Category: Upcoming Events

The heat of summer is here, but lots of cool things are happening! Here’s a few for you to consider:

1. Summer Solstice Paddle – Thursday, June 21, Black Bayou Lake, 7:30-9 p.m. It’s an annual event and I hope this year to break my record of never having gone! That will depend on the availability of a canoe or kayak to rent, as I don’t have my own. Call the Visitor Center at 387-1114 to see if any are available.

2. Louisiana Peach Festival – Things have been happening all week, but the serious fun begins Friday the 22nd at 8:30 a.m. with a kid’s fishing tournament and continues all day Saturday and into the night. Here’s a link to the full schedule. I will be there Friday afternoon and you can probably get me to pose again next to my Honorable Mention photo in the NCLAC Peach Exhibit at the Civic Center. My favorite snake photo of all time will be at Ruston Artisans, along with several other pieces. Did I mention peach ice cream? It all happens in Ruston.

3. Aquatic Life: It’s the Little Things – Saturday, June 23, Black Bayou Lake. Three seats are still available. See earlier posts and the flyer on the Certification tab for details.

4. FOBB’S Fall Celebration – Saturday October 13, Black Bayou Lake NWR, and this is where the Great Idea comes in. I hope you candidates for Master Naturalist Certification are still reading!

Fall Celebration is a wonderful family day put on by Friends of Black Bayou, with lots of activities and exhibits that are fun and educational, and showcase our fabulous refuge. Last year, LMN-NE was there with a table. We were brand new and had little to show, but Roselie and I shared our enthusiasm and signed up members.

This year… what if one or two or three of you who are working on certification created your interpretive project for us to showcase at Fall Celebration this year? That was Anne Bloxom Smith’s idea and I think it is a GREAT IDEA. Indeed, I am motivated to figure out what MY interpretive project is going to be and get working on it!

So start thinking about that, and I will devote a future blog post to some guidelines and requirements for interpretive projects for certification purposes.

I am more than excited! We have been invited to see the upland forest that surrounds the home of Kelby and Amy Ouchley and learn about this particular ecological niche. It’s scheduled Sunday, May 20, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.

You might recall that our 2nd quarter meeting was to be the BioBlitz that had to be postponed until fall due to flooding of the ULM Biological Station. Today I have found a wonderful replacement.

Growing up I thought a forest was a forest was a forest. Now I understand that forests differ dramatically. After Kelby posted his edition of Bayou Diversity today about upland oaks, I asked him where we could go to see a remnant of an upland forest.

Turns out, our options are extremely limited for seeing one in its completely natural state, but the Ouchley home is surrounded by a managed/restored one that is 140 years old. That works for me!

So get this on your calendar now. We will spend time hiking, and Kelby will teach us about the upland forest and all the relevant issues. Then we’ll spend a few minutes on the porch having a short “business meeting” while watching for fire-flies and listening to the chuck-will’s widows!

BTWs: 1) We have members who cannot attend Saturday events. That, and my own rather crazed schedule, is why I scheduled this on Sunday afternoon. 2) I will get directions or a GPS address from the Ouchleys and post that later.

Important announcements at the bottom of this post!

This coming Saturday, May 5, we’re hiking just for the fun of it. We will meet at 10 a.m. at the Short Stop Food Mart and gas station that sits in the median between south- and north-bound lanes of Highway 425/15 in Sicily Island. You can’t miss it!

No later than 10:10 a.m., we will caravan west on Highway 8 to the J.C. “Sonny” Gilbert WMA to hike. Because this is a WMA, everyone must carry a license or permit. The quickest, least expensive is a “hook and line” fishing license, available on the LDWF website for $4.50.

We will hike one of the two trails to see the waterfalls, take a break either at the park or back at the station, and then the diehards will hike the other trail to see the other waterfalls.

We will observe and record species–just for the practice and fun of it. Since Suzanne Laird is the leader of this hike, we will pay particular attention to birds. I will be hoping to add to my collection of bird photographs!

All welcome! Here’s a map of where we’re going: jcsonnygilbert map

Now, important announcements: a) We had a great plant workshop today; species list to come. b) I have added an “Observe…” page to the website to permanently hold our species lists so that you can refer to them easily. c) I have updated the “First Class Roster” on the Certification page with the attendees at today’s workshop.

Ouachita Green is conducting its next Household Hazardous Wast Event Saturday, March 17, at the Ike Hamilton Expo Center at 501 Mane St., West Monroe, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

This is your opportunity to get rid of paints, glues, motor oil and other standard household waste that cannot be put out with everyday trash. In addition to the kinds of items pictured above, obsolete and broken electronics will also be taken in for recycling.

I need to figure out how to get my worn out TV over there!

Please note that this collection is for households only. Ouachita Green cannot accept large quantities of hazardous wastes from business, farms or other commercial operations.

Please visit the website for details: Ouachita Green.

Just a reminder that Louisiana Master Naturalist – Northeast is meeting Tuesday, Oct. 3, in the Visitor’s Center at Black Bayou Lake NWR, 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Our agenda includes an update on our progress toward becoming an official chapter. We will have a tentative plan for levels of membership and participation, and what it will take to become a certified Master Naturalist, as well as ideas about workshops to be offered.

This is your chance to have input at the ground level! BTW, I’m big on beginning meetings on time and ending on time.