Woodlands Conservancy, an organization working to preserve and restore critical forested wetlands, has announced the details of its 2019 Save Our Sponge concert.

On Thursday, January 31, the New Orleans Jazz Market will host Woodlands Conservancy’s Save Our Sponge Concert, which will feature piano solos by Tom McDermott and Joe Krown in the Concert Hall followed by a masterful duet by McDermott and Krown.

Prior to that main event will be a pre-concert Patron Party with complimentary food and spirits, plus music from Harry Hardin’s Jazz Quartet and a silent auction.

One-hundred percent of proceeds raised at Save Our Sponge benefit Woodland Conservancy’s preservation and restoration work, plus nature education for the youth of New Orleans.

The “sponge” refers to the 840 acres of forested wetlands serving as a natural sponge to absorb storm water and a wind barrier for the Greater New Orleans area.

“The forested wetlands managed by Woodlands Conservancy are capable of absorbing 32 million gallons of water annually, offsetting needed infrastructure drainage costs by $15 million,” says Katie Brasted, Woodlands Conservancy’s Executive Director. “With continued wetland loss and relative sea level rise, these forests are considered to likely be one of the largest forested land masses between open water and the city of New Orleans in the next 35 to 50 years.”

“With strengthening storms and fewer wetland forests to buffer them,” adds Amy Barton, Vice President of Woodlands Conservancy’s Board of Directors, “now is the time to support our local wetlands, and the Save Our Sponge Concert offers great music and a fun way for everyone to get involved.”

The Save Our Sponge concert begins at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.). The New Orleans Jazz Market is located at  1436 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. For tickets, click here.

For more information visit www.woodlandsconservancy.org.