My Community
The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain Partnership
Since 2005, Coast Electric has worked with The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain (LTMCP) whose mission is to conserve, promote, and protect the open spaces and green places of ecological, cultural or scenic significance in the six counties of the Mississippi Coastal Plain.
Coast Electric employees have worked hand in hand with the LTMCP on many projects over the past 18 years. Your cooperative is sponsoring incredible properties that help fulfill our mission of improving life in the communities we serve.
Pollinator Garden in D’Iberville
Located on West Gay Road in D’Iberville, near the hustle and bustle of The Promenade, is a quiet escape filled with majestic oak trees, cypress trees, a nine-acre pond and a thriving ecosystem. The 44-acre Schwan Property is home to an outdoor classroom outlined by large, fallen pecan trees with root systems that are at least 15’ tall. Coast Electric employees worked with the LTMCP to clean and clear the property to create a pollinator garden and Monarch Waystation. The outdoor classroom allows local schools, home school groups and the public to engage in hands-on learning that emphasizes the importance of environmental stewardship.
If you would like to plan a visit to the garden for your class or group, please contact [email protected].
+ Project sponsors
- The Crosby Arboretum
- Coastline Home and Garden Supply
- SunCoast Contractor Supply
- Mississippi State Extension Service - The Extension Service provided expertise about pollinators and plants to help sustain their habitat.
- The City of D’Iberville
+ Why Pollinator Gardens are Important
Mississippi is home to 14 species of bees, 30 types of butterflies, bats, hummingbirds and other pollinators. The Gulf Coast is also home to a rich variety of vegetation important for native pollinators. Recent landscaping trends mean many residents plant gardens with vegetation that is not native to our area. While these gardens and plants may be beautiful and provide a food source for pollinators, native plants are a critical part of our landscape and to the lives of insects such as bees. Coast Electric has partnered with the Mississippi State Extension Service and the Crosby Arboretum to ensure that local pollinators have access to native plants including Swamp Milkweed that plays an important role in lifecycle of the Monarch Butterfly.
+ Hands-on Learning Opportunities
The pollinator garden gives local students a hands-on learning experience. Statistics show that children who have access to outdoor spaces score higher on standardized tests, retain information longer, and develop critical and problem-solving skills. Students are encouraged to touch, investigate and hypothesize with their classmates.
The Shaw Homestead
The Shaw Homestead is located on Barth Road in Pearl River County. With no running water and a single wire providing one light bulb in each room of the main house, you can only imagine the excitement when the Shaw’s home was energized. Since Hurricane Camille, the homestead has remained vacant and without power and was donated to the LTMCP. Coast Electric employees in Pearl River County have taken ownership of this project to maintain the property and tell the story of rural electrification.