| | Four-year-old Stella Lacroix, of Baton Rouge, plants a tree at Arbor Day. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter |
| | | LSU Vice President for Agriculture Bill Richardson, left, plants a tree with Louisiana state forester Wade Dubea. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter |
| | | LSU AgCenter associate vice chancellor Rogers Leonard, AgCenter forestry economist Shaun Tanger and state forester Wade Dubea visit after planting trees at Arbor Day. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter |
| | | Smokey Bear takes a break in the shade of a much larger Smokey Bear. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter |
| | | The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry provided seedlings to plant at Arbor Day. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter |
| | | Children who attended Arbor Day at Burden received wood “cookies,” which are slices of small trees. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter |
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News Release Distributed 01/19/15
BATON ROUGE, La. – Blue skies and crisp temperatures made Saturday, Jan. 17, the perfect day to celebrate Arbor Day at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden. Children and adults alike headed into the Burden Woods to plant trees and explore the scenery along trails.
Families were given GPS coordinates of their seedlings so they can track their growth. They also received seedlings to take home and plant. The seedlings were provided by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.
Other activities included hayrides and storytelling. Smokey Bear was on hand for photos.
The Arbor Day festivities also taught attendees some important lessons about forestry, which is Louisiana’s No. 1 agricultural commodity.
“The importance of Arbor Day is to help spread awareness about the importance of trees to the environment, our everyday lives and economy,” said Jeff Kuehny, resident director of the Botanic Gardens. “Arbor Day is also about educating the general public on the types of trees that are best for planting in their region, how to plant them and maintain them.”
In 2013, Louisiana forestry production was valued at $2.88 billion, according to the LSU AgCenter Agricultural Summary.
Proceeds from Arbor Day support Project Learning Tree, a program conducted by the Burden Horticulture Society for Louisiana schools.
Olivia McClure |