DENHAM SPRINGS- Flood victims were given baby trees to symbolize new life Saturday at Denham Springs High School. 

The baby tree giveaway started out as a campaign made by the Arbor Day Foundation. The organization members give away 1,000 baby trees to victims of natural disasters as a symbol of hope. 

"There's nothing as healing as taking a tree, planting it and watching it grow, and this whole year has been a process of healing for everyone," tree participant giveaway participant, Sage Foley said.

But the foundation's members say the trees also offer a way to prevent catastrophic events, like flooding, from happening in the future. 

"We wanted to make sure we were not only replacing what was lost, we're trying to get ahead of it," tree giveaway participant, Sage Foley told WBRZ.

"This is a problem we will probably see again, so we want to be proactive about putting in the green infrastructure to deal with it." 

Even victims of the flood grabbed a tree to participate. Casey Latchem's home flooded back in 2016, so she said the event was close to her heart. 

"It's a mark for a special day, a time of rebuilding and re-growth, helps establish your roots and mark a new chapter," Latchem said.