with other market leaders have been put into a PIE chart below: Market share Tesco ASDA Sainsburys Morrison Others % of market share 30.60% 16.60% 16.30% 11.10% 25.40% Fig 1: Share of leading organisations in UK Food Retail Market 3. PESTEL Political With the immersion of 10 more countries in the European Union (EU) in 2004 had promoted the trades between Western and the Eastern European countries (BBC, 2009). This has allowed Tesco to expand in the retail markets around the EU. Last year it was signed off by Tesco with china that Tesco will be able to open a chain of shopping malls in China. This joint project included three main malls to be built in Qinhuangdao, Anshan and Fushan. A total of 18 hypermarkets were also expected to open this year. This information was provided by Tesco last year. The growth of the international market is on the rise and is predicted to account for 25% of the companys profit. In the Straits Times 2010 article it is motioned that due to Chinas accession with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) it has promoted a free flow for foreign trades this was done by removing all barriers which would encourage companies from the west including Tesco to make it way to the most profitable market which would encompass over 1.3 billion people. Economic The economic factor is a point of concern for Tesco since the UK was officially declared as being in the recession in 2008. This has affected the consumers directly as they became insecure about their financial income. The buying behaviour of Tescos customers meant since the recession consumers were more selective on what they bought. The reduction of the interest rates helped in the reduction of the growth of unemployment in 2009. As a result the spending power of the consumers in on the rise again as people became more secure about their financial positions. However there is still allot of people under threat and so are likely to spend less money on the ready prepared meals, this will affect the sales value and the profit margins adversely. On a positive note in regards to the recession consumer are more likely to cook at home compared to eating out and this would have a positive effect on the amount of sales in the grocery retailers like Tescos. Consumers are less likely to cut down on food expenses instead the percentage of spending on food has risen over the years. Below is a graph showing this form Euromonitor 2010: Fig 2: The % of UK consumers spending on food from 2004 2008 The economic recession has been brought to radiance with the help of the following GDP growth graph since 1990 (BBC news 2010): Fig 3: UK GDP Growth 1990-2010 Social In an analysis UK population it shows that there are more people in the UK who are retired compared to the children in the UK. The elder generation tends to eat less and tend to travel less to supermarkets compared to the younger generation. It has been predicted that the internet shopping is more convenient to the elder generation but due to the low amounts of food required by the elder generation deliveries are less profitable. In the recent decade the number of people choosing has increased and Tesco have identified this and have increased their product range to meet customer demands. Payments by cheque and cash were 1st made achievable by Tesco. Technological One of the main macro ecological variables that have inclined the supply chain, operation and process of grocery and food retailers is technology. The operations of supermarkets are being affected by the use of services like internet shopping. Internet shopping has been growing and is still growing in the UK. The subscription of internet has developed by over 50% and it is estimated to have 70% of UK being users of the internet. (Office for National Statistics, 2010). The use of loyalty schemes which are used by online retailer helps to retain customer as people are discouraged to shop elsewhere (Sun, 2009). Online shopping is also available on phone so people can shop anywhere at any time. Due to the increase of the access of broadband internet shopping is increasing in the UK. 15.5 million Number of users is in UK who is broadband users and this account for 70% of the total market (Keynote 2010). Environmental The environmentally friendly solution of reducing packaging is promoted by the UK Government. In a study by the Office for National statistic, the number of people using reusable bags has raised by 3% from 71% to 74% and those consumers using normal bags and are trying to cut down has also increased from 65% to 68%. This has helped in reducing the cost and it also good for Tesco CSR image. Tesco has recently started adding carbon footprint data to dairy product, orange juice and potatoes and plans to expanding this data onto bread and non-food items in the future (Tesco 2010) There are customers who are reusing bags, recycling old mobile phones and aluminium cans and also prefer bagless deliveries. These customers are being awarded for their contributions through the Tescos Clubcard points (Datamonitor, 2010). Supermarket Tesco have put wind turbines on one of the stores roof this produces enough energy to run all 15 tills. Fig 4: Consumers actively being Green 2007-2010 Legal Due to the rise of the VAT in January to 20% by the government to reduce the budget deficit, Tesco non-food products will be affected such as clothing and electrical goods. In recent years the national minimum wage has been increased by 15.5% this has increased the supermarkets running and operating costs. Porters Five Forces Analysis Threat for substitute products and services In the retail market the threats for grocery retail products is low compared to non-food products. Substitute food products are available from local convenience stores and shop but are not seen as a threat for Tesco as Tesco is able to provide higher quality for lower prices due to buying power and other factors. Tesco are also opening express stores which take most of the business form local convenience stores. The threat for non food items is high as consumers are inclined to by discounted products like clothing form other retailers, however due to the recession Tescos is benefiting compared to the specialised clothing outlets. Threat of entry of new competitors Threats in the food retail industry are low for new competitors. To succeed in the food retail market a huge investment is required to be competitive against Tesco or other food retailers as the new organisation would have to build a brand name. Major retailer of food like Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury account for 80% of shopping for food in the UK (Mintel 2010). In order to compete against the established brads the new brad must either produce a higher quality or sell the product for lower prices or even both to be any threat to the big players. To gain permission from the local government to establish a new supermarket could take a considerable amount of time so therefore there is a key barrier for new entrant in this business. Intensity of competitive rivalry Competitive rivalry is quite high in the food retail industry. Due to the high level and the growing levels of rival market shares Tesco is at risk of losing its market leadership. All the major competitors like Asda Morrisons and Sainsbury have had an increase in the market share for 2009-2010. All the major retailers are being very competitive against each other as they are always lowering prices and promoting products. In the rural areas of the UK consumers are inclined to go to places like Somerfield and Co-op due to the distance of the major retailers. The highly discounted food products from retailer like Aldi and Lidl are inclining customers to go there especially in times of financial difficulties due to the recession. These retailers have grown by 25% during 2008. (Keynote, 2010). Bargaining power for buyers The Bargaining power for the buyer is high. Consumers are inclined to buy cheaper products and with the use of the internet for comparing product prices consumers are inclined to switch to cheaper alternatives. Where products are more standardised and have little differentiation consumers can easily switch from one brand to a different one. Bargaining power for suppliers Bargaining power for suppliers is low Suppliers are attracted to sell their products to major retailer like Asda and Tesco as the supplier would not want to lose their contacts with these major suppliers due to their selling power and so the negotiations with suppliers are strengthened and the major retailers are likely to come with a positive outcome when it comes to buying at lower prices. Detailed SWOT Analysis Below I have done a SWOT analysis for Tesco. Strengths Tesco is the 3rd largest retailer in the world. Tesco holds 30.7% of shares for the UK grocery market. In a research done by Datamonitor 2010 Tesco has a turnover of  £54 billion this in an increase of 14.9% compared to 2008. Tesco has done this by customising products and services to meet the demands of the consumers. Tesco has focused on reducing product prices without compromising on quality. Online services in the non-food retail market; Tesco Direct has seen an increase by 50% (Tesco, 2010). Tesco has retained its customer with the use of Clubcard. The information from Clubcard has been used to promote products and other promotional techniques. Fig 4: Tesco annual Growth in Key Performance Indicators Weaknesses Tesco has not performed well over the last year compared to the competitor in a report by Mintel (2010). A large number of goods were recalled which has resulted in finical loss. This has also had negative impact on the brands image. The main operations of the organisation are in the UK where it is recorded more than 75% of its revenue is generated in the UK in 2009. This was mentioned in a report by Tesco (2010). The organisation lacks geographic diversification and this shows a key weakness for Tesco to systematic risks of the UK market. Opportunities In a report by Mintel (2010) it is recorded that Tesco have opened over 620stores in 2009 and 435 of them were in international locations. The geographic growth will help the firm to improvising its economy of scale, while it is also reducing the exposure of the systematic risk. In the Guardian (2010) it is mentioned that Tesco.com has over 1 million customers, this has provided the firm to attract new customers which is helping to increase profits due to overall costs. The company is focusing in expanding geographically; this will strengthen its global market position. Tesco has signed off a new deal with Tata group which is one of the major industrial organisations based in India (Daily Mail, 2010) The food retail market is expected to grow from  £125 billion in 2009 to over  £145 billion by the year 2014 as it is important to have enough food. (Euromonitor, 2010) Threats Due to the reduction to consumers income and the rise of unemployment the buyers behaviour is affected and non-food products are being adversely affected. Tesco has been the market share leader for over 15 years and is now facing difficult times due to the intense competition of its competitors like Asda and Morrisons (Mintel, 2010). Bellow is an abridged SWOT analysis of which can be summarised in the illustration below: Fig 5: Tesco reduced SWOT Analysis Value Chain Analysis for Tesco The value chain shows the strength and weakness in the value accumulation process. The value chain for Tesco has been illustrated below: Fig 6: Value chain for Tesco Primary Activities Inbound logistics The primary stage of the value chain is where the opportunity arises to create value for the business. The first stage is known to be upstream for activities. Inbound logistics is where products are bought from the supplier and are and are handled and transported to the shelves. Tesco adds value by maintaining the level of choice while it is also improving the efficiency of distribution system. Quality control measures are taken to remove the damaged goods and reducing the cost which may be incurred to its consumers. Operations In the day to day running of the stores Tesco has to maintain its service levels by selling the products and services and making sure they are open for business in accordance to their trading hours. Tesco would have to also make sure products are available on shelves for their day to day business, this is done overnight daily. In order to keep their competitive advantage Tesco may have to consider opening more hours or even opening metro and express stores. To do this Tesco must seek permission from the council and sometimes this may not be possible, this would take away their competitive advantage. Outbound logistics Outbound logistic is the third stage of the value chain and Tesco add value by providing deliveries to customers. Tangibles such as parking facilities, trolley collection, staff at till and systems are also used to gain the competitive advantage by saving time of consumers if done properly. The implementation of trolley deposit stations and keeping them orderly helps customers to get to and from the stores premises allot quicker as well as making these facilities available to use. Marketing and sales The marketing and sales side of the value chain is more downstream. The Tesco club card provides discounts and help to keep customers loyal. Tesco also advertise on the radio, newspapers as well as TV adverts to attract customers with their pricing and promotions available. In regards to selling environmentally friendly products there are some constrains however Tesco can take advantage of this by providing products that are environmentally friendly which could help attract new customers. Support Activities Company Infrastructure To help maintain the price of the products the implementation of security systems are in place as well as anti fraud systems to prevent people acting fraudulently. To reduce costs departments such as profit protection are employed by Tesco to reduce losses. The reduction of crime and its prevention helps Tesco keeps is low prices low. Human resource management Human resource management would be regarded as a downstream activity. The job of HRM is to make sure staff are recruited and trained properly so benefits are passed to the customers. Tesco are always trying to maintain is high level of customers service by putting in programs for employees which are performance related. Employees are paid more by providing a better service to its customers and so employees are encouraged to do this. Technology development This activity is also downstream and Tescos ability to provide product ranges which are new and innovative products has to be maintained. The product vitality adds value to the brand of these products. Conclusion The report has clearly showed the success of Tescos from a small enterprise to a large PLC. Tesco success depends on their brand name which has always been evolving. Tescos brand name has hit the world like a virus but mainly in the UK. Tesco have managed to get the right message across to its consumers by making sure their CRS was to focus on their stakeholders. In order to succeed in the future Tesco has to diversify its products ranges and also diversify geographically as it has done over the last 8 decades, this will continue to create new customers as well as retaining its existing customers. Also to continue to succeed Tesco must adapt to any changes which may occur like a change in the services like broadband, BT have started to install fibre optic to increase its broadband seed. If Tesco wants to continue to grow its must adopt to all changes in real time, not only with this help retain customers as the services and products are up to date but this will also attract new customers. The strategy formulation for Tesco is to continue to learn. Large organisations like Tesco the strategy should be analysed and implemented on all levels of the hierarchy. The strategy of the different levels must be common throughout the hierarchy in order to have the competitive advantage. http://www.tesco.com/talkingtesco/retailing/Bottom of Form Top of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form

Influence of Realism on Literature :: Literature Realism

Influence of Realism on Literature After World War I, American people and the authors among them were left disillusioned by the effects that war had on their society. America needed a literature that would explain what had happened and what was happening to their society. American writers turned to what is now known as modernism. The influence of 19th Century realism and naturalism and their truthful representation of American life and people was evident in post World War I modernism. This paper will try to prove this by presenting the basic ideas and of these literary genres, literary examples of each, and then make connections between the two literary movements. Realism Modernism not only depicted American society after World War I accurately and unbiasedly, but also tried to find the solutions brought upon by the suffering created by the war (Elliott 705). The realistic movement of the late 19th century saw authors accurately depict life and it’s problems. Realists attempted to â€Å"give a comprehensive picture of modern life† (Elliott 502) by presenting the entire picture. They did not try to give one view of life but instead attempted to show the different classes, manners, and stratification of life in America. Realists created this picture of America by combining a wide variety of â€Å"details derived from observation and documentation...† to â€Å"approach the norm of experience...† (3). Along with this technique, realists compared the â€Å"objective or absolute existence† in America to that of the â€Å"universal truths, or observed facts of life† (Harvey 12). In other words, realists objectively looked at American society and pointed out the aspects that it had in common with the general truths of existence. This realistic movement evolved as a result of many changes and transitions in American culture. In the late 1800’s, the United States was experiencing â€Å"swift growth and change† as a result of a changing economy, society, and culture because of an influx in the number of immigrants into America. Realists such as Henry James and William Dean Howells, two of the most prolific writers of the Nineteenth-century, used typical realistic methods to create an accurate depiction of changing American life.

Evaluation of Soil Management Strategies in Two Named Farming Systems Essay

Evaluation of the soil management strategies in the India The more time goes past, the more man starts realising how the management and the way we threat soils is important to insure its preservation and conservation. Nowadays, around 9. 4 million hectares of soil, which represent the 0. 5% of the land present on our planet, is irreparably damaged and has no longer any biological function. In other words, it can no longer be used in any useful way to provide food or other elements to the earth’s tenants. There are though, two factors that influence soil degradation; the human factor and the natural one. The most impactful one is the human one, as we tend to create disequilibrium in the rate at which soil forms and at which it is eroded or degraded. This is due to the fact that farmers work the soil too frequently or misunderstand and mismanage their lands. On the other hand, erosion and degradation, which embody the natural factors, are part of nature’s cycle and over time, they do not create imbalances. In poorer countries, farmers use subsistence farming and they are in a way constricted to do so, as they not only lack of economical resources to buy machinery and conditioners, but also because the quality of the soil often doesn’t give them the opportunity to be able to work the land more intensively. In the regions of West Bengal located in the northwest of India to take an example, the density of the population is so high that farmers only can use their little land holding to produce enough in order to feed themselves and their families. This way of managing the soil is called subsistence farming and is also used in the entire southeast of India, where the soil is so degraded that the population has no other choice but to use this agricultural strategy named sedentary farming. It involves farming always at the same place, living there and getting crops relying uniquely on labour and not on any capital investments. In India we can find a very large division, varying from economical to socio-political, and even agricultural. Up in the Northwest of India, within the hills of Jaipur in Rajasthan, intensive commercial farmers are predominant as the country represents the fourth biggest agricultural power of the world. The practices and components involved in intensive farming are harmful to the soil because farmers take advantage of the resources that are available and often abuse their terrain in such way that it harms it, leading to an increase of the rate at which the land is deteriorated. But not all methods are harmful to Nature; the method used in the forests of north India by the poorer citizens has a much better environmental impact than the industrial one used by richer farmers. As equally common, this method is called shifting farming which consists in burning a piece of land so that the ashes fertilise the soil. Then the famer grows its crops for around 2 to 5 years, until the soil’s fertility starts to decrease so he moves to another place repeating the same process. After a break more or less long 10 years, the farmer can go back to the first place as the terrain supposedly had time to regain its fertility and he can so for cultivate his crops again. In fact, the material and gears used, plus the methods are much different one from another. Within the subsistence one, natural fertilizers will be more likely to be used while on the intensive one, chemicals and heavy machinery often take the lead. These different strategies used to manage the soil comprise advantages and disadvantages, to both the farmers and the land. The sustainable farming strategy is on the short term less beneficial to the farmer as it will limit his production. But this technique won’t make any harm to the soil because the method used is less intensive, and natural fertilisers such as animal rejections and organic wastes replace chemicals and fertilizers used in the intensive method. But as stated above, India is the fourth largest agricultural force on this planet and that’s when the management of the soil starts becoming problematic in accordance to its sustainability and the preservation of its quality. The choice of a farmer to opt for a specific technique rather than another relies on the income on a short period of time. Even though in India this choice mainly depends on the financial resources available, the farmers using subsistence farming will be able to use their land for a much longer period of time than those who use intensive farming. It’s also in the farmer’s benefit to use its field in a sustainable way; for environmental ssues as well as for its personal profit as on the longer term, a farmer who farms on its land in a sustainable way will be able to get an equal amount of crops over a larger period of time. To conclude, if we keep abusing the soil as they still do in certain parts of the world, by 2050 we will severely lack of available healthy soil to satisfy our needs as a result of the population’s growth rate. And even though the governments and citizens didn’t realise that before severe issues and frightening statistical data came out from the topic. We know how to prevent soil erosion from natural factors by simply planting grass or other clumping vegetation; building shelter belts and hedgerows are other examples. We can also improve the methods of cultivation, using the techniques of terracing and contour ploughing. But to prevent the abusing human activity like deforestation, I believe that the only answer is the willing and devotion of individuals of using proper pesticides and fertilizers.