Blog – Louisiana Master Naturalists

Mammals of Louisiana Workshop

Louisiana Black bear sow with back to tree cradling her cub — Louisiana Black bear sow with her cub at Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge, C.Paxton image and copyright.

Join us for a full day of discovery as the Louisiana Master Naturalists – Northeast dive into the biology, diversity, and conservation of our state’s mammals under the expert tutelage of ULM’s Dr. Ana Couvillon. This workshop blends classroom learning with hands‑on field experience at one of northeast Louisiana’s richest wildlife areas. This Workshop can count towards your certification as a Louisiana Master Naturalist!

Saturday, March 28, 2026

9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Location: ULM & Russell Sage WMA

Classroom Tuition

9:00 a.m.: We’ll convene in the Natural History Museum STEAM Room, Hanna Hall 1^st Floor, ULM Campus

Classroom topics:

Mammalian origin story & what makes a mammal a mammal
Diversity & life histories of mammals
Mammal management & conservation; mammals of Louisiana
Research into mammal biology & ecology
Examining specimens (pelts, dentition, etc.)

11:30 a.m.: Break to travel and eat along the way (make your own arrangements).

Afternoon: Field Work at Russell Sage WMA (12:30–2:45 p.m.)

Reconvene at Russell Sage WMA, where Dr. Ana and graduate students will guide us through:

Camera trap demonstrations
Small mammal survey techniques
Data collection and species identification in the field

We’ll wrap up with announcements around 2:45 p.m. wherever the fieldwork concludes.

Special notes: All adults must have a LWF Permit.

🌿 Headed to Russell Sage WMA for our forthcoming Mammals workshop field trip?
Here’s a quick reminder for all participants — EVERY adult needs a WMA Access Permit, no matter your reason for visiting. They are great value because the Russell Sage is an amazing wildlife area.

Getting your permit online is easy:
👉 Visit **LouisianaOutdoors.com**
👉 Select **Buy Licenses**
👉 Choose **WMA Access Permit** (Annual $20 or 5‑Day $5)
or you can purchase one from an authorized vendor.
Save a screenshot or print a copy before you arrive — cell service can be spotty inside the WMA.

Minors (under 18):
No permit needed—they’re exempt!
Bring your permit (digital or printed) when visiting the WMA!

Thanks for helping us model responsible stewardship and support LDWF’s conservation work. See you in the field! 🌱🦉

Bring the usual field gear: notebook, pencil, camera, ruler. (I learned the importance of rulers at our first mammals workshop and now carry several small ones in my camera bag.) Binoculars also good, if you have them.

Dress for outdoors. Bring bug spray and your own water and snacks as needed. Right now, the long-term forecast is for a pleasant day, with temps in the high 60s, low 70s, and no precipitation. We’ll check that again closer to the date.

We are going onto a State Wildlife Management Area. “Either a WMA Access Annual or 5-day Permit is required for all users of LDWF administered lands, including wildlife management areas, refuges and wetlands conservation areas (LDWF website).”

If you want to pay for the workshop on site, please notify Bette Kauffman or Charles Paxton that you are coming in advance. Also, please arrive 15 minutes early so we can conduct the business first and then focus on the expert tuition.

Upcoming Events

Louisiana Master Naturalists Invited to Showcase Their Art in Drawn to Nature Exhibition

Master Naturalists across Louisiana are encouraged to bring their artistic eye to the forefront this spring as Atelier de la Nature opens submissions for its upcoming group exhibition, “Drawn to Nature: Artist Naturalists Celebrating Louisiana’s Biodiversity.”

For generations, Louisiana’s wetlands, forests, and wildlife have stirred the imagination of artists and naturalists alike. This exhibition celebrates that long tradition by highlighting how today’s creators continue to interpret the state’s rich ecological heritage.

🎨 A Conversation Across Time

One of the exhibition’s most compelling features is its blend of contemporary work with pieces by renowned historic artist‑naturalists who once documented Louisiana’s species. Among the historic figures represented are:

John James Audubon (1785–1851)
Mark Catesby (1683–1749)
Lorenz Oken (1779–1851)
Rex Brasher (1869–1960)

Your contribution as a Louisiana Master Naturalist adds a modern chapter to this ongoing story—showing how today’s observers continue to find wonder in the state’s landscapes and wildlife.

📅 Key Dates for Exhibiting Artists

The exhibition aligns with the 2026 Louisiana Master Naturalist Rendezvous and concludes during the Fête de la Nature BioBlitz.

Artwork Drop‑off Deadline: Saturday, April 4, 2026 (or earlier)
Exhibition End Date: May 2, 2026
Artwork Pick‑up: Sunday, May 3, 2026 (or later)

🖼 Submission Details

Atelier de la Nature welcomes polished, professionally presented works inspired by Louisiana’s natural world.

Presentation: All pieces must be framed and ready to hang.
Size: No strict size limitations.
Multiple Works: Artists wishing to submit more than one piece should contact the organizers to coordinate.

Questions or coordination requests may be directed to Brandon Ballengée at:
brandon.ballengee[@]gmail.com (remove brackets to activate).

📍 Visit the Venue

Atelier de la Nature
1050 Andrew Gautreaux Road
Arnaudville, Louisiana 70512
http://www.atelierdelanature.org

Two artistic depictions of nature to encourage interest in the Drawn to Nature" exhibition. — Fine artwork exemplars from Louisiana’s Atelier de la Nature!

Quarterly Meeting Programs

Talking Timberdoodles & Walking with Woodcocks

Bird-dog Quill with American Woodcock in woodland scene — Brittany Bird-dog Quill “pointing” at an American Woodcock *Scolopax minor* in woodland scene created by Suzanne Laird Dartez on Chat GPT

While the title sounds a bit like something from BBC Wildlife programming, it was what we were doing after our First Quarter Members’ Meeting February 7th, 2026, thanks to Certified Louisiana Master Naturalist and LMN-NE Board Secretary Suzanne Laird Dartez!

Her program included an excellent illustrated talk on the American Woodcock (Louisiana Sightings of Scolopax minor on iNaturalist), at which our newest LMN-NE Board Director-at-large, Nathan Green showed us an excellent video of one of several Woodcocks that he had encountered that morning, see his iNat observation!

Following her informative talk, we drove to the trail-head and followed her eager Brittany bird-dog Quill on a brisk and exhilarating walk during which our party saw 8 Woodcocks! There were vernal pools, so the salamanders will be happy, and we were glad of our boots.

Kimmie recorded a video clip of a pointed Woodcock starting, that captures the atmosphere of expectation and excitement very nicely! https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1FgmFvSb1t/

A big thank you to Suzanne for her excellent program, to Jim Kolinski for his excellent support and Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge for their essential provision of venue and awesome wildlife!

Blog, Upcoming Events

Discover the secret life of the American Woodcock!

Poster with bird dog and timberdoodle advertising free American Woodcock talk and walk event! — Discover the secret life of the American Woodcock!

This Saturday, Feb. 7, Our LMNNE Secretary, Louisiana Master Naturalist Suzanne Laird‑Dartez will again bring her lively, illustrated talk to the Black Bayou Lake Conservation Learning Center—and then will leads us into the field for a Woodcock Walk alongside her fearless bird‑dog Quill.

The adventure begins right after the short public LMN‑NE Q1 meeting at 12 pm. Bring your own packed lunch and walking attire. We’ll meet at noon at the Black Bayou Lake NWR Conservation Learning Center for a short public Board meeting then Suzanne will present for about 45 minutes on Woodcocks, then we’ll set out to find them in the field!

Photographers among us may want to practice snap shooting – these birds are fast!

General Interest

A day spent birding…

is always a good day. And we saw a Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon), a male perched on a wire over a pond. As one of my counting companions noted, seeing a Kingfisher always makes it a good day!

Saturday, December 20, was the Audubon Christmas Bird Count at D’Arbonne NWR. My counting partner and the expert of our team was Certified Naturalist Roselie Overby, who astounds me with her ability to identify birds by their call.

She was already standing in the parking lot listening and jotting down bird names when I pulled in a few minutes late. Day was still dawning and it was cold. By early afternoon after a short lunch break, we were shedding the layers we had needed that morning.

The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) was a second highlight of the day. We spotted it in a small wooded area between houses and it did not immediately fly away when we pulled to the side of the road. It seemed to be interested in something on the ground we could not see. But it sure knew how to make life hard for the photographer! Finally, it turned its head just right for one decent click.

Likewise, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) knew just exactly how to foil the photographer by staying behind a branch. But it too turned its head just right for a split second!

Overall, it was a glorious day to be out birding, but results were mixed. Roselie and I counted 35 species. Not bad, but not particularly good either. We’ve had as many as 40 previous years.

More noticeably, the numbers of individual birds were down. For example, we saw exactly 3 Dark-eye Juncos (Junco hyemalis), a typically plentiful bird. Roselie counted a few White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) she heard but did not see, but we neither saw nor heard any of the several other species we expected to see.

At the end of the day, we joined another 5 or 6 teams of counters at Heartwood Natural Area to “call the count.” The tentative total number of species was 91, and that’s a pretty good number. The bird of the day was a Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus), a new species for this count. Yay!

In spite of the good number of species, all of the teams reported numbers of individual birds to be down. One count does not a trend make, of course. But it certainly is in keeping with national and global trends, and cause for concern. Most humans profess to love birds. We must match our love with decisive conservation action.