name: ROSALYN STEELE,


WITH DAUGHTER ANYAKA age: 53 profession: school bus driver location: big lake trail


I meet Rosalyn Steele and her daughter on a balmy morning as they stroll the three-quarter- mile-long paved loop that surrounds Big Lake, a manmade lagoon and the park’s largest body


of water. The path, which meanders along one side of the New Orleans Museum of Art, is popular with cyclists, joggers, and dog walk- ers. On this day, a yoga teacher is leading a lakeside class and paddleboats are lined up for rental. By the lake, wind chimes hang from a sprawling live oak tree that was named “The TPL Oak,” in appreciation for The Trust for Public Land’s efforts to revitalize this area after Katrina.


“We used to picnic in the park, but this is only my second week walking here. It’s relaxing and beautiful. You get caught up in the scenery, you don’t even realize how many laps you’ve walked. It is a blessing for me to even be out here. For years, I’ve watched people use this trail, and watched their accomplishments. I have seen people walk this park and achieve amazing things: losing weight or just relieving themselves of stress. I see my elders walking—they outdo me! I


44 · LAND&PEOPLE · SPRING/SUMMER 2013


see young people. All shapes and sizes and races. People are out walking their dogs, which are well behaved. I see people meditating out in their cars, just enjoying the view. I’m feeling stronger and healthier just from enjoying the breeze as it blows and getting the oxygen I need. It’s going to be my routine. I’m mak- ing it a part of my daily life. I’m going to make a T-shirt: Walking for Life.”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68