La Birding Trails

The Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism has embarked upon the task of reviewing and updating all Louisiana Birding Trails. Amy Wise, Public Relations and Media Coordinator at the Monroe–West Monroe Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, contacted our Board Member & Treasurer Charles Paxton last week with information on how we can help.

What a terrific project! She can use our help in more than one way. Three Ouachita Parish sites have already been suggested to her: Black Bayou Lake NWR, Kiroli Park and Lazarre Park. Amy needs to know what birds can be seen at these locations and when.

In addition, if you know of additional sites she should consider, she would be pleased to hear from you. Of course, sites with public access are best, as the state will put birding trail information online so that people can access it and walk the trails on their own.

The list of information needed to propose a site is a bit daunting, but Amy emphasizes that if we don’t know it all, we should still send her what we can and she will do some research to try to fill in blanks. Charles sent a letter to our current members last week detailing the information needed, but again, please do not hesitate to send information to Amy because you can’t answer every question.

We, collectively or individually, can also propose a site. The state has set up a website specifically for this purpose. Amy is most interested in Ouachita Parish because she works for the Convention & Visitors Bureau. We can propose sites anywhere. Of course, we know the Gulf Coast is hot birding territory, but wouldn’t it be terrific to draw birders to northeast Louisiana?

I personally intend to check out Lazarre Park. I’m also wondering about Chemin a Haut way up in the northeast corner of the state. Is it good for birding? And how about Chenault Park in the southeast corner of Monroe? Poverty Point, both the reservoir and the heritage site? And I’m wondering if the Molicy Unit should also be proposed, although we all know access can be tricky.

You can contact Amy via email <awise@monroe-westmonroe.org> or by telephone: 318.387.5691. If you want to get started on your own proposed trail, here’s a link to the website: Louisiana Birding Trails Update.

Happy birding, all!