Louisiana Master Naturalists of Greater New Orleans

Volunteers from the Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative will be working with volunteers from Common Ground Relief planting bare-root cypress and live oak tree seedlings at the US Fish & Wildlife Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge on Wednesday and Thursday January 12th & 13th.

We'll start at 8:30 AM and work until 2:30 PM with about a 45 minute break for lunch.

This event is open to the public.

Common Ground Relief is partnering with us for this project to reforest areas of the refuge near the boardwalk. 15 college students from the Saint Paul's Catholic Student Center at the University of Wisconsin - Madison that will be in NOLA for a week of service activities organized by Common Ground Relief will be participating.

We started off a few months ago with a goal of clearing an area of shoreline swamp of invasive Chinese Tallow trees to create areas for irises to be planted. The goal was expanded into killing off all of the tallow trees in the boardwalk area by next fall once our volunteers discovered cypress and live oak trees that had been planted in the past by other volunteers that were being crowded and shaded by the faster growing tallow trees. Some of those areas now need to be replanted with trees that historically have grown in the ridge forest of the refuge.

The tree seedlings that will be planted are being donated by Common Ground Relief.

Rubber rain boots or old shoes that can get muddy are recommended, although we will be planting the trees on higher land and not going out into the swamp.
If you have a favorite long handled shovel, please bring it. Some will be available for the volunteers.

We will have water and bug spray. Bath rooms are on site.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Please contact us by email if you would like to register for this event. Feel free to also email us with any questions: licisaveirises@gmail.com