Reprinted from the Land Trust for Louisiana 2025 Annual Report.
A lifelong New Orleanian and graduate of Ursuline Academy and Loyola University, Penny Daigle has always seen the value and beauty of green spaces, even in the middle of the city. Today, she calls Christwood Retirement Community in Covington home — a place she cherishes not only for its care and community, but for its land. With 117 acres of mature trees, ponds, wildlife, and open space, Christwood reflects what Penny believes all communities need: room to breathe, observe, and belong within nature.
Her involvement with Land Trust for Louisiana [LTL] began through Bonnie Lewis, and from the start, the mission resonated deeply. “I relate to spaces and nature,” she says. “I don’t want to live in a concrete jungle. I want to find birds, squirrels, the smell of trees and grass, little streams, bayous — the life that exists in all of it.”
Penny has served as a tireless LTL volunteer through the years, bringing people together at [events]. She sees connection as stewardship in action. “I try to put people together who would be interesting to one another,” she explains. Whether hosting conversations at Christwood, encouraging friends to attend LTL events, or introducing landowners to the idea of conservation easements, Penny has become a trusted advocate for protecting land while honoring private ownership. “Every time I meet someone with five acres or more,” she laughs, “I jump on my Land Trust bandwagon.” Stewardship goes beyond an abstract concept to her. “I believe we are morally responsible to be stewards of the earth,” she says. “Stewardship means you don’t just use something for your own benefit. You leave it the way it was before you got there.”
Penny acts on her beliefs. She’s worked on anti-litter initiatives, spoken before city councils on environmental responsibility, and actively encourages others to protect what cannot be replaced. “I believe humans are becoming less human because of their separation from nature,” she reflects. “I encourage people to have real experiences in wild or nearly wild places — state parks, national parks — because that’s where you can feel something larger than yourself. That’s where I feel God’s presence.”