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News, Calendar, and Local Events |
Welcome our 2021 Southwest Louisiana Master Naturalist graduates
Congratulations to our 2021 Southwest Louisiana Master Naturalist graduates!
Our 2021 SLAMN class graduated on June 26, 2021. The new graduates completed their certification and received their certificate, name tags, and A Sand County Almanac. The new graduates are: Micky Deal, Brenda LaFleur, Robin Basone, James Doucet, Sherri Plummer, Dan Plummer, and Kathleen Simon (not pictured).
Our 2021 SLAMN class graduated on June 26, 2021. The new graduates completed their certification and received their certificate, name tags, and A Sand County Almanac. The new graduates are: Micky Deal, Brenda LaFleur, Robin Basone, James Doucet, Sherri Plummer, Dan Plummer, and Kathleen Simon (not pictured).
Calendar
Recurring & Upcoming Local Events
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Feliciana Hummingbird Celebration
The Feliciana Hummingbird Celebration promotes the unique breeding habitat found in the St. Francisville area on the 2nd Saturday of September. The event offers an opportunity to observe hummingbirds up close as they are banded at two private homes in the St. Francisville area on Saturday. Visitors will have the opportunity to observe hummingbirds up close as they are weighed and measured. In addition, vendors will be at both homes with hummingbird-attractive plants available for sale. September 11, 2021, St. Francisville. Specific locations & times not yet announced. |
Broad-winged Hawk, the most commonly seen species at Smith Point Hawk Watch
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Smith Point Hawk Watch
From August 15 through November 30, the Hawk Watch is held daily at the Candy Abshier Wildlife Management Area where GCBO has a 30 foot observation tower. The hawk watch is staffed daily from 8:00 am to 4:00 PM CDT. You are invited to come out any day during the season. For more info visit www.gcbo.org or call us at 979-480-0999. Directions from Lake Charles, take I-10 West to the Texas Hwy 61 exit. Turn south (left) on Hwy 61. In a few miles it changes number to FM 562 and continues south to Smith Point. At the intersection of FM 1985, which branches left at a Y intersection, continue right to Smith Point. Once in Smith Point continue on 562 until you pass Hawkins Camp Road on the right. Turn left at the next intersection and proceed to the parking lot for the tower. |
Nature in Focus programs at Tuten Park and Riverside Park
Tuten Park 3801 Nelson Road, Lake Charles
Riverside Park 1701 Fitzenreiter Road, Lake Charles
Contact Emerald Fletcher for more information or visit the Nature in Focus Facebook page.
Gulf Coast Bird Club Bird Walks
Experienced birder and SWLA Master Naturalist David Booth leads these walks. Recently the walks have taken place at Niblett's Bluff State Park, but may change location. Typically they start at 8 am on the 4th Saturday of every month. For more information, contact David Booth. Join the club's Facebook group to stay informed on meetings and bird walks.
Cajun Prairie Habitat Preservation Society holds meetings twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. Join the Facebook group for more information and meeting dates once they're announced. Each meeting usually consists of visits to the Eunice Prairie Restoration, Duralde Prairie, and Cajun Prairie Gardens at Malcolm Vidrine's house.
Wood Storks and Wading Birds Festival
Hosted by the Baton Rouge Audubon Society and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries on the last Saturday in July, this festival is an excellent opportunity to see Wood Storks and other wading birds among the big trees of the Atchafalaya Basin. Come early to see the most birds and to beat the heat. 7am to 10 am.
Acadiana Park Nature Station
The nature station regularly hosts events and activities. Check their Facebook page or website for dates and times.
Bayou Vermilion Preservation Association, www.bayouvermilionpreservation.org
Chicot State Park, http://www.crt.state.la.us/louisiana-state-parks/news-activities/calendar-of-events/
Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL), http://www.crcl.org/
Sign up for the CRCL email newsletter: https://crcl.org/get-involved/stay-informed.html
Volunteer for CRCL projects, sign up to be notified for volunteer opportunities: https://crcl.org/get-involved/volunteer.html
Lafayette Geological Society, http://www.lafayettegeologicalsociety.org/
Lafayette Parish Master Gardeners, http://www.lpmga.org/
Louisiana Native Plant Society (LNPS), http://canps.weebly.com/lnps-annual-meeting.html
Louisiana Ornithological Society, http://losbird.org/
Louisiana State Arboretum, http://www.crt.state.la.us/louisiana-state-parks/news-activities/calendar-of-events/index, 888.677.6100 toll free or 337.363.6289 locally.
Second Saturday of the month • Palmetto Island State Park, Abbeville - Dutch Oven Cooking, 10 a.m. - noon. The park will host the Latanier Cookers, a chapter of the Louisiana Dutch Oven Society, for a cooking demonstration and sampling. Participants can learn about this increasingly-popular form of cooking, the actual Dutch oven pots and much more.
Allen Acres, 5070 Hwy. 399, Pitkin, http://www.nativeventures.net/
Allen Acres Bed and Breakfast is a 26 acre wooded paradise near Fort Polk and adjacent to the Kisatchie National Forest, near the picturesque Ouiska Chitto Creek. It is listed as a State Natural Area. The Allen Acres have gardens specifically designed to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Dr. Charles Allen, is an accomplished authority on the native plants of Louisiana. He provides tours and lectures, for a fee, to some of the rarest ecosystems around Kisatchie National Forest and surrounding areas that include Louisiana prairies, spring-fed Bay Galls, and pitcher plant Bogs.
Wood Storks and Wading Birds Festival
Hosted by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, US Army Corps of Engineers, and the Baton Rouge Audubon Society on the last Saturday in July, this festival is an excellent opportunity to see Wood Storks and other wading birds among the big trees of the Atchafalaya Basin. Come early to see the most birds and to beat the heat. 7am to 10 am.
Tuten Park 3801 Nelson Road, Lake Charles
Riverside Park 1701 Fitzenreiter Road, Lake Charles
Contact Emerald Fletcher for more information or visit the Nature in Focus Facebook page.
Gulf Coast Bird Club Bird Walks
Experienced birder and SWLA Master Naturalist David Booth leads these walks. Recently the walks have taken place at Niblett's Bluff State Park, but may change location. Typically they start at 8 am on the 4th Saturday of every month. For more information, contact David Booth. Join the club's Facebook group to stay informed on meetings and bird walks.
Cajun Prairie Habitat Preservation Society holds meetings twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. Join the Facebook group for more information and meeting dates once they're announced. Each meeting usually consists of visits to the Eunice Prairie Restoration, Duralde Prairie, and Cajun Prairie Gardens at Malcolm Vidrine's house.
Wood Storks and Wading Birds Festival
Hosted by the Baton Rouge Audubon Society and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries on the last Saturday in July, this festival is an excellent opportunity to see Wood Storks and other wading birds among the big trees of the Atchafalaya Basin. Come early to see the most birds and to beat the heat. 7am to 10 am.
Acadiana Park Nature Station
The nature station regularly hosts events and activities. Check their Facebook page or website for dates and times.
Bayou Vermilion Preservation Association, www.bayouvermilionpreservation.org
Chicot State Park, http://www.crt.state.la.us/louisiana-state-parks/news-activities/calendar-of-events/
Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL), http://www.crcl.org/
Sign up for the CRCL email newsletter: https://crcl.org/get-involved/stay-informed.html
Volunteer for CRCL projects, sign up to be notified for volunteer opportunities: https://crcl.org/get-involved/volunteer.html
Lafayette Geological Society, http://www.lafayettegeologicalsociety.org/
Lafayette Parish Master Gardeners, http://www.lpmga.org/
Louisiana Native Plant Society (LNPS), http://canps.weebly.com/lnps-annual-meeting.html
Louisiana Ornithological Society, http://losbird.org/
Louisiana State Arboretum, http://www.crt.state.la.us/louisiana-state-parks/news-activities/calendar-of-events/index, 888.677.6100 toll free or 337.363.6289 locally.
- Sundays • Louisiana State Arboretum, Ville Platte – Sunday Nature Program, 11 a.m. Nature activities will feature a particular season through guided hikes, nature videos, crafts and information on featured flora and fauna of the Arboretum. For more information call 888.677.6100 toll free or 337.363.6289 locally.
- Second Saturday of the month • Louisiana State Arboretum, Ville Platte – Bird Hike, 9 a.m. Visitors will be given a brief introduction to birdwatching and binocular use followed by a trail walk to search for birds. Binoculars are available on a first come, first served basis. For more information call 888.677.6100 toll free or 337.363.6289 locally.
Second Saturday of the month • Palmetto Island State Park, Abbeville - Dutch Oven Cooking, 10 a.m. - noon. The park will host the Latanier Cookers, a chapter of the Louisiana Dutch Oven Society, for a cooking demonstration and sampling. Participants can learn about this increasingly-popular form of cooking, the actual Dutch oven pots and much more.
Allen Acres, 5070 Hwy. 399, Pitkin, http://www.nativeventures.net/
Allen Acres Bed and Breakfast is a 26 acre wooded paradise near Fort Polk and adjacent to the Kisatchie National Forest, near the picturesque Ouiska Chitto Creek. It is listed as a State Natural Area. The Allen Acres have gardens specifically designed to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Dr. Charles Allen, is an accomplished authority on the native plants of Louisiana. He provides tours and lectures, for a fee, to some of the rarest ecosystems around Kisatchie National Forest and surrounding areas that include Louisiana prairies, spring-fed Bay Galls, and pitcher plant Bogs.
Wood Storks and Wading Birds Festival
Hosted by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, US Army Corps of Engineers, and the Baton Rouge Audubon Society on the last Saturday in July, this festival is an excellent opportunity to see Wood Storks and other wading birds among the big trees of the Atchafalaya Basin. Come early to see the most birds and to beat the heat. 7am to 10 am.
