Featured Native Plant Advocate - Pete Griffard

Pete started growing plants while in college, but his botanical focus has changed over the many years since then. He grew up in Michigan and obtained two BS degrees from Michigan State University, first in microbiology and second in electrical engineering. He worked for over 30 years in the petrochemicals industry as a process automation engineer, starting in Illinois before taking a job with Shell Oil in Norco, Louisiana in 1985. His Norco stint was followed by multi-year Shell assignments in Houston (twice), China, Japan and Qatar, all with his wife Phyllis and their two sons Emile and Gabriel. Pete retired in 2015 and he and Phyllis relocated from Houston to Acadiana.

Pete's interest in growing plants evolved from vegetables (to eat) to attractive bedding plants (to look at) and finally to native plants (to provide habitat). He began his native plant education in Houston and has continued after returning to Louisiana. He completed Master Naturalist programs in Houston and Acadiana. He has installed hundreds of native tree seedlings and forbs in several south Louisiana locations as a volunteer with the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana.

Pete spends an inordinate amount of time husbanding several acres of habitat in Sunset, on which he and Phyllis have lived since late 2016. His focus has been on increasing native plant diversity and gradually removing invasive plants. Particularly rewarding has been the sighting or hearing or capture and banding of numerous bird species on the property, by Audubon volunteers that visit monthly. Frequent sightings, sounds and signs of many other animal species on the property also indicate a healthy, self-sustaining native plant habitat that is providing food and shelter for a diversity of wildlife. 

Pete has been a member of ANPP since its inception. He was fortunate to learn propagation techniques from June Walker in the very early days of ANPP, at her property in Sunset. He spent several years as the ANPP Treasurer and now coordinates ANPP plant sales and provides identification and growing tips on the tags used for every plant grown by ANPP. Thanks for everything you do, Pete!