Feature
February
03
Keep Terrebonne Beautiful
by Michelle Gautreaux
Have you ever passed by an area of your town and thought that it would make a lovely ... well, whatever you want it to be?
Given the right tools and circumstances, would you help? Would you be inspired to lend a helping hand?
Naturally, most of us want to help, give back and make a difference. But we don’t know where to begin. Keep Terrebonne Beautiful has the tools, leaders and plenty of ways you can fulfill some needs in the area and create a beautiful parish to live in.
Developed under Keep Louisiana Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful, Keep Terrebonne Beautiful started as an enhancement commission several years ago. After Katrina, the organization disseminated, keeping up only with its fees and connections.
It had sat dormant for a few years until, in 2007, voters in Terrebonne Parish elected Michel Claudet as parish president. He began his quest to make a difference by appointing a beautification coordinator, Linda Henderson, to work with various entities in the parish to promote beautification and anti-litter campaigns. President Claudet has visited several elementary schools to present “no more litter” promotions. Henderson established a Quality of Life program and a Promote Parish Pride campaign, which will recruit businesses and residents to partner with the parish in cleaning up litter. With help from a founding member, Troy Liner, Matthew Porche, president of KTB, and Henderson have joined forces to rebuild KTB.
In a few months, they have managed to grow their membership to 31. As a comeback, the organization decided to join the KAB campaign and take charge of cleaning up the parish. They have recruited 29 teams, representing 369 individuals, to get the cleaning job done. There are teams in every bayou region and council district.
As a rebuilding awareness project, KTB participated in the Great American Cleanup, recruiting over 400 volunteers from all areas of the parish to participate in the program. Some of the projects included picking up litter along roadsides and beautification projects like planting flowers and landscaping. “There seems to be a spirit which is contagious about cleaning up the Parish,” Henderson says, inspired by the help. “So many are sick and tired of the litter. When tourists come to our parish, they comment on all the trash in the bayous. I believe that there are more people who want to make a significant difference and join forces with us.”
The volunteer-based organization’s membership includes individuals from many organizations that have the same goals and objectives for a cleaner community, such as: the Tree Board, the Master Gardeners, the Terrebonne Garden Club, the LSU AgCenter, Entergy, Shell and environmental groups, among others.
One creative team built planters that are wheelchair accessible so that those who are in wheelchairs are able to plant flowers on their own. In Smithridge, a team developed a memorial bayou-side garden, and the Maple Street Park Neighborhood Association helped an elderly neighbor by cutting her grass, trimming, changing her porch screen and more. In Montegut, Dr. Darrell Solet has formed a team that sets goals for ongoing projects to clean up around the bridges and bayous. The ideas that the teams are implementing prove that we as individuals can make an impact no matter how big or small it may be.
What started out as lunch developed into a full-time project for Heather Castillo, an assistant to the parish president. Over lunch at the country club across the street from the Jim Bowie Park, Castillo and Henderson noticed the park’s beauty, but were disappointed to not see more families there. Recognizing that the park would be a great clean-up project, Castillo spearheaded the Jim Bowie Park enhancement project for the Great American Cleanup in March 2010.
Named after Jim Bowie, the pioneer and soldier, the park was considered unsafe for the past few years. Located in Recreation District 11, the park was at one time a focal point for several events, such as Labor Day festivals and activities like raft races. Even with no work, the park was beautiful and picturesque. The absence of security deterred most families from gathering there. On a mission to take back the park, Castillo, with the help of many friends and family, pitched in to clean out the brush and add a beautiful butterfly garden and water fountains. With cleanliness at the forefront, families now utilize the park for walking, picnicking and fishing.
Displaying wide-open spaces and several shaded areas, the Jim Bowie Park has the potential to be alive with events once again. The long line of oak trees lends itself to beautiful photos, family picnics and possibly outdoor movies and concerts. “It’s amazing how something so small changed the character of the park,” Castillo says as she excitedly talks about the atmosphere of the park.
Henderson recognizes the determination that went into the makeover.
“The task was monumental to say the least,” she says, “but Heather was definitely up for the challenge.”
We should each make a commitment to preserve and protect our environment. Our everyday choices and actions affect not only those around us, but also our environment. Fulfilling KAB’s mission statement, KTB hopes to “engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments.”
President Claudet has remained committed to his cause and hopes to inspire others to get involved as well. “I am passionate about the clean-up efforts for Terrebonne Parish,” he says. “Our beautification program is making a huge difference. It’s all about instilling a sense of pride. We are proud people in this parish. After Gustav and Ike, we bounced back and for the first time ever, Houma won the Cleanest City Contest. That says a lot for what can be accomplished when a few people are truly passionate about something.”
If you’d like to play a small part in making a big impact in the community, contact Linda Henderson at 985.873.6816 to find out how you can get involved.
