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Volunteer Conservationist Of The Year – Right Here At Black Bayou Lake!

That’s right! Our own Jim Kolinski has been named Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Volunteer Conservationist of the Year for 2024. Jim is an incredibly knowledgeable and dedicated member of the team at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge. So dedicated, in fact, that he even missed the awards ceremony so that he could help more people experience and enjoy nature at Black Bayou instead.

Thank you so much, Jim, for all your hard work and dedication. It means a lot to all of us who like to work and play at Black Bayou. We all love you and can’t wait to see you do many more great things.

https://www.friendsofblackbayou.org/blog/jim-kolinski-celebrated-as-volunteer-conservationist-of-the-year-by-lwf

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Sharks in Northeast Louisiana?

Come join us for our eighth certification workshop – Mega-Toothed Sharks of Northeast Louisiana on February 17, 2024. Dr. Gary Stringer, professor of Geology at ULM will tell us all about these magnificent creatures that swam the waters that covered what is now our own home here in Northeast Louisiana.

We’ll meet up at Hanna Hall where we will learn about sharks and have a look at the natural history museum. Then we will go into the field. We’re planning to go to the Nature Conservancy, Copenhagen Hills Preserve if the weather is good, and another location to be determined should it be inclement. We’re looking to have a great time as we learn more about these ancient predators that once lurked in our own home state.

Workshop Adventures

Birds, Birds, Birds

What a great day! Dr. Terri Maness walked us through 23 orders of birds that occur in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, then some ways of identifying birds.

While my group was standing on the boardwalk out on the lake, a flock of maybe 20 American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) glided onto the water. This was my biggest surprise. I have seen White Pelicans before but never at BBLNWR.

She also showed us 3millionbirds.org’s video about the huge decline of birds since the 1970s, which identifies several sad and shocking truths about why it’s happening, from loss of habitat to cats, both pets and feral, that roam freely outside.

This little Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) appears to be scowling at me. I think it is just the bandit mask it wears that makes it look that way!

Then we added some layers against a somewhat cold but sunny day and went out to count birds. Terri gave us a scoring system: 5 points for an order, 2 points for a family and one point for a species. Two teams then walked off in opposite directions from the Conservation Learning Center at Black Bayou Lake NWR.

At the end of the afternoon, one team had accumulated more points than the other, but… it was a totally friendly competition and it really didn’t matter. We all learned and had a great time!

While we were standing in front of the Conservation Learning Center tallying our scores, this Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) soared in and perched at the top of a tree nearby. My group had heard a Red-tailed during the count, but this was the first look we got.
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Birds Workshop January 13

Happy New Year. We’re continuing our series of workshops for the seventh in this cycle – Birds with Dr. Terri Maness. Terri always teaches us great things about our feathered friends. Come and learn with us, and take a step, or another step toward certification as a Master Naturalist.

Image Credit: David Hoover

General Interest, Upcoming Events

4Q Meeting & Holiday Party

I hear its supposed to rain, but we’ll have a good time anyway!

Jim volunteers at the Refuge. We’ll invite him to the party and maybe he’ll let us play with the resident Louisiana pine snakes!

This Saturday, Dec. 9, we will convene for our 4th Quarter Meeting and our annual holiday party at Black Bayou Lake NWR in the Conservation Learning Center. Members and friends are invited.

Our speaker for the 4Q meeting is Alexandra Noel, meteorologist for NBC 10 News and FOX 14 News in West Monroe. She will talk about “NELA Severe Weather–Prepared, Not Scared.” What a timely and interesting subject!

The holiday party will follow. It is a potluck, and the offerings are typically delicious and plentiful. (Bringing food is not required.) We will also have an optional gift exchange. If you wish to participate, bring a gift in the $15-$20 range and enter it into the drawing.

This will be an opportunity to become a member if you wish, but that is not required. Come if you’re just interested in learning more about us and what we do.., and want to have a good time!

If weather allows, I’m guessing some of us will get outdoors at some point in the afternoon.

Please RSVP to LMNAOutreach@gmail.com.