By Jerry DeBarge
For generations, some of Cameron Parish’s oldest Live Oaks have stood watch over the people and places that make this community unique. They have weathered Hurricane Audrey, Hurricane Rita, Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, countless other storms, and decades of change. Today, I have the privilege, and the responsibility, of helping care for them.
Over the past several weeks, I’ve had the privilege of working among these remarkable old Live Oaks as Cameron Parish prepares for the next chapter in its history.
Our goal has been to help give these remarkable old Live Oaks the best possible chance of standing for the generations that will follow us. Rather than removing living canopy unnecessarily, our approach is to retain the maximum amount of healthy, living branches possible while improving each tree’s safety, structure, and long-term health.
Our work includes removing dead wood, crossing branches, low limbs where appropriate, and old, improperly cut pruning stubs, while preserving as much healthy, living canopy as possible. We’re also cleaning litter from beneath the trees, mowing and clearing excessive undergrowth, and applying composted wood-chip mulch to protect and improve the root zones.
For more than 25 years, I’ve made my living caring for trees. Every now and then, though, I come across a few that seem to have stories of their own.
Working among these Live Oaks inspired me to learn more about Hurricane Audrey and my own family’s history in Cameron Parish. I discovered oral histories describing families surviving the storm surge in the branches of these giant Live Oaks. One Cameron Parish survivor recalled that his father, grandparents, and aunts rode out Hurricane Audrey in one of these giant Live Oaks. Years later, speaking of those old trees, he simply said, “The old men are still standing out there.”
That line has stayed with me.
This project is personal for me. My family has deep roots in Cameron Parish. My great-grandfather, Sidney DeBarge, lost his life in Hurricane Audrey in 1957, eight years before I was born. His memory remained such an important part of our family that my oldest brother was named in his honor.
Working among these historic Live Oaks, and learning the stories they silently hold, has given me an even greater appreciation for what they represent.
These old Live Oaks have watched Cameron grow from orange groves, cattle ranches, and schooners to shrimp boats, pogie boats, oil boats, and now a new generation of opportunity. Through it all, they have endured hurricanes, witnessed history, and stood watch over the people who have always called Cameron home.
I believe it’s important to recognize when people choose to care for something that cannot be replaced. Investing in the health of these historic Live Oaks is an investment in the living history of Cameron Parish and in the generations that will one day walk beneath their branches.
As an arborist, I spend my days thinking about the future of trees. These old Live Oaks have reminded me that some trees don’t just grow. They remember.
They have weathered storms, witnessed history, and silently carried the stories of generations.
“The old men are still standing out there.”
Those words have stayed with me ever since I first read them.
May the old men continue standing watch over Cameron Parish for generations to come.