MANDEVILLE, LA - After hearing about how drastic budget cuts are causing many state parks to close or limit services, with more future closures possible, the Sierra Club Delta Chapter took action, mobilizing members of its northshore Honey Island Group this past weekend to pick up their gardening tools and pitch in to perform valuable maintenance work at Fontainebleau State Park in Mandeville, Louisiana.
This past Saturday, around a dozen Sierra Club volunteers arrived at Fontainebleau State Park armed with their own trowels, clippers, shovels and bagged lunches, ready to assist the heavily depleted state park maintenance staff with its beautification work.
“The front entrance garden is where we focused a lot of energy, but we also had people working in the back of the park doing weeding and pressure-washing,” said Michele Johnson, Honey Island Group Chairman.
The group dug out three huge dead sago palms at the front entrance of the park, casualties of the unusually cold temperatures the Northshore endured this past winter, in addition to clearing out other dead growth throughout the park. The front entrance garden was then re-planted with perennials.
“We couldn’t have done this without the generous donations of plants and advice from Banting’s Nursery in Lacombe,” said Margie Vicknair-Pray, Sierra Club Delta Chapter Conservation Coordinator. “Jill and Michelle, two of the staff members at Banting’s, gave us excellent advice and direction.”
The group also spread wildflower seed near the gateway ranger station where visitors stop to pay fees and get information.
“We are hoping that the wildflowers bloom and give a good first impression of the park while visitors wait in line at the station,” said Vicknair-Pray.
“For years the Sierra Club has enjoyed the beautiful facilities at Fontainebleau State Park, so it was only natural that when they needed help, we were here to help keep this valuable state asset in top shape for all to enjoy,” said Johnson.
The group hopes to lend a hand at Fontainebleau State Park monthly, with the next clean up day set for Saturday, March 17, when the group will focus on painting stripes in the parking lot and more pressure washing. For more information, to get involved, or to help defray the cost of supplies, please visit www.sierraclub.org/louisiana or email the Honey Island Group directly at sierra.honeyisland@gmail.com.
To learn more about state park budget cuts, click here.