Saturday, March 24, 2012
1:30pm – 4:00pm
1112 Hanley Road
Ocean Springs, MS 39564

Historic and majestic Twelve Oaks in Ocean Springs is the location for the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain (LTMCP) Annual Meeting . Come out and see what your Land Trust is doing to preserve and share our beautiful coast. This family friendly event is free and open to the public.

The afternoon outdoor event welcomes birders, geo-cachers, turtle fans and nature enthusiasts of all kinds to come experience Twelve Oaks. The site is named for the centuries-old live oaks in a spectacular setting of native plants along Old Fort Bayou in Ocean Springs. It features walking trails, marshes and a bird observatory, as well as a historic home, part of which is believed to be an original 1800s African American church.

“We invite Land Trust members and the public alike to come out for a fun afternoon spent at one of the most spectacular sites preserved by the Trust,” said Judy Steckler, LTMCP executive director. “We welcome the opportunity to let everyone experience this natural treasure.”

Naturalists will be available at the site to lead tours and answer questions. Ali Leggett, a biologist with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, will take participants on a guided tour of trail habitats of pine and oak forest, headwater bay swamps and tidal marsh. Turtle enthusiast Jon Gottsche will give a presentation on turtles native to the area and help visitors observe them at the site.

A geo-cache is located on Twelve Oaks, and geo-cachers are welcome to leave more. Artist Joe Jewell will be on hand to sign prints of his pen-and-ink drawing of the Pascagoula River to give to new and renewing members. The Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center’s IP Culinary Arts Café will provide light refreshments.

LTMCP currently holds over 4,000 acres in conservation. Acquired by the LTMCP in 2005, the 30-acre Twelve Oaks property in Ocean Springs is to be preserved in perpetuity as a cultural, educational and nature-tourism attraction.

For more information, contact Judy Steckler or Connie Thrift at 228-435-9191.
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Gulf Hills Hotel & Conference Center
Friday, March 2, 2012
3:30pm – 7:00pm

Click Here for more information!

To purchase your path stone complete the Order Form and mail with your check to

LTMCP
PO Box 245
Biloxi, MS 39533

All checks should be made payable to LTMCP

Or: Complete the order form and email to judyltmcp@aol.com

Online payment can be made here:

Quantity

1 stone $100.00 2 stones $200.00 1 stone with logo $200.00 2 stones with logo $400.00

Second Annual Battle on the Bayou

Ocean Springs, MS.  Battle on the Bayou, second annual Kayak and Canoe Race to be held on Saturday, March 12, 2011

A 9.5 mile kayak / canoe race on Old Fort Bayou from Gulf Hills Hotel to The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint. Proceeds benefit the conservation efforts of the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain.

This years race promises to be BIGGER and BETTER!!!
Read more…

Saturday, October 2, 2010
Josephine Sandbar
Pascagoula River

It was a beautiful day on the Pascagoula River!
Young and old turned out for the Fun Day @ the River event to enjoy the many educational exhibits and music along with good food and family activities.  The best part: this one-day event was FREE.

Area youth learned how to assemble their fishing poles, add line, bobbers, weights, hooks, and bait. Fishing in Turkey Creek they caught several bass and bream and more alligator gar than they wanted to!

In addition to learning about fishing they also received educational instruction on the recreational and ecological value of Turkey Creek, a “Fishing Basics” brochure and a “What You’ll See in Turkey Creek” fish identification poster.

Participating youth took home the fishing pole that he/she assembled as well as a goodie bag filled with extra bobbers, plastic bait, a small tackle box, and a water bottle.

Approximately 40 youth participated in the fishing clinic as well as several adults from the area.  All in attendance  were served grilled hot dogs, chips, apples and drinks, cooked by volunteers from the Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church.

Thanks to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks for funding this worthwhile event!

Alligator Gar

The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain (LTMCP) has begun restoration on a log house located in Pearl River County. Dubbed the Shaw Homestead the circa 1885 dog run log house is important for its architectural character as well as its historical association with the early development of rural Mississippi.

The dog-run, dog-trot, or double log cabin is defined as a building consisting of two cabins separated by a ten or fifteen foot passageway, with a continuous gabled roof covering both cabins and the passageway between them. Often a porch was built to extend across the entire front of the house, and lean-to shed rooms were constructed at the rear of each cabin for additional space. Each cabin had a door opening onto the dog-run. The purpose of the dog-run was to cool the house by providing shade and catching the breeze. The name “dog-run” comes from the comfort that family dogs found in the shade and the summers breezes the passageways afforded.

In 1880, Bernard Shaw applied for the original patent for the property pursuant to the Federal Homestead Act of 1862. Under the conditions of the patent, he was to erect a house on the property by 1885. Mr. Shaw erected a two room cabin on the property and lived there until the property was transferred to his brother-in-law Jule Ladner. Mr. Ladner expanded the cabin to a full dog run house with a detached kitchen. Around 1902, the house was sold to Melvina and Gilbert Shaw, who further expanded the house by adding lean-to bedrooms.

According to records and family histories, the property was used as a sheep station between 1906 and 1958. The sheep were sheared, marked, and dipped before being turned loose in the woods. The wool was then taken to market by wagon. Timber was also cut on the property, then hauled by ox and mule to the Wolf River to wait on high water. After good rains, the logs were rafted and floated down to Pass Christian to be sold.

LTMCP’s mission is to conserve, promote, and protect the open spaces and green places of ecological, cultural, or scenic significance in the counties of the Mississippi coastal plain. Protection of our valuable resources begins with understanding the lives of those who came before us, the challenges they faced, the mistakes they made, and the lessons they learned. “Historically significant structures, such as the Shaw Homestead, allow us a glimpse into their lives and provides a valuable link to experiencing and understanding the mistakes of our past and the progress we have made in Mississippi,” said Judy Steckler, Executive Director. When Restoration is complete the house will be utilized as an interpretive center and museum depicting early twentieth century life in rural Mississippi.

Funding for the project was provided by: Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area and the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources’ Office of Coastal Management and Planning. To learn more about the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain visit www.ltmcp.org.

Artwork will be auctioned at a cocktail party in June catered by the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino. Date and time to be announced.

Artists will receive 30% of the sales price of the artwork. Because the art auction is a fundraiser for LTMCP, the remaining proceeds will go to LTMCP for land conservation and protection expenses.

For more information, contact Laura Bowie at 228-435-9191 (office) or 228-238-1221 (cell).