Two young, White-tailed deer bucks wading in shallow lake, one drinks and one regards the viewer.
White-tailed deer bucks enjoying Restoration Park’s southern lake. C.Paxton image and copyright.

 

Why visit? Accessible, attractive woodland and wetland trails. Great place for wildlife observation, physical exercise and contemplation of nature.

Highlights: Varied, healthy woodland and wetland habitats with almost 600 species logged! Year-round we can enjoy beavers’ construction: dams and lodge, wetland and woodland birdlife, from the boardwalk we can watch for fish, and White-tailed Deer along the water margins and sometimes browsing in the southern lake.

Warm days: turtles, frogs, water snakes, dragonflies and damselflies, butterflies. Fireflies flicker through the woodland in June.

Nature preserve rules: City of West Monroe’s regulations apply. Visit during daylight hours only. We’re not allowed to pick leaves, flowers, fruit, fungi, to fish or hunt, or interfere with any wildlife. We are not allowed to litter or damage park infrastructure. If you see a baby deer on its own, please leave it where it is, as its mother will return to nurture it after she’s finished browsing.

Restoration Park, West Monroe is a 70 acre Forest and Wetland Park with five timber observation points, a magnificent board walk and a 1.2 mile trail system of mostly gravel surface that wends its way through mixed forest and between the three lakes. There are ephemeral pools in late Winter and Spring.

The name Restoration Park speaks of both its ability to restore the visitor, and of its transformation from an open gravel quarry through garbage dump to the naturally restored wetlands of today!  Restoration Park is important because:

  • It controls flooding that’s usually caused by runoff from heavy storms for 1/8 of the 10 mile² Back Bayou watershed, and this water is measurably cleaner and clearer as it leaves the park! Wetlands filter pollutants.
  • The park preserves a biodiverse wetland site with mixed pine and deciduous woodland, maintained with beavers!
  • It offers educational, research, and recreational opportunities to neighboring communities and visitors.
  • There are public restrooms and a gazebo with BBQ that can be hired for events.
A perky Swamp Rabbit sitting upright in lush grass
A perky Swamp Rabbit sitting upright in lush grass near Restoration Park’s public restrooms. K. Paxton image and copyright.

Species Observations: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/restoration-park?tab=stats

Trail Map: https://www.cityofwestmonroe.com/290/Restoration-Park

Naturalist Activity: Walk around the Restoration Park trails noting how the environment differs in the different sections and seasons. Enter your observations on iNaturalist.org site or the iNaturalist app. Be sure to observe the beaver dam that runs alongside the boardwalk. Beavers are nocturnal, but you’ll see areas of fresh repairs and often this includes beaver‘s footprints in the soft mud that they have used to fortify their dam. There’s also a lower dam at the bottom of the Southeast pond and another at the bottom of the Southwest pond. There are at least two lodges within the park.

Watch for fish, nutria rats, Spiny Softshells, musk turtles, sliders and cooters, swamp rabbits, also solo deer and small family herds around the northern and western lakes, and watch where you step as there are snakes in the park.

Videos featuring the park include:

KTAL News History at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVb6uoFWwt4

KNOE History https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLIDnlbLl24

White-tailed Deer Family at Restoration Park https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y019U9JYhqI

Eastern Musk Turtles at Restoration Park https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fiFUZO7sOQ

Restoration Park Wildlife July 10, 2022 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pplhq5O_pYM