January 17, 2023 New Orleans, La.
The Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative (LICI) planted more Louisiana irises in their multiyear project along the shoreline of a lagoon at the Louisiana Children's Museum in New Orleans' City Park on January 15, 2023. Two volunteers from LICI planted 150 I. giganticaerulea species of the Louisiana iris that came from our iris rescue program.
Julia Bland, the Executive Director of the Louisiana Children's Museum in City Park when this photo was taken, was instrumental in having the Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative begin its iris restoration project in 2021 along the shoreline of a lagoon that is part of the museum property. The photo is of Julia standing next to the first iris that bloomed in April of 2022.
LICI's iris restoration project at the museum's lagoon is one of six where the group is planting rescued irises in public parks. The plantings in these locations allow the irises to be in locations where they can be seen by the public as they are blooming to help to achieve their goal of raising awareness of the Louisiana iris. The irises will also be accessible to LICI in future years to be thinned out so they can be used in their other projects. The irises plantings at these parks are typically done along the edges of ponds or lagoons, so they will not require any maintenance since they will be growing in a natural setting.
Photo: The irises from LICI's 2022 planting are doing well and are multiplying.
LICI's plan is to eventually have the entire lagoon shoreline covered with the I. giganticaerulea species of the Louisiana iris. It is located directly across the lagoon from the main entrance into the museum, which is located under a huge covered area that also has seating for the museum's cafe. The irises are also adjacent to a bridge that allows access to the museum from Roosevelt Mall Blvd. "It is a great site. The irises will be growing in a high-profile location where hundreds of people will be able to see them when they bloom, which will achieve the museum's and our goal for the project," says LICI's Gary Salathe.
Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative's volunteer, Kristy Wallisch, is seen with the newly planted irises she helped plant in LICI's iris restoration project at the Louisiana Children's Museum in New Orleans' City Park on January 15, 2023.