Abbeville Red Iris Alliance
WHO WE ARE
The Abbeville Red Iris Alliance is a Louisiana nonprofit corporation formed by individuals and nonprofit organizations united in a shared commitment to preserving and restoring Iris nelsonii, also known as the Abbeville Red Iris—Louisiana’s rarest native iris species—and the unique habitat where it once grew in abundance.
WHAT WE DO
Our mission is to conserve, restore, and protect Iris nelsonii and its only known native habitat in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. We accomplish this through volunteerism and a wide range of conservation initiatives, restoration projects, educational programs, community events, and other activities that bring people together to protect this extraordinary part of Louisiana’s natural heritage.
RAISING AWARENESS THROUGH THE ABBEVILLE RED IRIS
The Abbeville Red Iris is found naturally in only one place in the world: Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. Its extraordinary rarity and unique connection to the area provide an opportunity to make the iris an important symbol of local conservation, education, tourism, and community pride.
The Alliance works to raise the local, regional, and national profile of the Abbeville Red Iris by sharing its story, promoting its conservation, and encouraging individuals, organizations, and communities to become involved in its preservation.
ABBEVILLE RED IRIS BLOOM EVENT & NATURE DAY
The Alliance also assists with the annual Abbeville Red Iris Bloom Event and Nature Day at Palmetto Island State Park. Through organization, marketing, educational programming, and community participation, we help showcase the Abbeville Red Iris and the natural environment that surrounds it.
By bringing visitors together to experience the iris in bloom and learn about its remarkable history, habitat, and conservation, the event helps connect people with this rare plant and the place where it naturally occurs.
Our goal is simple: to ensure that the Abbeville Red Iris remains a living part of Vermilion Parish for generations to come—and that its story becomes one of successful conservation and restoration.