“The cost of ignoring our urban forest and putting it aside, neglecting it or eliminating it, speaks right to our survival.”

- Ed Macie, Regional Urban Forester.
United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service

How important are trees to the socioeconomic well-being of our cities? This new 60-minute high-definition Louisiana Public Broadcasting documentary challenges viewers to re-evaluate the critical importance of investing in healthy urban ecosystems in their communities.

Academy Award and Golden Globe-nominee Nia Vardalos of My Big Fat Greek Wedding is the narrator.

Return to the Forest Where We Live includes a look at the devastation of the urban forests in New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast caused by Hurricane Katrina. Prior to the storm, New Orleans was one of the most forested cities in the country. More than 70% of the trees in the Crescent City were damaged by the storm and the flooding that followed and one-fifth of the half million trees planted in the city’s public parks and other public spaces were destroyed. 

Other featured cities include Los Angeles, Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and Charlotte, North Carolina.

Press Release

In September of this year, Hurricanes Gustav and Ike came ashore in Louisiana wreaking havoc across our state.

Our citizens need information about how city agencies and residents can work together to implement stronger storm safety protocols that include smart landscaping, storm-appropriate green infrastructure, and planting the right tree in the right place. More.