Photo © louviere+vanessa

threat

While the Bamboo Groves within Jungle Gardens have been maintained, some groves outside the refuge have been altogether cut down and plowed under as new priorities have dictated other uses for the land. Today, the historic plantings at Jungle Gardens face an uncertain future. The property is being maintained, but not at the level a historic landscape with intricate plantings that are nearly a century old requires. Additionally, Avery Island, where the gardens are located, is highly vulnerable to hurricanes and tropical storms that have, over the years, destroyed protective tree canopies and decimated entire planting groups.