Blog

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.

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!

Saturday, May 11^th, 2024 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. will be our long-awaited forestry workshop.

Kalem Dartez of the Forestry Service will be discussing Louisiana forest ecosystems and how to identify trees by not only leaves but also habitat, growth habits, bark, and fruit. We will have classroom training at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Conservation Learning Center and in the afternoon, we will do our field work at Black Bayou or Russell Sage Wildlife Management Area depending on how the day looks.

We hope to see you there.

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

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.