NSU Partners with Hodges Gardens

Seeking to bring wider attention to a garden jewel in the forest of northwest Louisiana, Northwestern State University has partnered with Hodges Gardens State Park in efforts to involve students and the community in a variety of outreach and service projects. Administrators hope the research and education partnership will provide opportunities to engage students and the community in a variety of activities offered at the Gardens.

According to Park Manager Kim Kelly, getting people, especially children, unplugged and outdoors to enjoy nature is a challenge, but can be a boost to wellness.

“In this ever changing and fast paced world, sometimes nature and the outdoors take a back seat to more sedentary activities like television, cell phones and video games,” Kelly said. “Studies have shown that spending time in nature has many positive benefits. Children who have opportunities to play and learn in nature are more likely to handle challenges and problems more capably and act responsibly toward the earth and each other.” In addition to the benefits of physical fitness, Kelly continued, children exposed to the outdoors have a greater appreciation of the arts, are more likely to choose science or a related career field and tend to become better-informed and environmentally aware adults.

“So many of us have fond memories of Hodges Gardens as kids when we came on field trips,” Kelly said. “At Hodges, we are committed to providing children the opportunity to get outside and experience nature in a personal way that creates positive memories to last throughout their lifetime. We have a wide variety of nature programs designed for each age group. Volunteers are always welcome and needed, especially at the times when we are changing out the flowers.”

Through the partnership with NSU the Friends of Hodges Gardens State Park are producing a quarterly newsletter to keep the public informed of events and activities at the Gardens. During a Spring Fling event, two NSU broadcast journalism students interviewed residents about their memories of the Gardens in decades past. The oral history project was coordinated by Mary Brocato, associate professor of journalism at NSU and a member of the Hodges Gardens board of directors. John Byrd, assistant professor of biology sciences at NSU, is also a board member. Centenary College has a similar relationship with the Gardens with two representatives also serving on the board.

Upcoming events at the park include National Get Outdoors Day on June 12 with free admission to the park all day. Garden tours with Horticulturist Tommy Adams are offered every Saturday and Sunday.


A.J. Hodges, an oil and gas businessman, developed the Hodges Gardens Experimental Area and Wildlife Preserve in the 1940s and 1950s as a managed tree farm where experiments in forest genetics took place. The site south of Florien encompassed 4,700 acres and gradually grew into a collection of formal gardens, fountains, greenhouses and natural scenic areas. Eventually the gardens included a bird sanctuary, wildlife refuge, gift shop, a monument to the Louisiana Purchase and an outdoor theatre surrounded by a 225-acre lake, all connected by roads and walkways. Opened to the public in 1956 and formally dedicated in 1959, the gardens were transferred to the non-profit A.G and Nona Triggs Hodges Foundation in 1960 as a site dedicated to conservation, religious and cultural projects.

The Foundation donated the Gardens to the State in 2007. Since then, the park has been part of the State Park system, under the auspices of the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. State horticulturists spent the last three years rehabilitating the facility. The park now includes amenities available at other state parks, such as cabin rentals, RV hook-ups, and trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding.

Hodges Gardens State Park is located on Hwy. 171 south of Florien. For more information on the park and activities, go towww.lastateparks.com or call (318) 586-3523. A Hodges Gardens website is in the works, Kelly said.