dhoover7969

Like the Wings of a Butterfly

Join us Sunday September 8 at Black Bayou Conservation Learning Center for a butterfly account with Craig Marks, author of Butterflies of Louisiana. We want to start counting at 9:30 sharp so please be there and ready to go, by 9:15 a.m. We will likely count until noon, but not much past then.

Please bring $3 each (cash not card) to give to Craig as that’s what he must pay to record our results with the North American Butterfly Association (NABA).

Please dress for walking off the paths. Socks you can tuck pant legs into are advised, as that will help keep ticks and chiggers off you. Bring water and snacks as you will need them and plenty of bug spray, and a hat. Butterflies like the sun, so you will be in the sun too. We recommend wearing boots to keep your feet dry due to recent rains

Sunday is supposed to be sunny with a high of 82 degrees!!! It sounds like perfect weather to be out. No special skills are needed. It’s always good to have a camera in case you see something and you’re not sure what it is.

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The Itsy Bitsy Spider…

Exciting news from the Northeast Chapter!

Join us for our first ever Zoom workshop – Spiders of Northeast Louisiana. We’ll be online from 10:00 to 11:15 and then do our fieldwork via a Bio-Blitz on Zoom. This workshop will become a resource available to us on our channel. We’re rather excited about this new possibility for nature education and interaction between all Master Naturalists of Louisiana.

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Something Fishy – Fish Biology Workshop August 10

Join us August 10th for our first ever fish biology workshop. Fish form an important part of Northeast Louisiana’s ecosystem, and people come from all over to fish our waters. Come and learn more about life beneath the waves with the Louisiana Master Naturalists Northeast chapter.

Our instructor will be Ryan Daniel, an Inland Fisheries biologist for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Ryan manages fisheries and aquatic habitats in the public waters of Northeast Louisiana, particularly sport fish. A keen angler, he’s been interested in fish biology since graduate school.

Ryan has been studying new trends in angling, as well as the aging of reservoirs. He’s been involved in the renovations at Busey Brake, and sampling of various sport fish around the area. This means that if you’re a fishing enthusiast, this workshop will definitely be for you.

We’ll convene at Black Bayou Lake Learning Center at 9:00am, and hear from Ryan about the basics of fish biology, and then in the afternoon we’ll go to the “field” – which may be observing the fish at the learning center, or a LDWF site, depending on what is decided on the day. Be sure to bring lunch, and we may go into the woods so bug spray and a hat may also be advised. And if you’re a photographer, don’t forget to bring your camera.

Scholarships are available if you are interested but unable to afford the workshop price. Please email me at dhoover7969@sbcglobal.net to request assistance.

Photo By David Hoover

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Bio-Blitz At JC “Sonny” Gilbert WMA – July 20

Join us for a Bio-Blitz at JC “Sonny” Gilbert WMA on July 20. We will meet at Dollar General, 9677 Natchez St Wisner, LA at 8:00 am and then proceed to the WMA. We’ll do a count of all the different species that we observe and see a different geography than any other in Louisiana.

Don’t forget that you’ll need to bring bug spray, food and water, and sun gear. It is likely to be hot and we will be in the woods, so you’ll need to dress with this in mind. Don’t forget hiking boot and trekking poles or walking stick. Cameras are of course welcome.

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2nd Quarter Membership Meeting

We had a great meeting at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge, starting with a great overview of the National Wildlife Refuge System by Erin Bellavia, the directory of Black Bayou. We had a good business meeting, followed by a barbecue supper. Special thanks to Erin, Jim, and all the Refuge volunteers!