January 2023 Newsletter — SHREVEPORT GREEN

Litter meetings, Arbor Month, ShreveCorps news, staff changes, garden update

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Litter meetings to address solutions

Litter in our area has become so much more than just trash on the roadside – it has become an economic indicator and an open invitation to crime. Caddo Parish is lagging behind in growth and surging ahead in crime.

This week, Shreveport/Caddo Parish has a wonderful opportunity to learn how to improve the look and prosperity of our communities.

Rick Moore, a litter enforcement officer who works with the Lt. Governor’s Office, will be in our area to share a program that has made a huge impact in visible litter on roads in St. Tammany Parish and other parishes across the state. It is directed at the constables and justices of the peace.

A meeting with Moore for JP's and constables will be held at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11, at the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Substation, 2510 Viking Drive, Bossier City. Breakfast will be offered and an interesting and important message shared.

At 1 p.m. that afternoon, Moore will give a different presentation focusing on education, enforcement and cleanups geared toward volunteers, businesses and nonprofits at Shreve Memorial Library's Broadmoor Branch, 1212 Captain Shreve Drive.

We hope you'll encourage any JP's or constables you know to attend the morning meeting and that you will attend the afternoon meeting.

Just think what a well-organized, committed coalition of litter partners could accomplish in Northwest Louisiana!

Farewell and welcome!

We waved goodbye to ShreveCorps program director Emilie Harmeyer in December and put out the welcome mat for two new staffers the same month.

Emilie left us after seven and a half years of service to the community, first as the Mobile Market coordinator and then as ShreveCorps program director. Emilie treasures her time with Shreveport Green for the opportunity to help people in need as well as to lead more than 100 ShreveCorps members in thousands of service hours to improve the lives of thousands of children.

"All that’s left for me to say is a great big THANK YOU to Shreveport Green and the Shreveport Green community – for the opportunities, for the memories and for the love you have shown me over the years. It has been a great joy of my life to grow alongside this organization for so long."

Mallori Sanders is the new ShreveCorps AmeriCorps program director.

Mallori will recruit, train and supervise a team that helps build a culture of health in Shreveport’s 19 food deserts by providing nutrition lessons, enhanced with hands-on gardening activities, cooking and taste-testing, to more than 600 children annually.

Previously, Mallori was an educator for Caddo Parish Schools.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Northwestern State University, a aster’s degree in criminology from Loyola State University, and a master’s in secondary education from Northwestern State University. In her spare time, Mallori likes to read, kayak, bike and camp alongside her husband and three children.

“For most of my life, I have searched for the perfect career that blended my love of education and my desire to work on the ground floor, searching for ways to heal the root of the problems harming our communities." she said. "I am so excited to finally feel at home!”

Isabella Brown is our new ShreveCorps assistant program director. She was born in Mandeville and now lives in Shreveport. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, reading, and playing with her dog named Mowgli. Isabella recently graduated from Centenary College of Louisiana with her bachelor's in biology and minor in Spanish with all honors.

Isabella was a ShreveCorps member in the spring term of 2022 where she discovered her passion for working in the community. Once Isabella finished her term she decided to continue to be a part of Shreveport Green by interning with the program director.

“It has been such a great opportunity so far and I am so excited to gain more knowledge, work throughout the community and learn from my coworkers," she said.

Helping hands

We were honored to have members of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity from Louisiana Tech University lend us a helping hand last week. Alongside our entire Shreveport Green crew, the guys planted six memorial trees in Betty Virginia Park and cleared the dead foliage outside of our building, along I-49, that had been left over from 2021's "Snowmageddon." We are grateful for their enthusiastic attitude and hard work! We couldn't do this work without the help of all of our incredible volunteers.

January is Arbor Month

Beauty. Wildlife habitat. Shade.

And let’s not forget tire swings.

There are lots of reasons to add trees to your landscape.

But did you know they can actually save you money?

A properly sited tree can reduce your utility bills by up to 30 percent, according to LSU AgCenter.

So where’s the proper site? The AgCenter recommends planting deciduous trees on the southern and western sides of your house. In summer, their shade will reduce heat gain, saving you money on air conditioning bills. Providing shade over your air conditioning unit will also increase its efficiency. After their leaves drop, deciduous trees allow sunshine through to help warm the house in winter. And evergreen trees planted on the north side of the house can block frigid winds.

When choosing a site, a good rule of thumb, according to the AgCenter, is to figure the tree's mature width, then leave half that distance between the tree and buildings, utility lines or other trees.

The AgCenter has a handy reference to help you choose a tree that will fit your lot and your needs --"The Selection, Planting and Care of Urban Trees."We encourage citizens to plant native trees because they are well suited to our particular climate zone.

January is Arbor Month in Louisiana because winter is the perfect time to install trees in the South. The cool temperatures allow roots to start making themselves at home during mild spring weather. You want to give them as much time as possible to dig their toes in before the blast furnace of July and August arrives.

Shreveport Green offers the opportunity to honor or remember a special person by making a contribution to the Tree Legacy Program. Arbor Month is the perfect time to invest in a gift that will never go out of style but grow even more beautiful every year. For more information, clickhere.

Freeze prompts quick harvest, replanting

We pulled up many of our turnips in preparation for the freezing temperatures that were predicted for our city in December. That was a good thing because, unfortunately, the majority of the food we planted was lost to the frigid temperatures. However, there were a couple of turnips that we left in the ground experimentally. The leaves were unusable but the bottoms were salvageable. What do we do after losing so many plants after the freeze? We plant more!

News and notes:

Join us Monday, Jan.16, for your MLK Day volunteer activity at our community garden located on the corner of MLK Drive and Legardy Street. We'll be creating beds and replanting vegetables that were lost during the freeze from 9 a.m. to noon.
Our first Household Hazardous Waste drop-off day of 2023 is Jan. 21 -- one of eight this year. Remember that, in addition to chemical waste, unwanted electronics are also accepted. For information on what's acceptable and how to sign up, click here.
Before you prune your freeze-damaged plants, take a look at these tipsfrom LSU AgCenter.