Earlier this year, I went on the Ancient Tree Bike and Hike with a good friend. He is a professor of Plant Science, an arborist and just a generally cool guy. Among other nicknames, I call him the Maestro. He conducts a bike/hike around New Iberia, Louisiana. As a tree lover, I had been wanting to attend one of his tours but the timing was never quite right. Well, one day he offered to do a private tour for my husband and I. We immediately jumped at the chance. It was a wonderful tour! I learned for the first time about the Live Oak Society (http://www.lgcfinc.org/live-oak-society.html) whose members are all old trees with one human chairperson.
The live oak society was founded in 1934 by Dr. Edwin Louis Stephens, who was the first president of Southwestern Louisiana Institute (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette). It's purpose is to "promote the culture, distribution, preservation and appreciation of the live oak tree, scientifically known as Quercus virginiana."
During our tour, we got to see many very old live oak trees around the city of New Iberia. While they were all amazing, one in particular was my favorite. Our tour guide calls it the "Green Cathedral".
So anyway, to get to the point, this tour inspired my husband and I to seek out old and unique trees around South Louisiana. We have found several members of the Live Oak Society both accidentally and on purpose. It has been very educational and spiritual. Some of these trees are hundreds of years old. It is very humbling to stand in their presence and to imagine the things they have seen during their lifetime. This blog will be a collection of our adventures and quest for ancient and awesome trees.
