January 20, 2022 Lockport, La.
Volunteers from the Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative (LICI) have begun what they hope will be a multi-year cypress tree planting project at the Lockport, La. Elevated Wetlands Boardwalk. The new tree planting initiative is in response to the huge number of trees that were blown over during Hurricane Ida's August 29, 2021 landfall along the coast of south-central Louisiana. The storm passed directly over Lockport.
This aerial photo of the Lockport boardwalk taken this winter shows the huge number of trees that were blown over when Hurricane Ida did a direct hit on the area. Fortunately, not many of the large cypress trees were effected. Photo courtesy of Henry Cancienne.
The cypress tree planting took place on January 19th. This first LICI tree planting was a first small step toward what is hoped with be a couple of hundred trees planted later in 2022. The trees were donated by Common Ground Relief.
The cypress trees were planted along the edge of openings where Louisiana irises were planted in late 2021. LICI volunteers, left to right, Connie Adams, Mike Glaspell and Gary Salathe did the tree planting. They were assisted on the boardwalk by Henry Cancienne. Photo courtesy of Henry Cancienne.
A bald eagle sat in a nearby tree and watched the group work. Photo courtesy of Henry Cancienne.
"Each new forest requires that the first tree gets planted, no matter how small it is," said LICI's Gary Salathe. The group planted twenty-one cypress trees.
As the volunteers went out away from the boardwalk they discovered many more openings in the swamp that could use some new trees being planted within them. The plans are for LICI and Common Ground Relief to try and located a grant opportunity to purchase significantly more trees for replanting these areas next winter.