Suzanne lives with her husband on property located in the south of Lafayette. Their initial purchase was made in 1974. Since then, they have acquired additional parcels of land adjacent to this original purchase, and currently they have a total of 13 acres.
Their property consists of a variety of habitats including wooded ridges and swales dominated by Water Oak, Live Oak, Hackberry, and Winged Elm. A small coulee separates their land from the adjacent property, which is also mostly wooded and owned by Lafayette Parish. The neighbor on the other side of their property has a large pond, which attracts egrets, herons, and other water birds to the area. About 300 feet of the Seidels' property is bordered by the Vermilion River.
Suzanne has always been interested in nature, especially birds. She became interested in adding more native plants to her property after hearing a presentation “Creating a Bird-Friendly Yard”, given by Dr. Dan Scheiman at a recent Louisiana Ornithological Society meeting. Dr. Scheiman is the Plants for Birds Program Manager for Audubon Delta, a regional office of the National Audubon Society, which encompasses the states of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Being reminded of this connection between native plants and birds also prompted Suzanne to have her property registered by the Louisiana Certified Habitat program.
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