Acorns helping restore coast

By Paul Kedinger
LSN STAFF WRITER

Louisiana is losing ground ... coastal ground, to be specific, and the outlook appears glum, to say the least.
Louisiana’s leaders, politicians, business and industries dependent on the coastal regions are pleading for federal funds to halt the erosion and restore the coastal buffer.
An Acadia Parish man, however, isn’t waiting for federal dollars. Armed with a dream and strengthened by a firm commitment, Bob Thibodeaux of Church Point believes his “Acorns of Hope” and a small army of volunteers can accomplish much.
Thibodeaux’s enthusiasm prompted a small family to travel from Oregon to spend four days on a so-called “Tour des Trees” in coastal Louisiana.
Terrill and Janet Collier of Portland, Oregon, expressed their admiration for arborist Thibodeaux during an interview conducted at the Daboval Bed and Breakfast here on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
On the next day, the Colliers and some 18 other volunteers were going to meet in Lake Charles and begin the first leg of a 250-mile bicycle tour of Louisiana’s coastal areas.
“Our tandem bicycle is arriving by truck from Texas,” explained Janet Collier, a native of Ponchatoula, who was surrounded by family members from the “Strawberry Capital of Louisiana” in a happy reunion.
Less than an hour before, the Colliers and their son Quintin, 11, had landed at the Lafayette Airport.
Terrill Collier, a board certified master arborist, explained the mission of Thibodeaux’s “Acorns of Hope” was to reforest coastal cheniers with Live Oak seedlings gathered from one “Mother” tree shown to produce seedlings with a faster growth rate and straight main trunk.
The “Orange Island” Live Oak was chosen for its superior vigor and adaptability to the coastal areas and excellent resistance to hurricane force winds.
“The trees will anchor the soil and soften the waves,” Collier added.
Thibodeaux, who owns Bob’s Tree Preservation Company, is the initiator, main contact person and project coordinator for “Acorns of Hope.”
Thibodeaux has made a commitment of 2,000 seedlings grown from local acorns to this year’s “Tour des Trees.
Though reforestation is the main goal for the Colliers and others embarking on the “tour” for four day, educating children and adults of the urgency and necessity for preserving the coastal land will also be emphasized.
On the first day, for example, after a 40-mile bicycle trip, the group planted trees and conduct an educational presentation at South Cameron Elementary School. The day closed with a tree planting and dinner at the Rockefeller Reserve.
Abbeville was the destination for the second day, where they were to plant trees and consult with townspeople on tree preservation and beautification. A meeting with Keep Abbeville Beautiful was also on the agenda.
After spending the night in New Iberia and conducted an early morning tree planting there, the group pedaled 29 miles to Franklin where former Governor Mike Foster provided lunch at Oaklawn Plantation. The afternoon was spent at various planting sites and educational presentation at St. Mary Parish schools and the garden club. The day concluded with dinner after a 29-mile bike trip to Morgan City.
The four-day tour conducted on Saturday, Nov. 22, with the group biking to Houma where they met with members of the Terrebonne Tree Board.