During this meeting we had a wonderful conversation discussing our future dreams. Much to our surprise, we learned that our future plans were in sync with David's. For the past few years, one of David's primary concerns was finding someone who would carry on the forty plus year traditions of caring for the flora and fauna; as well as, the wildlife here at Little River Bluffs. David had been praying for the right folks to come along and we just so happened to be in the right place at the right time.
So the story goes, effective February 2015, we became the proud new owners of Little River Bluffs and needless to say, we have some big shoes to fill. By big shoes, we mean David L. Campbell who has become our mentor and very dear to our hearts. Fortunately and upon our request, David agreed to continue being the Emeritus Innkeeper and Preservation Consultant and we are happy to say that he will continue living on the grounds. After all, Little River Bluffs is David Campbell and we thought it would be more appropriate to share his story instead of ours since we are the newcomers.
An ordinary small-town boy from Arkansas, David has led an extraordinary life with the use of his God-given intelligence and love for the law, the environment, and preservation. David graduated top of his class in 1960 at Tulane School of Law and earned an advanced law degree at Oxford University. He has always been a leader in preservation particularly in New Orleans where his contributions are too many to mention.
David was named "Outstanding Young Lawyer of Louisiana" in 1975; New Orleans "Role Model" in 1995, and in 2016 was presented the Harnett T. Kane Lifetime Achievement Preservation Award in New Orleans by the Louisiana Landmarks Society.
One of David's most important conservation projects in the St. Tammany Parish community where he resides today, is The Little Tchefuncte River, one of the last clean artesian rivers in the Florida Parishes with its functional goal & water quality intact. In 1985, David founded the Little Tchefuncte River Association, and has been instrumental and dedicated to the protection of this beautiful little river; it's tributaries & surrounding lands. With the ever-increasing growth of industrial and commercial land development in our area, negative impacts are beginning to affect the prevailing land use and habitat patterns. We must continue David's love of conservation and vision so that careful, thoughtful planning and zoning can help prevent the degradation of natural systems as well as the integrity and beauty of natural landscapes. Once degraded, the loss is irrevocable. It is our goal to carry on David's dreams and visions for this beloved area so we can continue to maintain the unique beauty and diversity of the Florida Parishes, and the well-functioning natural landscapes in an effort to help provide valuable economic and environmental benefits to wildlife, residents, tourists, and the general public to enjoy for generations to come.
We welcome all of our guests and hope that you'll find this place a lil' taste of heaven, like we have!
Enjoy your stay!
