Arbor Day comes early in St. John with tree planting near library
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, January 18, 2006
45 trees being added to walking path
By MOLLY DRYMAN
Staff Reporter
LAPLACE — St. John the Baptist Parish will celebrate Arbor Day on Jan. 20 by planting 45 trees around the walking path located on Highway 51 by the St. John Library and Civic Center.
Director of Health and Human Services Raynette Lennix said she and Judge Tom Daley, Judge Sterling Snowdy, Greg Maurin with the Sheriff’s Department, Councilman Sean Roussel, Ricky Roussel, and LSU Ag Center’s Taharga Hart all worked together to bring this grant into the parish.
“Sean Roussel asked if it would be possible to get a grant to beautify the parish,” Lennix said. “We got together with the Keep St. John Beautiful Committee and started planning for the event.”
The 9,220 State Department of Agriculture and Forestry funded grant was in four phases.
Phase One was an educational workshop for teachers, Phase Two was to be a workshop for homeowners, but was delayed due to the hurricane and is postponed until February.
Phase Three was a contest for students with posters and essays describing the importance of Arbor Day, and Phase Four is the actual celebration with the tree-planting demonstration.
The program on Friday will begin at 10 a.m. at 2900 Highway 51 in LaPlace, between the newly constructed Civic Center and the LaPlace Library. It will consist of an Arbor Day Proclamation, reading from school children, presentation of awards to the Arbor Day Poster and Essay Contest winners and the tree planting demonstration.
The trees planted along the walking path include 18 Bald Cypress, 15 Red Maple and 12 Live Oak Trees. According to Lennix, the goal of the project is to increase the public’s awareness of the value and benefits of trees, proper tree care and to promote development that conserves and enhances community forestry through demonstrations.
“This is going to be a really nice addition to the Highway 51 development,” Councilman Roussel said.
“It is exciting the way the property is continuing to develop and a great way to dress it up,” he added.
