Acorns of Hope - Save the Gulf Coast!!

I've had the honor of meeting Bob Thibodeaux and having Bob's Tree team of experts work to save the Live Oak on our property. His Acorns of Hope project kicks into its second year of riding to plant Live Oak saplings along the Gulf Coast. As these young trees strengthen over the years to protect the coastline from erosion, our own personal involvement and education is critical in the preservation success. Please visit the links below to learn more about the work. Be sure to tell plenty of your friends and support the project. Thanks!




Last week Bob visited La Printaniere Montessori School here in Baton Rouge to teach the children about the mighty Live Oaks. I attended, and The Advocate was there reporting too. I was so excited to see the story was published today in the People section.

Acorns of Hope


Advocate staff photo by TRAVIS SPRADLING/
Church Point arborist Bob Thibodeaux answers a question from Chase Henderson, 8, about growing live oaks to replace ones lost in recent hurricanes.


Arborist planting trees along coastal Louisiana with help from bicyclists
By ED CULLEN
Advocate staff writer
Published: Nov 13, 2008 - UPDATED: 11:23 a.m.

Church Point arborist Bob Thibodeaux practices tough love at his 100-acre tree farm northwest of Lafayette.

His live oaks grow without the benefit of fertilizer or water, other than rainfall. If a tree in Thibodeaux’s stock at Bob’s Tree Preservation blows over, Thibodeaux doesn’t set it back up. He yanks it.

“They only get watered at the time I put them in the ground,” Thibodeaux said. “Now, boy, sometimes I’m praying for rain.”

Thibodeaux’s trees go through the equivalent of Marine boot camp. If a tree makes it out of his nursery, it will survive in nature.

After many old live oaks were blown down in hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, Thibodeaux dedicated himself, with the help of volunteers, to planting 2,000 trees a year for the next five years across coastal Louisiana.

Full story





Country Roads Magazine
November 18 - November 23
Knowing Nature
Acorns of Hope
Statewide, La

Cycling arborists will pedal across Southwest Louisiana for the tree planting and education initiative, Acorns of Hope, which features various events along the way. Led by Cajun arborist Bob Thibodeaux, an array of tree advocates including elected officials, 4-H'ers, community volunteers and the cycling arborists plan to plant two thousand live oaks during a 250-mile bicycle ride ride along hurricane-damaged coastal Louisiana. Doubing in size in its second year, the ride will feature daily stops to help restore ecosystems in the following cities during the tour: Grand Couteau (November 19), Abbeville (November 20), Morgan City (November 21), and the Houma-Terrebone area (November 22 and 23).
Everyone is invited to wish the cyclists well at the kickoff November 18, starting with breakfast at Opelousas General Hopsital at 7:30 am, and followed by an 8 am departure to Seven Sisters Live Oaks in Washington. Opelousas will hold activities that day including public tree education and planting. Due to the recently damaged cycling paths, organizers had not quite pinned down all of the details by this writing, so to find out more, call (337) 232-8733 or go to www.bobstree.com.




God's Groundskeeper
The message for those called to serve comes in many forms. For Bob Thibodeaux it was a pecan in his pocket.
Melinda Walsh
MARCH 2008