News Release Distributed 12/01/15

BATON ROUGE, La. – The seventh annual Arbor Day at Burden in the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden has been scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Festivities will be held at the Barton Arboretum, celebrating the restoration of the James Wandersee Palmetto Walk, the Mosaic Black Swamp Boardwalk and the Early American Camellia Collection.

Visitors will have the opportunity to plant a tree grown by Botanic Gardens volunteers to help reforest Burden Woods, which was damaged by Hurricane Gustav, said Botanic Gardens resident director Jeff Kuehny. Each individual or family who plants a tree will be given a certificate with GPS coordinates so they can monitor the growth of the tree they plant.

Other activities will include a scavenger hunt, lumberjack demonstrations, hayrides and more.

Children between the ages of 3 and 8 are invited to enjoy a book reading during StoryTime. Supported in part by the Junior League of Baton Rouge, the program will begin at 9 a.m. with readings and activities starting every 30 minutes with the last reading at 10:30 a.m. All children participating in the program must be accompanied by an adult.

Arbor Day at Burden is presented by the LSU AgCenter, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry and the Burden Horticulture Society, which welcome participants of all ages.

Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children, with children 3 years old and younger free. Funds support the Project Learning Tree program for Louisiana school children.

The Botanic Gardens at Burden is located off Interstate 10 at 4560 Essen Lane in Baton Rouge. For more information, contact the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at 225-763-3990.