In 2012, due to the growth of the Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo, Friends of St. John was able to fulfill one of its original goals: to replace the four majestic oak trees that Bayou St. John Lost during Hurricanes Katrina and Isaac.

The Restore the Bayou Canopy Campaign’s initial goal was simply to replace these four trees. But thanks to overwhelming community support, FOBSJ has been able to plant five 200-gallon, one 300-gallon, and two towering 670-gallon Southern Live Oaks along Bayou St. John.

Friends of Bayou St. John also facilitated transforming one of the dead oak trees into a public art sculpture thanks to a collaboration between renowned chainsaw artist Marlin Miller and Mardi Gras float craftsman Jonathan Bertuccelli.

Aside from the Bayou St. John Parkway, FOBSJ also teamed up with Parkway Partners in 2016 to help the Broadmoor neighborhood become home to twelve new 15-gallon trees (including crape myrtles, sweet bay magnolias, and savannah hollies). Broadmoor is at the bottom of New Orleans’ proverbial bowl and suffered tremendous damage during Hurricane Katrina, so these new trees will help mitigate storm water runoff problems in myriad ways.

Friends of Bayou St. John continues to invest money regularly in tree care and maintenance including disease and insect control, mulching and improving soil structure for drainage. FOBSJ continues to advance its Restore the Bayou Canopy Campaign, hoping to beautify the city for generations to come.