Garden and Greenspace Letter

To whom it may concern,

Tens of thousands of people are still living in FEMA trailers since Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast. They have no homes to return to, their original jobs washed away with the hurricanes, and virtually no plant life left to hide the scars these storms inflicted on their region.

And while original soil samples were toxic beyond compare, these areas are now testing within acceptable limits for most native and vegetable plant life.
What the entire region needs is volunteer gardeners to coordinate with local ones removing dead plants, rescuing ailing ones, establishing community gardens and replanting wild spaces with native species to ward off the current influx of invasive species.

These people need ways to augment their meager food sources. This can be accomplished with community gardens located in key areas throughout all of the communities.

They need to see their old estate gardens restored to even just a semblance of their former beauty.

They need to see the wild spaces as they once were, loaded with familiar flora and fauna.

They need to see the vacant home plots covered with something other than weeds and trash.

But they can't do this alone. They need folks who know how to make all of these things happen. They need you.

Please contact:
The MS Master Gardeners Association (msmastergardener.org/)
The LS Master Gardeners Association (www.lsuagcenter.com/mastergardener/)
The AL Master Gardeners Association (www.alabamamg.org/)
For more information on helping them rebuild their coastlines, greenspaces and gardens.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Send this letter to your state's Master Gardener Association. A list of the states' orgs are here:
http://www.google.com/Top/Home/Gardening/Organizations/Master_Gardeners/United_States/
Also consider sending it to gardening magazines such as Organic Gardening, Better Homes and Gardens, Garden Gate, People Places and Plants, Fine Gardening, Horticulture, Garden Design, Country Gardens, etc.
And finally, consider sending it to your local garden clubs, horticulture societies, cooperative extensions.

2/23 - sent to me by a great lady in MS:
When you send the le-mail requesting help with restoring the green space destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, please direct any interested groups and individuals to The Mississippi Renaissance Garden web site at: www.msrengarden.org
We desperately need master gardeners, landscape architects, construction firms, corporations, funds, materials, plants and labor ors to help us restore our landscape in Mississippi. The most devastated counties are Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties. They can also call me at (228) 388-2622 or e-mail me at msbkt@aol.com. The Mississippi Renaissance Garden Foundation has been formed to help the three counties recover their green space. Many plans have been made to do this, but we need the above resources.
Thank you for your assistance in our time of need. You are doing a wonderful job.
Regards,
Martha S. Boyce,
Founder and Executive Director
The Mississippi Renaissance Garden Foundation, Inc