Hello Friends,
Jay Addison here — you might know me as a founding member of the Land Trust, owner of Pine Knoll Farm and Cherokee Beach, an ardent conservationist, and lover of Louisiana land. I’m writing to you today to let you know how much I appreciate your help at For the Love of Land!
On February 12 we gathered at Cherokee Beach to clean up some of the extensive trash that Hurricane Ida revealed on the property. Once a popular campground and tubing site on the Tangipahoa River, we found lots of evidence of past revelry… piles of degrading inner tubes, a boom box, a beach chair, many vintage beer bottles, and more. The Land Trust has big plans for this place that include placing a conservation easement, developing a memorial research forest, and maintaining trails for researchers and people who want to experience the land. With your help, we made a great start! We’ll be keeping you updated on the rest of the journey.
What you may not know is that this property was the beginning of the Land Trust for Louisiana story. I’ve known about this special place on the Tangipahoa since I was a child growing up nearby. While studying Biology and Agriculture at SLU I began working as the Farm Manager at Pine Knoll Farm, located directly across the river. This made me appreciate the importance of protecting and maintaining land on the banks of this ecologically significant river, and after purchasing the Pine Knoll in 2000 I began making inquiries about protecting Cherokee Beach.
Eventually, I realized that in order to protect the property, I would have to buy it… and that Louisiana really needed a locally-based land trust in order to conserve properties like Cherokee Beach all over the state. With the help of many passionate people, Land Trust for Louisiana came into existence in 2004. It’s incredible to think about the strides we’ve made since then!
This year we’ll be pushing Cherokee Beach further along the path to conservation, closing on more properties across Louisiana, and creating plenty of opportunities to experience the beauty of nature with our supporters. Thank you for working alongside us to preserve Louisiana’s wonderful natural legacy… we couldn’t do it without you!
For the love of land and waters,
Dr. Jay Addison
CEO and Founding Member
Land Trust for Louisiana
