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 by C.Paxton On the evening of Friday Sept. 7, 2024, Kimmie and I went to The Poverty Point World Heritage Site on the kind invitation of Linda Auld (the NOLA Bug Lady, our Caroline Dormon Outstanding Louisiana Naturalist of the year 2024) to participate in the first ever butterfly survey there under the auspices of expert Louisiana Lepidopterist, author and environmental educator Craig Marks! The driving rain cleared for a glorious, blazing sunset over the sacred mounds area while a rainbow arced North to South, seemingly connecting sky to ground over the site of the great wooden circle and Bayou Macon. I turned from admiring that phenomenon to see a Great Horned Owl flapping between one patch of forest and another over the clearing of the vast bird mound (Mound A). The sky above Mound A was incendiary, our emotions almost overwhelming and then a large skein of (likely) Shoveler ducks flew south overhead to cap the experience! Basking in the glow of these marvels, we made our way back to the lodge for an evening of camaraderie and moth sheeting with Linda, Dr. Donata Henry and Ben Henry, who were here for a bird count. Linda had prepared a bright blacklight trap against a white sheet for a nocturnal survey of the insect diversity because the site is totally surrounded by agricultural crops of cotton, soybean, corn and sweet potatoes, probably sprayed with pesticides, perhaps by crop dusting. These insects were all released after being documented for her report that will follow in due course. As dusk fell, a nighthawk soared above the lodge, and we observed the night's visitors. The ground-sheet teemed with water insects: swarms of water boatmen, impressive carnivorous Giant Water Scavenger Beetles (Hydrophilus triangularis), and two Uhler's Giant Water Bugs (Lethocerus uhleri) brandishing large pincers! The hanging sheet carried a multitude of micromoths, dung beetles, and a Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (Scudderia furcata) amongst other species. The light-trap net was packed with moths, beetles and wasps. My favorite of the night was a wonderful broken stick mimicking moth called a White-headed Prominent (Symmerista albifrons). Later, we slept in the car, the windows cracked open, secured with mesh, serenaded by the nocturnal sounds. Leopard frogs chuckled and gossiped throughout the night and into the morning. After breakfast, while the Henry's surveyed the birdlife, we did a butterfly count along the trails, led by expert Louisiana Lepidopterist Craig Marks. It was a wonderful experience and we made many other interesting observations, including a possible new fungus record of Genus Gloeomucro for Louisiana. I will never forget this experience, it was a fabulous opportunity to see this wonderful place in the light of its Lepidoptera!
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8/20/2024 0 Comments A Mycological Mystery By Charles Paxton & Danny Newman On a cold December's day in Bawcomville, West Monroe, Louisiana. My wife, Kimmie Paxton, was having a stroll around the backyard to see what she might find going on in nature. In so doing she examined the charred remains of a deciduous stump in the makeshift fire pit that her family had created while clearing out some of her grandfather's outbuildings. Tiny white dots on lemon yellow stalks stood out like pale matchsticks along the top of the perimeter of the blackened stump. On further inspection, these little matchsticks white dots were also on the ground in a patch around the stump throughout the southwestern edge of the burn pile. A bit of macrophotography confirmed her suspicion that it was very likely fungal. She added her observation to iNaturalist listed as 'Fungi'. Upon sharing photos of this strange white fungus to her mom, instead of the expected exclamation of joy, she received a deep-felt, outraged 'eughhh!!!' Perhaps not very surprising, on reflection, as some of these tiny structures resembled leprous toes thrusting up from the charcoal substrate, see http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/193242907. A few days later, on December 9, Kimmie called me outside to photograph these little fungi that she'd found with my DSLR and macro lens, and while there I lifted a board to the left of the fungi and was amazed to see some strange, fiery orange,yellow claw-looking structures emerging from under the board. I lifted a second board and we could see them fully revealed, they were orangeish yellowish fungi covered with little black dots on the side and they looked very weird; we'd seen nothing like them before. As they looked unrelated to the tinier, paler, matchstick palid fungi that she'd found, I posted them as a separate observation ( https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/213846964). The Gulf South Mycological Society ascomycete expert, Danny Newman, was watching as we posted our observations on Inaturalist. He was exactly the right kind of person to be investigating this unusual case. He saw the specimens from both observations and understood what both the matchsticks and the strange, fiery orange claws might be. It turns out that a similar, dung-dwelling fungus had been described from Sri Lanka in the late 1970s, depicted with both forms/stages as what was occurring in our burn pile. The Sri Lankan authors created a new genus called Lindquistia to accommodate the pale matchsticks (the anamorph), which they believed was but an alternate guise of some sturdier, club-like forms in the genus Podosordaria (the teleomorph).  After Danny examined specimens that we then sent him, he sent an exciting reply: "Even just judging by the macroscopic description of the Podosordaria (=Poronia) teleomorph in the [Sri Lankan] paper, it was clear that what you had found was distinct. Theirs is on dung, and is "capitate" (having a sterile stipe that is clearly differentiated from a fertile, round "head'). Yours is on burned wood, and is fertile along most of its length. The color is markedly different too, though color is often a weakly diagnostic character, especially when considered in isolation. The microscopic differences between your teleomorph and theirs significantly strengthen the case for these being distinct spp. There are [also] multiple micromorphological features that diverge between the two taxa, including spore shape and size, germ slit prominence, and the apical apparatus." In brief, what we had found in Louisiana was similar to, but distinct from, what had been found and published about in Sri Lanka some 47 years before. Thanks to the help of a Taiwanese alphataxonomist named Dr. Yu-Ming Ju, we recently learned from Danny’s presentation to the Gulf South Mycological Society Summer Foray that our two-stage fungus belongs to a species known as Xylaria phosphorea. Described in 1872 in Victoria, Australia, X. phosphorea was only ever known from its teleomorphic ”claw-” or “club-like” state. No one in over 150 years ever knew it to possess this matchstick (Lindquistia) anamorph, because the two forms had never been observed occurring together. Ours was the first! Moreover, the number of worldwide collections of X. phosphorea is very low, making this an exceedingly rare find, even without the bonus of solving the mycological mystery of its anamorph-teleomorph connection. The matchstick, now with its "flame", ironically found in a burn pit, currently bears the name, Xylaria phosphorea, but Danny and Dr. Ju will soon recombine it in the genus, Poronia, where it rightly belongs.   Saturday, April 13, 2024 in Monroe , LA. LMNA Past-president Dr. Bob Thomas introduced our guest speaker, the Outstanding Louisiana Naturalist of the Year Linda Barber Auld. Auld won by a landslide for her admirable and transformative work in butterfly conservation and education! Her presentation exemplifies a life increasingly dedicated to education and service on behalf of the nation's beleaguered butterflies! See The Dormon Award for the press release!  Linda Barber Auld receiving an admirer's Victory Bouquet from Dr. Bette Kauffman, LMNA and LMN-NE Past-president.  Dr. Gary Stringer identifying a fossil find by Dr. Bette Kauffman as Isurus sp., a Mako shark's tooth from the Late Eocene, 36.5 million years ago. The group's finds will be mounted on display and exhibited at Rendezvous 2024! By C.Paxton Apologies in advance for any errata written here are my own.  Louisiana Master Naturalists Northeast enjoyed an excellent Geology Workshop February 17th, 2024, given by Dr. Gary Stringer, ULM Professor Emeritus of Geology. The subject was "The Prehistoric Megatoothed Sharks of Louisiana" and his illustrated talk was informative and highly stimulating! Dr. Stringer has discovered a great many marine fossils in the course of his research including great sharks' teeth, the spines and crushing teeth of rays, the ear-stones (Otoliths) of fish and the bones of huge prehistoric whales! His publications have firmly established that the Yazoo Clay deposits in the Copenhagen Hills near Columbia are one of the Southeast's richest repositories of Late Eocene fossils including the remains of great sharks and whales, the apex predators of the age! Our lecture conveyed a great introduction to the taxonomy, range and ecological interactions of the giant prehistoric sharks that inhabited the area that we know as Louisiana in the late Eocene. It was fascinating to focus on the physiological characteristics of the teeth.  Dr. Gary Stringer holding the caudal vertebra of an extinct Basilosaurid Whale, Basilosaurus cetoides that he had just found! The classroom portion was conducted at ULM's Hanna Hall, and the field trip was held with special permission at Nature Conservancy Louisiana's Copenhagen tract, Caldwell Parish, not far from the Ouachita River. Despite low temperatures and high winds, it was a great success! Our group leaders wore Orange vests and the fossils were found on the surface without disturbance of the soil or vegetation. Dr. Stringer was kind and thorough in his examination and identification of the specimens that we found, he also kindly presented LMN-NE with some of his finds for the display that will enrich the group's outreach events! Overview: The invertebrate and vertebrate fossils were collected on the surface with no disturbance of plants or soil. The invertebrate fossils were more numerous, which is typical. All invertebrate and vertebrate specimens recovered have been previously described from the site by various researchers and studies, i.e., no new species were found. Furthermore, no unique or rare specimens were recovered on the field trip. The fossils were common and abundant. At the conclusion of the field trip, Dr. Stringer identified the findings of each participant. Results are given below for the entire group including Dr. Stringer. Taxa and number found: Invertebrates Coelenterates (corals) Balanophyllia irrorata (39 specimens, the most abundant coral at the site) Flabellum cuneiforme (27 specimens) Endopachys maclurii (2 specimens) Archohelia sp. (3 specimens) Bivalves (shells): Venericardia planicosta (24 specimens) Cubitostrea trigonalis (46 specimens, primarily broken; oyster shells) Glycymeris sp. (1 specimen) Chlamys nupera (2 specimens, broken) Thaumastoplax sp. (2 specimens) Atrina jacksoniana (3 specimens; internal casts) Teredo sp. (10 specimens) Gastropods (shells) Calyptraphorus relatus (2 specimens) Clavilithes humerosus (4 specimens) Architectonica alveata (1 specimen) Athleta petrosa (1 specimen) Pseudoliva vetusa (1 specimen, broken) Turritella sp. (14 very small specimens) Scaphopods (tusk shells) Dentalium mississippiense (1 specimen) Trace fossil Burrow (unknown origin) (2 specimens) Vertebrate remains Myliobatis (1 small specimen of crusher tooth of eagle ray) Shark coprolites (10 specimens; fossilized fecal material) Shark teeth (4 specimens; 3 of Isurus and 1 of Carcharhinus) Basilosaurus cetoides (whale remains; several small pieces of non-identifiable bone; 2 small pieces of ribs; one partially complete vertebra) Zygorhiza kochii (small whale at Copenhagen; possible part of centrum of a small vertebra) Some of the particles that washed off our specimens included the following microfossils that Dr. Stringer kindly identified as Foraminifera, commonly called 'Forams'; he explained these were amoebae that could secrete calcium carbonate. 3/10/2024 0 Comments Louisiana Wildlife Federation Awards Dr. Alex Kolker Conservationist of the Year! A lifetime of great works and still busy! Highly deserved award from LWF for our hero, Marty Floyd! 
 Jim Kolinski, the Volunteer Conservationist of the Year, with his LWF award at The Black Bayou Lake Conservation Education Center, Monroe, Louisiana. He's so dedicated that he missed his own award ceremony to be with his beloved critters and to enrich visitors' experience! We love you, Jim! The Louisiana Master Naturalists would like to extend our congratulations to, and celebration of, the eight Conservation Achievement Awards winners for 2003. The following information is based on an LWF Press Release (BATON ROUGE, February 24, 2024). The winners were carefully selected by a panel of independent judges with expertise in a wide range of conservation fields! The Louisiana Wildlife Federation will present the 58th Conservation Achievement Awards on April 12 Coastal Researcher, Dr. Alex Kolker has been named 2023 Conservationist of the Year! Alex Kolker, PhD, of New Orleans, and associate professor at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON), specializing in oceanography, geology, and climate science, has been named 2023 Conservationist of the Year by the Louisiana Wildlife Federation. Dr. Kolker recently led the charge for collecting data to better understand the continuing evolution of Neptune Pass in the lower Mississippi River and related land-building. He also developed a new tool showing the sources of major greenhouse emissions and other pollutants in the state. “Dr. Kolker’s contribution to the research needed to better understand how we can use the Mississippi River to build land and the potential local impacts from climate change continues to be crucial in planning efforts,” said LWF Executive Director Rebecca Triche. “He is also a powerful and effective science communicator using social media to engage people.” The Conservationist of the Year Award is presented annually to the person, business or organization deemed to have made the most outstanding contribution toward the protection, wise use, and enjoyment of Louisiana’s natural resources from among nominees submitted by the public. Conservationist of the Year is the most prestigious conservation award in Louisiana. Along with recognizing the 2023 Conservationist of the Year, Louisiana Wildlife Federation will also present seven other Conservation Achievement Awards at its 58th Awards Banquet to be held on April 12 in Baton Rouge. The program added a category for Lifetime Achievement Award this year and the inaugural award will be presented to Martin D. “Marty” Floyd of Cheneyville for his decades of professional and volunteer service toward conserving Louisiana’s wildlife and native habitat. Floyd, a wildlife biologist, has contributed greatly to habitat and wildlife conservation work for more than 50 years. His long career includes work for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and Ducks Unlimited, and he has given decades of volunteer leadership to numerous organizations, including Louisiana Ornithological Society, Louisiana Association of Professional Biologists, Louisiana Master Naturalists Association, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, and National Wildlife Federation. For more on Marty's win, please see LWF CONSERVATION AWARDS ANNOUNCED TODAY The other six 2023 Conservation Achievement Awards recipients include:
LWF would like to thank the 58th Conservation Achievement Awards Banquet sponsors including Lamar Advertising; Land Trust for Louisiana/Southern Heritage Wild, LLC; Cenac Marine Services; Delacroix Corporation; Louisiana Lottery Corporation; Rapides Wildlife Association; Toledo Bend Lake Association, and Robert and Norma Stewart. The public is invited to the 58th Conservation Achievement Awards Banquet to be held on Friday, April 12, 2024, at Boudreaux’s in Baton Rouge. The banquet will begin at 6:00 pm with a cocktail reception followed by dinner and the awards presentation at 7:00 pm. The Master of Ceremonies will be Rob Shadoin, former Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. For more details and to purchase tickets visit at lawildlifefed.org! The Louisiana Wildlife Federation is a statewide conservation education and advocacy organization established in 1940, with more than 10,000 members and 21 affiliate groups representing a broad constituency of hunters, anglers, birders, boaters, campers, hikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts. You might consider membership, if you haven't joined them already.  Our hero! Marty Floyd, winner of LWF's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award! 
Fantastic news that the LMNA's Marty Floyd has scooped the Louisiana Wildlife Federation's Lifetime Achievement Award! According to LWF, their judges for the 58th Conservation Achievement Awards met Saturday, February 17th, and have selected the following winners in each category: Conservationist of the Year for 2023 – Alexander Kolker, PhD. (See next blog article for LWF Press Release!) Professional Conservationist of the Year for 2023 – Corey Miller Volunteer Conservationist of the Year for 2023 – Jim Kolinski Conservation Educators of the Year for 2023 – Amanda Clark & Pam Pearce Elected Official Conservationist of the Year for 2023 – Joseph Orgeron, PhD. Conservation Communicator of the Year for 2023 – Don Shoopman Conservation Organization of the Year for 2023 – AJ & Nona Trigg Hodges Foundation 2023 Lifetime Achievement – Marty Floyd The LWF awards program recognizes "individuals, organizations, and businesses that have made a significant and outstanding contribution toward the protection and wise use of Louisiana’s natural resources in the previous year. Each honoree will receive a handsome wildlife statuette. The recipients will be honored at a celebratory banquet at Boudreaux's held in Baton Rouge on April 12, 2024. It's worth noting some of Marty's many and formidable achievements and qualifications for winning this award, though quiet and very modest, he has been a leading light in Louisiana environmental conservation. Marty has a proven track record of tangible and positive impact on wildlife conservation in Louisiana for 25 years! Dr. Bob Thomas, the LMNA's Past President, and Professor & Director of The Center for Environmental Communication at Loyola University in New Orleans commented, "Marty has dedicated his career and passions to the conservation and understanding of Louisiana’s magnificent Sportsman Paradise. The value of his work is unparalleled!" Marty's service includes Presidency of LOS and LWF, Louisiana Master Naturalist State board membership and regional board membership for Acadiana Chapter (Lafayette Region) as a prime mover there and in the CenLA region. He has consistently exhibited leadership and been an active environmental volunteer and advocate. He has steered group policy and contributed his knowledge to a great many excursions and workshops. I was very impressed by his owl calls at our Fontainebleau Rendezvous! He privately published and has widely disseminated two delightful bird books written by his father: All About Cardinals and All about Bluebirds. His Bird Counts have contributed to regional biodiversity mapping. His conservation work as Program Manager for the LDWF program to study the impact on habitat damaged by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill has had lasting impact. As Ducks Unlimited liaison he enrolled landowners in the Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) Migratory Bird Habitat Improvement Program for EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentive Program) to make alternate habitats for birds displaced due to the oil spill. In 2003 Marty helped locate and monitor Sandhill Cranes with the Loose Alliance of Casual and/or Keen Bird Watchers of Central LA. Marty Floyd was a contributor to the 2005 Louisiana Wildlife Action Plan and was recognized at the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana’s Coastal Stewardship Awards Banquet for his 25 years working with the coastal marshes! Marty has thus unquestionably made a lasting and sustainable impact on wildlife and their coastal habitats, ensuring a positive legacy for future generations! Along with these qualifications, his contributions to environmental education and community outreach firmly align him with this great award. Working with the NWF, Rapides Wildlife Association, LWF and Tunica Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana Marty has co-created a wonderful coloring book that has both the English and Native American Tunica-Biloxi names of many of Louisiana's wild creatures. Marty provided the original images for coloring. This book is available online and is used by individuals with their families and educators. It has been shared widely and is an exemplar of educational material that constitutes an important cross-cultural bridge! LMNA President Bette Kauffman speaks for us all in congratulating him on a very well-deserved award! "Marty Floyd is a consummate conservationist. His lifetime of commitment and work to preserve the natural heritage of this state has left us all richer. We are delighted to celebrate with him LWF's 2023 Lifetime Achievement.award. Congratulations, Marty! We are proud of you." When asked how he feels about it, Marty said "So honored to be chosen for this award. I don't plan on stopping in whatever way I can to promote wildlife and the habitat they depend upon. Thanks for all the support I have been given." To which we respond, thank you, Marty, for your long years of excellent work in, about and for the environment in Louisiana and for being such a fine Master Naturalist exemplar! Kudos to you, sir! A good volunteer effort for master naturalists would be monitoring tall buildings during migration to find dead birds as part of LIGHTS OUT program.
Volunteers would need to look in early morning hours using birdcast and bad weather reports when birds are pushed down as result of poor visibility and collide with lighted buildings. Bird cast is a free app (https://birdcast.info) with live data March 1 to June 15 and Aug 1 to Nov 15. Go to: Louisiana, then to the parish Combine this with bad weather reports. Marty Floyd
Armstrong is running an exemplary project in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy Louisiana to preserve a vanishing Louisiana ecosystem and restore the indigenous plants and animals. This is important because America is losing its precious biodiversity from habitat destruction; both the variety and the quantity of living things are being diminished. A rich biodiversity is more resilient to adverse changes and is the basis of our life support system. Therefore, this event is relevant for all who own or manage land in NELA. We're very grateful to Johnny for his valuable project and outreach, and also to Library Director, Stephanie Antley Hermmann for opening this wonderful venue to us. Yet again she's proving Louisiana public libraries' essential contribution to our NELA community. There'll be an opportunity for Q&A and book signing and an appeal to join the Louisiana Master Naturalists Northeast group. Links and background information For more info about Johnny's book please see: https://lsupress.org/books/detail/rescuing-biodiversity/ More info about The Louisiana Master Naturalists: The Louisiana Master Naturalists Northeast's mission is to develop a corps of well-informed citizen naturalists who promote, through education and service, stewardship of Louisiana’s natural resources within their communities. https://louisianamasternaturalistsnortheast.com More info about the Union Parish Library here: The Union Parish Library is located in central Farmerville, Louisiana. It regularly holds events and is a valuable community hub https://unionparish.booksys.net/opac/upl/index.html#menuHome 
4/29/2023 0 Comments Dr. Malcolm F. Vidrine is The Caroline Dormon Outstanding Louisiana Naturalist of The Year for 2023! By Dr. Robert A. Thomas PhD. Professor of Environmental Communication, Loyola University, LMNA Past President and Chair of The Dormon Award Committee. The Louisiana Master Naturalist Association, a statewide organization dedicated to educating citizens about the natural history of our state and its importance to their well-being, is proud to announce that the 2023 recipient of its Caroline Dormon Outstanding Louisiana Naturalist award is Dr. Malcolm F. Vidrine, professor emeritus of biology at Louisiana State University Eunice. He received the award April 22 at LMNA’s annual Rendezvous held in Hackberry, Louisiana, and hosted by the Southwest Louisiana Master Naturalists.
2/6/2023 0 Comments LMNA Seeks Your Nominations For Outstanding Louisiana Naturalist 2023 - The Caroline Dormon Award.Who do you feel deserves the Caroline Dormon Outstanding Louisiana Naturalist Award 2023?
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