The Covington Tree Board presented a certificate of recognition to John and Sharon Vergez Vercellotti for two pecan trees at their residence on E. 25th Avenue. The trees are the first to be entered in the city’s Landmark Tree Program administered by the Tree Board. The Stuart pecan saplings were planted by Auguste and Bertha Vergez in approximately November 1915, after the 1915 hurricane. The 104-year-old trees measure 41” DBH and
42” DBH. The trees continue to produce large crops of produce large crops of pecans in alternating years.
The Landmark Tree Program is open to all species of trees. The trees must be healthy trees located within Covington city limits that meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Age greater than 50 years as determined by planting records or the written opinion of an arborist, the City of Covington Arborist, or the community forester
- Large canopy trees greater than 36 inches dbh, medium canopy trees greater than 24 inches dbh, and small canopy trees greater than 12 inches dbh
- Live Oak Trees in excess of 12 inches dbh
- National, state, or local Live Oak Society registered
- Unique or rare species
- Association with a documented historic event, person, or community landmark
- Trees planted for Arbor Day celebrations and other community-wide public celebrations
- Trees planted in honor or memory of an individual or an event
An application to be considered as a Landmark Tree can be found at www.covla.com/residents/Covington Tree Board. Residents are invited to submit their trees for consideration to the Covington Tree Board which meets second Thursday of each month.
The Board is working with Keep Covington Beautiful to inventory the Live Oaks on city property and to establish categories and criteria of care needed for their preservation. Tree Board members Jim LaCroix and Billie Stanga and Keep Covington Beautiful volunteer Georgene Wagner have recorded measurements for 149 Live Oaks on public property as part of Keep Covington Beautiful’s Live Oak Preservation Project.
Keep Covington Beautiful is dedicated to engaging all citizens in every aspect of keeping Covington clean and beautiful. KCB is a 501 c 3 non-profit corporation. Keep Covington Beautiful develops broad-based community partnerships to improve and beautify the physical environment of the City of Covington, including beautification, litter prevention and recycling activities.
Keep Covington Beautiful provides educational activities to encourage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community through positive behavior.
Keepcovingtonbeautiful.org
