Episcopal and Chilean Exchange Students Plant Cypress Trees in Fountanbleau State Park

15 Episcopal, environmental science students, and12 Chilean students from Colegio Concepcion San Pedro de la Paz, traveled to Fontainebleau State Park in St. Tammany on January 22, to plant 300 cypress trees that the students have been growing on campus since last spring.  The students were accompanied Dr. Kathleen Morden, Environmental Science Teacher;  Ms. Melissa Estremera, Upper School Science Instigator; Mrs. Sarah Pulliam, Science Department Chair; and Dr. Pam Blanchard,  LSU Associate Professor.

Last spring, Mrs. Pulliam's Tropical Ecology students along with 2nd graders, planted the seeds that were grown on campus in the Coastal Roots yard.

"Usually we go to the Bonnet Carre Spillway, but this year, of course the gates were opened and it was covered in water… so a no-go there,” explained Mrs. Pulliam.

Fontainebleau, which is on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, was hit pretty hard by Hurricane Katrina. The area was covered in about 8 feet of water. Consequently many of the trees were killed. For more information on Coastal Roots, visit their website. http://coastalroots.lsu.edu/
 
Episcopal has been participating in the Coastal Roots program for four seasons. This June, 12 Episcopal students will be traveling to Conception, Chili for a cultural exchange trip. 

​Great Job Episcopal Knights!