Lois Dufrene
January 7, 2008
A GOOD CALL: Alcorn satisfied about choosing life in stripes
January 9, 2008‘Tis the season to recycle your Christmas trees in Lafourche Parish.
Non-profit organization Les Reflection du Bayou has arranged for the trees to be collected on Jan. 10-12 and Jan. 17-19.
In its 12th year, the curbside tree collection helps control coastal erosion in the parish; it is spearheaded by Les Reflection du Bayou Director Deanna McKneely.
McKneely said residents should simply place their trees at the curb, separate from garbage and trash
items, for pick-up during these periods. Residents can also drop off trees at Thibodaux, Central Lafourche and South Lafourche high schools.
All trees should be bare, without ornaments, flocking, tinsel or stands. Only green trees – no artificial ones – will be accepted.
According to Jerome Danos, spokesman for the Lafourche Parish Government, Les Reflection du Bayou received a grant from the state to administer the program locally. He said McKeely is responsible for the program as well as the placement of the trees. The trees will be put in waterways behind the Golden Meadow levee and Port Fourchon.
“Our mission is to protect, clean and beautify the banks and roadsides of Bayou Lafourche and its surrounding communities and to build community pride and environmental awareness through volunteerism, education and collaboration,” McKneely said.
Les Reflection representatives and community volunteers have built cribs in the waterline, away from the main land, where the trees are placed every year.
“We placed the trees in the make-shift cribs so that they can decompose and cause sediment to build up, which increases some of the ground in the area,” she said. “The trees also catch the wave action which prevents erosion of the main lands.”
McKneely said she hopes beautification organizations in Houma and Morgan City will arrange for tree collection in their area.
“If the people collect enough trees in the area, we can arrange for a truck to pick them up,” she said.
McKneely said volunteers are also needed for the tree project. She encourages residents to visit her office at 14833 Highway 1 in Cut Off, call (985) 632-6040 or send an e-mail to reflections@mobiletel.com.
All trees placed on the curb after Jan. 19 will be picked up with the regular garbage pick-up.
In Terrebonne Parish, the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program also has a Christmas tree project to help preserve Louisiana’s wetland.
The project is designed to protect critical habitats and give something back to Louisiana’s estuary.
BTNEP representatives will discard the Christmas trees into the wetlands on Jan. 12 at 8 a.m. near Cochiara’s Marina in Lafitte.
Volunteer workers and shallow draft boats are needed.
Interested parties should contact Mel Landry at (985) 447-0686 or send an e-mail to mel@btnep.org.
