Thibodaux named one of 7 Best Downtowns in Louisiana
August 14, 2024
LDWF, CCA, and Raising Cane’s Owner and Founder Todd Graves Partnering to Install Artificial Reef in Grand Isle
August 14, 2024
Plant lovers, mark your calendars! The Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program (BTNEP) will be hosting a Native Plant Giveaway this September to help promote healthy ecosystems in our community.
The giveaway will take place on Saturday, September 14, 2024 from 8:00 AM-12:00 PM at the BTNEP Native Plant Nursery (104 Thoroughbred Park Drive in Thibodaux). BTNEP’s upcoming Native Plant Giveaway will include a variety of native shrubs, trees, and pollinator plants, such as lemon bee balm, burgamot, Indian blanket flowers, red mulberry, honey locust, American beauty berry, and much more.
“We will be giving away a variety of different plants to encourage people to plant native in their own backyard gardens,” explained Natalie Waters with BTNEP. “We are excited to interact with the public and teach them about why it is so important to plant native, to attract pollinators, birds, and to help our environment.” Planting native species in your yard is vitally important to supporting local ecosystems, and your choice of landscaping can help save birds, insects, and other Louisiana animals.
Here are some major benefits of native gardens, provided by the National Audubon Society:
- LOW MAINTENANCE
- Once established, native plants generally require little maintenance.
- BEAUTY
- Many native plants offer beautiful showy flowers, produce abundant colorful fruits and seeds, and brilliant seasonal changes in colors from the pale, thin greens of early spring, to the vibrant yellows and reds of autumn.
- HEALTHY PLACES FOR PEOPLE
- Lawns and the ubiquitous bark-mulched landscapes are notorious for requiring profuse amounts of artificial fertilizers and synthetic chemical pesticides and herbicides. The traditional suburban lawn, on average, has 10x more chemical pesticides per acre than farmland. By choosing native plants for your landscaping, you are not only helping wildlife, but you are creating a healthier place for yourself, your family, and your community.
- HELPING THE CLIMATE
- Landscaping with native plants can combat climate change. In addition to the reduced noise and carbon pollution from lawn mower exhaust, many native plants, especially long-living trees like oaks and maples, are effective at storing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.
- CONSERVING WATER
- Because native plants are adapted to local environmental conditions, they require far less water, saving time, money, and perhaps the most valuable natural resource, water.
- WILDLIFE
- In addition to providing vital habitat for birds, many other species of wildlife benefits as well. The colorful array of butterflies and moths, including the iconic monarch, the swallowtails, tortoiseshells, and beautiful blues, are all dependent on very specific native plant species. Native plants provide nectar for pollinators including hummingbirds, native bees, butterflies, moths, and bats. They provide protective shelter for many mammals. The native nuts, seeds, and fruits produced by these plants offer essential foods for all forms of wildlife.
BTNEP is one of 28 National Estuary Programs throughout the United States and its territories. Congress established the National Estuary Program (NEP) through section 320 of the Clean Water Act in 1987. The Barataria-Terrebonne estuarine complex became a National Estuary in 1990. BTNEP was established in recognition of the national significance of this estuary system. For more information, please visit their website.
