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uaks of BSL - The Fourt' ird Cleaver
http://vvwv fourthward.com/saving-the-live-oaks-of-bsl.html
the road that weathered countless storms, or a tree wide enough to hide behind when playing hide and seek or stealing a kiss. Shawn says that one of the joys of her work is hearing stories about the tree from those who know its special history.
The oldest oak in Bay St. Louis, named Ouida Sue, grows at 526 Citizen Street. Kevin Stouder and his wife Chris, named the oak in honor of Kevin’s aunt, Ouida Sue Parker. Kevin inherited the property from his aunt and unde. Ouida and John Parker.
If you would like to register a tree, or even more than one, Shawn invites you to contact her by calling the Hancock County Historical Society at 228.467.4090. Interested folks may also email Shawn at www.treeregistry@gmail.com. A simple one-page registration form may be downloaded and once submitted, the process gets underway. Shawn will set up an appointment with you to come out and measure the tree or trees and record the necessary data for trees that qualify. Individual certificates for each tree are provided free of charge and plaques may be ordered for a small fee.
A native Canadian, Shawn found her way to Bay St. Louis some 22 years ago, when her husband, Woody, a biologist, landed a job at Stennis in the Naval Research Lab; since Katrina, he has worked at Stennis with NOAA fisheries. Believe it or not, her husband's real first name is Redwood, and his siblings also were named after trees. Shawn and Woody may have created a tradition by naming their (now-grown) daughters, Willow, age 25, and Aspen, age 23. Their children share their parent’s interest in nature. One loves collecting mushrooms, a veritable "mushroom hunter." while another is working on a masters degree in sustainable living.
Documenting century-old trees has become for Shawn “a passion.’ She has addressed classrooms of children, telling stories about Bay St.
Louis' “Living Landmarks" and great oaks that now are gone. One oak, located at the base of Main Street and the beach and destroyed in the hurricane of 1893, was named the Treaty Oak. Could it be that under that tree, Bienville himself may have conducted important negotiations? Weaving together biology and history, Shawn is delighted to speak to a class or dub about respecting and preserving our community's live oaks and the historical events surrounding the oaks in Bay St. Louis.
Shawn hopes that more can be done to bring attention to the value live oaks add to our community. For instance, Bay St. Louis could follow Gautier's lead by publishing a pamphlet for the public showing the location of historical trees. Waveland is on track to become a “Tree City,” a spedal designation awarded to a munidpality when certain standards are met.
Shawn relates that the Native Americans who once peopled this area had a saying that showed respect and reverence for the environment. In English, the saying is thus: When we walk through a forest, if a tree is in our path, we do not go through a tree. We go around it
Shawn couldn’t agree more.
To repeat: If you would like to register a tree, or even more than one, Shawn invites you to contact her by calling the Hancock County Historical Society at 228.467.4090. Interested folks may also email Shawn at www.treeregistry@gmail.com.
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3/5/12 12:48 PM