Parks, Gardens & The Zoo

One of the many unsettling details following weeks of Katrina flooding was how normally verdant New Orleans had turned to shades of gray and brown. The vegetation had drowned. Regular rainfall has restored New Orleans's lushness, though the loss of some centuries-old oaks is hard to get past. With enough funds and TLC, all but the most badly damaged buildings can be repaired, but a massive old oak cannot be replaced in our lifetime.