As New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region rebuild from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, LaRoots promotes smarter, better rebuilding.

Katrina Free Tree Giveaway Campaign is LaRoots first Nature Speaks initiative.

On November 18th in New Orleans' City Park near Popp's Bandstand, LaRoots volunteers with the able assistance of local Girl Scouts, distributed all 1100 bald cypress, black gum, red oak, and red maple trees to New Orleanians from several parishes who are eager to restore the urban tree canopy.

Because of the overwhelming number of participants, we distributed the trees by asking for the tree preference and the number of trees each person wanted and could plant that day (up to 5). 

  Less than an hour and a half later, the seedlings were on their way.

We left a message to those who may have come by later in the day that LaRoots has hopes of receiving more trees for our community in upcoming National Arbor Day and National Audubon Society initiatives,  perhaps as soon as this spring. 

Special thanks to Dr Mark LaSalle of Audubon Mississippi for organizing the Katrina Tree Giveaway, to WDSU for their coverage, and to City Park for offering the Popps Bandstand for our distribution.

Nature Speaks - Part 2

END CYPRESS MULCH - Louisiana needs every cypress tree it has, and cypress trees that are logged will not be replaced by mature trees soon enough to warrant their destruction. 

As we rebuild our own landscapes, sometimes before we rebuild our homes, we can seek local alternatives to Cypress Mulch, which include shredded tires, pine needles, and pine bark.

To join efforts to eliminate Cypress Mulch from the shelves of Wal-Mart, K-mart, Home Depot and Lowes, and to see an eye-popping group of aerial photographs www.SaveOurCypress.org 12/1/06

NATURE SPEAKS  and LaRoots is listening - hopeful and smart rebuilding ideas.

Send mail to LaRoots@cox.net  with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 08/01/08