2012 Arbor Day

Lafayette Garden Club and Lafayette Consolidated Government observe Arbor Day


Friday, January 20, 2012, by planting a memorial live oak tree on Camellia Boulevard
           

A 50-year-old Arbor Day celebration, sponsored by Lafayette Garden Club and Lafayette Consolidated
 
Government and attended by a large crowd of City officials, guests and Garden Club members, was held on

Friday, January 20, at 2:00 p.m., with a program and planting of a live oak tree at the corner of Camellia Boulevard
 
and Mt. Vernon Drive, across from St. Barnabas Church. This green space was created when dozens of homes
 
were removed to build the Camellia Bridge in the late 1990's. 

 

Gretchen Stewart, Chair of Lafayette Garden Club’s Arbor Day Committee, welcomed everyone, and

introduced Tom Carroll, Director of Public Works for Lafayette Consolidated Government, who reported on visions
 
for tree planting and landscaping in Lafayette, and introducing Jeff Olivier, Grounds Maintenance Foreman.
 
Roxanna Champagne, Lafayette Garden Club President, talked about the 24 local schools the Club is providing
 
with trees and seedlings, stating that the Live Oak Society is under the auspices of Louisiana Garden Club.
 
Lafayette Garden Club’s Live Oak Committee is chaired by Gretchen Stewart.

Jim Foret, of the Department of Renewable Resources and University of Louisiana at Lafayette, stated

there’s now a tree protection plan in place for ULL’s live oak trees. Jeff Olivier introduced Neil Bob, Lafayette

Consolidated Government’s labor foreman.

Ms. Stewart announced that we are today honoring recently deceased Garden Club members: Betty
 
Clarke, Irene Trahan, and May Thibeaux, and that the tree has been donated in honor of Club member Joanna
 
Broussard’s husband, Ed. Ms. Stewart then introduced special guests: Joe Clarke and Suzanne Clark, members

of Betty Clarke’s family, and Clayton Thibeaux, son of May Thibeaux.  Gil Futch, Grounds Maintenance

Supervisor directed the planting of this young live oak tree at the corner of Camellia Boulevard and

Cambridge Drive.

TreesAcadiana Arbor Day

President Sarah Schoeffler (and Lafayette Garden Club member) organized over 100 volunteers to plant 37 native

trees along the railroad tracks on Garfield St. in the old Port Pico neighborhood. Read more

Building Greener Cities