IRIS PLANTING EVENT

IRIS PLANTING EVENT @ Longfellow Evangeline SHS  Thursday, November 21st  from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm

Help Louisiana irises grow again along Bayou Teche. On Thursday November 21, the Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative (LICI) is gathering volunteers to plant I. giganticaerulea irises near the bayou at Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site. This type of iris once grew in vast numbers along Bayou Teche and is also the Louisiana state wildflower.

The iris restoration project at Longfellow-Evangeline seeks to:
? Introduce the public to this wonderful native plant and how its habitat is threatened across south Louisiana.
? Support the TECHE Project non-profit?s efforts to show landowners along Bayou Teche that native plants can be used to stabilize the shoreline instead of concrete rip-rap.
? Create a future source of I. giganticaerulea irises for other plantings within the site, especially along the park's Bayou Teche shoreline if the cutgrass can be removed.
? Increase tourism for the town when visitors come to Longfellow and to the St. Martinville Cultural Heritage Center to see the irises bloom each spring.

Rubber rain boots and long pants are recommended. Please bring a long-handled shovel if you have one.

Volunteers will meet at Longfellow?s interpretive center at 9:30 am then head toward the bayou. Volunteers who want to limit their steps may park near the bridge at the back of the park. Park staff and other volunteers will be of further assistance to the planting site. 
Longfellow-Evangeline opens at 9:00 am, so volunteers may arrive early. Planting will begin soon after 9:30 AM and finish when all of the irises are planted or noon, whichever comes first.
Please send an email to [email protected] to register and for any questions about the event. Also call Longfellow Evangeline SHS at: (337)394-3754 for more details. This event is weather permitting. All help will be greatly appreciated.

Hours of Operation: Daily 9:00am to 5:00pm
Admission Fee: $4.00 for ages 4 to 61