FOE Fur: Fostering Original Environment

If termites were eating your home, would you exterminate them?  

FOE Fur creates game changing answers to some difficult questions including: What are wetlands and why are they important? What is the problem with nutrias? Isn’t wearing fur wrong? 

Rooted to educate about the effects of fast fashion on the environment and protect Louisiana wetlands from destructive non-indigenous invasive species nutria, New Orleans costume and couture designer, Caroline Wendt, dug deep and methodically approaches turning wasted sustainable textiles into home decor and fashion products labeled FOE Fur: Fostering Original Environment.

Starting with pillows and throw blankets lined with reclaimed home decor fabric, Caroline is regionalizing the fur production process with cost saving  and economically stimulating measures to develop a fad fashion preteen coat creation kit, Grow Foe, that adjusts and grows with the child, then is sold via buy one give one, donating kits to cold children across the globe.

“It is estimated that between 25-35 square miles of wetlands are lost each year and more than 1,000,000 acres have been lost since the turn of the century.“ southeastern.edu.  More than 2 million people live within 50 miles of the disappearing land serving to buffer hurricanes, displace floodwaters, maintain biodiversity, contribute globally to the hydrologic cycle and is habitat to endangered and millions of migratory animals.  It has a direct economic effect on the nation’s largest seafood industry, $16, billion+ oil and gas industry, regional culture, insurance costs and public safety, Lacoast.gov.

A key reason is non-indigenous invasive species nutria.  Recent estimates put the population of nutrias in southeast Louisiana as high as 6,000 animals per square mile.  Between 1962 and 1986 Louisiana trappers harvested more than 1 million nutria each year. When fur markets declined, trapping declined leaving an unnatural balance wreaking havoc on our coastal community, by: 

• Burrowing and eatouts; nutria eat about 5 pounds of roots daily (multiply times 20+ million) causing sea level rise and coastal erosion
• Rapid procreation; females average 5 litters every 2 years/200 offspring
• No natural predators; Nutria are Non-indigenous, imported from Argentina for fur trading

Educate and Eradicate using Natural Capitalism to create a Circular Economy

Coastwide Nutria Control Program - Nutria.com offers a $6 tail bounty with the goal to remove >400,000 nutria each season. Those who participate in the program only collect the tail, the remains create landfill waste. FOE Fur claims that waste, putting purpose behind the pelt by creating economic stimulating entrepreneurial products; specifically home decor starting with pillow designs and a throw blanket.

The FOE Fur: Fostering Original Environment label is positioned to educate globally on the topic of invasive nutria and resulting devastation, with a fictional children’s story, Naughty, Naughty Nutrias and social media campaign about coastal erosion, Louisiana heritage, and the dangers we face. Once educated on why FOE Fur is different from advocating fur farming or toxic faux fur, it becomes a social call to action. A necessary fad fashion purchase, until there are none left. The process of creating the FOE Fur products encourages timeless craft and trade job skills related to Louisiana’s heritage: trapping, hunting, fur dressing, sewing, design, business and community relations. 

99% waste of only reported collections is fundamentally wrong.  FOE Fur keeps people warm not rotting creating landfill issues on public land.

In coastal Louisiana, climate change forces an indigenous community to flee

Indigenous, French, Spanish, Cajun, Caribbean, Black, Creole, Scottish, Irish, Italian, German, Vietnamese, Hispanic…Most of America forgets that we were never British, creating an extremely unique heritage rich in good food, music, art and community.  Louisiana has a unique way of life, one tourists love to visit and one we want to keep.  

America got the best real estate deal in history with The Louisiana Purchase.  One key factor is the city of New Orleans at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Being 303 years old and surrounded by water creates a demand for land, driving  real estate prices and challenging urban development.  Obviously the city was built before cars, so many homes do not have garages and people park on the street.  Age also causes a declining infrastructure, so when strong storm bands rip through the city depositing massive amounts of rain, cars flood and some homes, especially ones on less expensive land below the flood plain.  Post storms Katrina and Rita, many people did not return as highlighted in the article Katrina Washed Away New Orleans’s Black Middle Class, By Ben Casselman, Filed under The Katrina Decade, Published Aug. 24, 2015. 

To build Interstate 10 in 1957, 500 homes and business were bulldozed permanently changing once successful neighborhoods, like Tremé and bypassing once prosperous business corridors, like Tulane Avenue, Broad Street and Dryades.  Conforming to zoning, FOE Fur wants to start a base of operations in one of these areas where underserved stakeholders can walk to work or have access to convenient public transportation and eventually develop and apprentice program and economic stimulus. FOE Fur wants to strengthen the middle class and will work with the diverse New Orleans and regional communities, “The average household income in New Orleans is $71,938 with a poverty rate of 23.65%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $998 per month, and the median house value is $231,500. The median age in New Orleans is 36.8 years, 35.9 years for males, and 37.6 years for females.”

The Louisiana wetlands spread across the southern part of the state and as the business develops, operations would spread west including Houma, Morgan City to Lafayette.  They are the first line of defense against storms.  Rich in natural resources, Louisiana is known as the “sportsman paradise” which connects FOE Fur to target the markets we plan to serve, traveling sports enthusiast, naturalists who are already aware of the devastating effects of nutria on the global hydrologic cycle, environmentalists who work with invasive species or wildlife, designers who already work with fur or members of relatable organizations. It is an easy ask to a reader of Garden and Gun magazine to “Buy a Pillow. Save the Planet!”

As we collect those markets we expect to grow market awareness and understanding of FOE Fur: Fostering Original Environments mission to use the wasted sustainable textile from the state tail bounty program or any cooperating individual, to bring aid to cold children.  Ultimately we want to serve children by giving away coats, teaching them about the environment and creative, transferable skills and providing Gulf South children with a safer home.  

Dealing with a hurricane as an adult is a challenge, imagine the fear of a child.  Personally, I had to evacuate for Hurricane Ivan 7 days after having a perfectly healthy boy.  He died for no apparent reason 2 weeks later.  In Hurricane Katrina, my friend's miracle baby was in the NICU. He was helicoptered out, and it too her 3 days to find out him.  Wetlands directly influence the safety of first responders who, like my police officer friend who is a father, provide aid during storms.  How I can respond to storms and coastal erosion is to share my skills and experience by creating sustainable products that Foster the Original Environment.

FOE Fur partnership opportunities aligns to two Challenges: scalable economic opportunities and aggregating local projects.  Wetland preservation has a direct financial effect on Gulf South lives and international industries, specifically protecting the Port of New Orleans and the Mississippi River's multi-billion dollar global trade impact. 

Natural Capitalism makes jobs and cross marketing to other diverse businesses: trapping, hunting, manufacturing, design, ecotourism, environmental, government and 501c3s. If the US fur market is soft, let's get this wasted usable textile out of the bayou and on to any baby, anywhere, while protecting the earth’s Hydrologic Cycle.

Needs an Elevator Pitch!  

Initiated February 2021 as a family business to stimulate extra income for hobbies and charitable contributions, the complex problem of nutria invasion and access to the tools needed to remove them, grew into a huge plan including a 501c3 called Warm Hearts 4 Wetlands which encourages community action to eradicate the destructive pests and turn them into coats donated cold children. 

Scaled to build a strong foundation achieving results, methodically approaches cost cutting and time saving measures getting nutria products to market.  Lack of a regional fur dressing facility increases measures by 80%.  Pelts due in August create a variety of samples for market evaluation.  Thinking home decor, not worn and will be more market friendly and simply constructed.  Dressed pelts will be marketed to any designer interested in purchasing until the resource is consumed. 

The concept’s scalable to any global market with an invasive species.

The implementation of the four principles which underpin natural capitalism make FOE Fur innovative.

• Radically increase the productivity of natural resources via changes to design, production and technology. The resulting savings in cost, capital investment and time will help to implement the other principles.
• Shift to biologically inspired production models and materials (fur), eliminate the concept of waste by modelling closed-loop production systems where every output is either returned harmlessly to the ecosystem as a nutrient or becomes an input for another manufacturing process.  We are inspired by H&M’s Looop technology which we would be excited to employ in this project.
• Move to a circularity business model by educating and encouraging consumers to translate their sustainable values into concrete actions. Involving consumers in the entire process helps create the kind of experience that goes beyond simply buying a product. They can trap, dress, sew, and wear their products or return them to be repurposed.
• Reinvest in natural capital. A nutria product eliminates an invasive species which makes the consumer feel good about reducing its and their environmental impact, we demonstrate social responsibility, and both parties benefit from reduced nutria destruction and the restoration and regeneration of the wetlands.

The Venice Nutria Rodeo was unable to dispose of over 1000 bodies last year, leaving a huge waste issue.  This is a prime example of the problem that can be solved.

As for pillows and blankets, this is a prototype operation, we do not currently serve anyone.  We are projecting that once the website is up and pre-selling that we will be serving our local community.  Within five years, we hope to be a guiding force in the preservation of the Gulf South wetlands and Mississippi Delta region.  

One pillow may serve one person or one family.  But many pillows and associated products will help fund and educate thousands of others.  If the ecological problem of wetland destruction due to nutria damage can be mitigated, the whole world will be positively affected.  A strengthened coast line protects millions of people, property and trade.  Once founded, we can create anyone of these consumer requested products:

Products: Headboard, European Pillow Shams, Eye Pillow, Cylinder Neck Pillow,  Slippers, Rug, Robe, Journal/Bible Cover, Upholstered Bench, Upholstered Chair, Curtain Trim,Dog Bed, Pom Pom Keychain, Backpack, Headband, Earrings, Cuffs, Purse, Hat, Wristband, Wristlet, Collar, Necklace, Photo Album Cover, Shoe Clips, Boot Toppers, Picture Frame, Needle Point Wedding Ring Pillow, Jewelry, Wallet, Classic Hat, Vest, Sports Vest, Bolero, Jacket, Hunting Coat, Lined Rain Coat, Oiled Hunting Jacket, Dog Vest, Auto Seat Cover, Full Length, Purse, Baby Bubble, Coat Stroller, Diaper Bag, Baby Bonnet, Baby Booties

In our first harvesting season, we would hope to claim the 400,000 pelts left wasted from the state tail bounty system.  Pelt's produce about 1.5 square foot textile with the remnants usable as trim products. Product average 2 per pillow, 11 per 50" x 36" throw blanket and 4 per Grow Foe kit.  Starting out with the assumption pillow sales are the easiest consumer ask, estimating 50% of the sales to pillows, 25% each throw blankets and coats.  This equates to 100,000 pillows and about 9000 throw blankets and 25,000 coat kits to use the waste from the tail tax bounty.  Monitoring statistics are published in the  Coastwide Nutria Control Program 2019-20 report.

Imagining the waste of all the collections that went unrecorded.  This needs to change and is why a fad fashion movement needs to popularize the consumption of this wasted sustainable textile.  As the market becomes more aware of FOE Fur's mission, we expect to expand the lines to generate more income to facilitate donating more coats to get these numbers elevated.  I've been encouraged to  work with the Feral Hog Task Force and LA Alligator Advisory, as well.

Caroline Wendt, Owner, Costume Couture Design Lab & Evangeline Wendt, daughter age 10 idea development

1 Public relations intern 10 hours week 

Contracted Labor: 1 Business Consultant, 1 Web and Marketing Consultant, 1 Intellectual Properties Attorney, 1 Furrier 

Pro Bono Labor: 1 Lobbyist, 3 mentors, countless friends and community members

Buy a pillow, save the planet!  Not since the 1988 movie Working Girl has as a team left no connection, skill set, talent or experience wasted. We are a mother-daughter team, two nature loving, glamping, up-cycling, fashionistas.  

Mother Caroline Wendt- enthusiastic, inquisitive, creative, hardworking, resourceful and resilient.  Motivation: teach child to find a way to afford what she wants.  Skills: BFA in Theater Production & Design, Entrepreneur, REALTOR, Contractor, Interior Designer, Carpentry, Up-cycling, Painting, Historical Tax Credits, Zoning, Safety & Permits, Insurance, Remediation-Flood Fire Mold & Hurricane Marketing, Event Planning, Fundraising, Sewing, Couture, Costume Designer, Milliner, Upholstery, Fur, Trapping, Boating, Research, Social Connections, Accounting, Management, Investment, Tour Guide, Culture- Mardi Gras Queen, Esthetician (potential spa product line)

Daughter Evangeline Rose Wendt (Miss Louisiana: National American Miss Junior PreTeen 2020, International United Miss Junior Preteen 2021 and America’s National Teenager Preteen 2021) smart, poised, funny, cultured, loving. Motivation: cancer philanthropist (Father 2011, Meré 2016), rent a show pony, use talents for public service platform against labor conditions and environmental effects of fast fashion.  Skills: Archery, Shooting, Acting, Voice, Writing, Modeling, Storytelling, Boating, Horseback Riding, 4-H, Public Relations

Costume Couture Design Lab is an S-Corp working towards  B Corp status, plans to develop Warm Hearts 4 Wetlands, will be a separate 501c3.  All will qualify as Certified Louisiana, Certified Cajun, Certified Creole, WBENC.  FDA  FOE Fur: Fostering Original Environment Certification status application planned to get the message out on using this unarmed, environmentally important textile.

FOE Fur is applying to http://gopropeller.org "A Source for Social Innovation" and http://www.fund17.org "Turning Hustles into Livelihoods in the 17 wards of New Orleans" which are 501c3 nonprofit that grows and supports entrepreneurs to tackle social and environmental disparities. Their vision is an inclusive and thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in New Orleans that responds to community needs and creates the conditions for an equitable future. FOE Fur wants to be a part of that community.

Both advisors' strategy is to build a critical mass of small businesses and nonprofits working to tackle disparities in community economic development, education, food, health, and water. These are areas identified as having significant inequities and proven market opportunities for local entrepreneurs to implement solutions. FOE Fur has aligned its goals with Propeller and hopes to add to and gain from their momentum.

This is an unusual business that mixes country and city people of all races, religions and preferences.  Access to many great universities in New Orleans, the unique culture of the Crescent City and the wide variety personal and business relationships developed over 31 years a wise eclectic mix of skills will be resourced.

Flood Wall Closing before Cristobal 6/6/2020

43356_FOE%20Katrina%20photo_1440x810.jpg

I am applying to SOLVE to access the amazing support and resources you offer to solve a very pressing problem in my community.  If we don't protect and restore the Louisiana Wetlands we will drown quite literally.  I make thing problem solving clothing and interior design plans.  Solve can facilitate the use of my skills and talents to remove a wasted textile from landfills resulting in better protection for our homes, culture, and way of life.

FOE Fur: Fostering Original Environment is a unique idea that has a wide potential to interact with regional community to international markets.  Gulf South safety partners this plan with a broad reach of mixed opportunities to aid in coastal erosion, invasive species, education services, economic stimulus, cultural and industrial.  This creates an enormous amount of networking and development for one person.  Needs:

Immediate: getting the children's story Naughty, Naughty Nutria edited, published/printed, business plan development including pitch, branding and sales path, printed logo fabric, B-Corp & WOSB Certification part time: business manager, grant writer, accountant

3 months: 2000-5000 sq ft studio/ warehouse, 2 skilled or apprentice technicians for fur dressing and manufacturing

6-9 months: 501c3 board development for Warm Hearts for Wetlands, non-profit manager, event coordinator.

And so on, sorry running out of time...

Great news 6/16! Marsh Dogis not closing

All correlate with FOE Fur:

ISeeChange, and in New Orleans

Grow Oyster Reefs

Rheaply

Queen of Raw

Air-Ink

Wave2O

The Renewal Workshop

Untapped

Green and Seed

MYCL

ColdHubs

GreenKeeper 

4-H Youth Wetlands Program

American Kennel Club

Artemis

Audubon Nature Institute

Barataria Terrebonne National Estuary Program

Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Indigenous Tribes

Captain Caviar Tours, John Burke

Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health

Children’s Charities

Clean Play Go

Coolition for Coastal Preservation

Delta Waterfowl Foundation

Design Society of America

Ducks Unlimited

Fashion Industry

Fur Industry

Garden and Gun Magazine

Houma Chamber of Commerce

Interior Design Industry

International Game Fish Association

Lafayette Chamber of Commerce

Laid off Film and Mardi Gras Industry

Lake Charles Chamber of Commerce

Lake Ponchatrain Basin Foundation

Louisiana Feral Hog Task Force

Louisiana Fur Advisory Board

Louisiana Fur Advisory Board Louisiana Sea Grant

Lousisana Wildlife and Fisheries

My Pillow

NASA

National Fur Trappers Association

National Rifle Association

National Wildlife Federation

New Orleans Center for the Gulf South

New Orleans Chamber of Commerce

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival

New Orleans Startup Fund

Nicholls University

North American Invasive Species Management Association

Oil and Gas Industries

Port of New Orleans

Small Business Administration

Southeastern University

Southern Living Magazine

Sportsmen/ Hunting MagazinesTourism Industry

Tulane University

US Department of Interior

US Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation

Venice Nutria Rodeo

Venture for America

Voodoo Festival, Any Regional Festival Eco tours

Whitetails unlimited

Wild Spotter

Working Dogs for Conservation

Style, We are women who are trying to change the face of fashion through sustainable means and advocate learning sewing skills to care for ones self and possible economic advancement.

Saving our wetlands will help save the oceans and is extremely important to the Louisiana fishing industry that directly effects my community.

Global hydrologic cycle is directly affected by Louisiana Wetlands.  Better wetlands create better air quality.

We would love to learn how blockchain can help save our wetlands.  The Grow Foe donated coat kit includes an educational platform where tweens/ preteens take classes from LA Wildlife and Fisheries, LA Fur Advisory Board and 4-H, sewing, to construct and create a coat with sustainable longevity.