Nature Events in Louisiana

7/3/2021 0 Comments

Nature Events in the Area (Louisiana plus Texas, Mississippi and more)

The remarkable Polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Cramer), is just one of the many fascinating species that can be found at Allen Acres private nature reserve, near Pitkin, Louisiana.

Events list supplied by Dr. Charles Allen, of Allen Acres, C. Paxton, and Gary Salathe, Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative volunteer and Director. (Dates are potentially subject to change. Places can fill up quickly, so please check with the hosts in advance to make reservations)

Let's Whoop It Up! Fundraiser For Cranes Preview Virtual Auction Items Now, Bidding Begins July 8

Starting July 1, you can preview more than 50 auctions items featured via online auction for the International Crane Foundation's Let’s Whoop It Up! virtual fundraiser July 15 at 7 p.m. Central Time. Make your auction wish list now, so you can begin bidding July 8 at 6 a.m. Central Time, when the auction site goes live.

Let’s Whoop It Up! is a benefit for the International Crane Foundation, celebrating our Co-Founder George Archibald’s 75th birthday. With our spectacular new Cranes of the World exhibits as a backdrop, the event hosts are President and CEO Rich Beilfuss and George.

July 7: Prairie Side Chat, a virtual program led by Larry Weaner, 1 -2.30 pm; Prairie Lost and Found with participants, Charles Allen, Malcolm Vidrine, and Marc Pastorek. You can view the Professional Programs brochure and the Home Gardener, Student, & Educator brochure.

1.    Louisiana iris rescue, Des Allemands     SATURDAY, JULY 10, 2021 AT 8 AM – 12:30 PM
A landowner of a property along Hwy 90 has bush-hogged the ditch/wet area each year during the dry season. Because of this, it has never been sprayed with a herbicide by the state highway department. It is the only stretch of highway not sprayed, so the area had become a mini-wetland bog full of native swamp plants, including the Louisiana iris. He has the property for sale and has stopped maintaining the wet area. He believes it's only a question of time before the state will begin spraying the spot. He has encouraged us to get the irises out and relocated to a safer location.

More details can be found here:   https://fb.me/e/10vUmloe9

2. Louisiana iris rescue, Barataria, La      WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2021 AT 8:30 AM– Noon
Cindy Baucum of Barataria, La. has offered us a donation of the I. giganticaerulea species of Louisiana irises growing on property she owns. Over the years her husband, Joe Baucum, now deceased, watched over and protected the irises in a ditch along the parish road that runs through their property. He diligently put out a sign every year asking the parish road crews to not spray the ditch with a herbicide.  One of our volunteers went to the site a couple of weeks ago and reported back that he drove miles down the road without once seeing any irises in the roadside ditches, so this may be the last stand of irises left thanks to Joe's efforts to protect them.  The purpose of this volunteer event is to dig up all of the irises in the ditch on Cindy's property to use in our iris restoration project at the town of Jean Lafitte boardwalk.

More details can be found here:  https://fb.me/e/UOptHYca

3.   Rescued iris planting at our iris holding area   THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021 AT 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM
The Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative (LICI) will be holding a volunteer work event to plant rescued Louisiana irises into containers at our ninth ward iris holding area on Thursday, July 15th.
More details can be found here:  https://fb.me/e/TiaVxWeW

4.    Bayou Sauvage refuge iris seed collection   SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2021 AT 8:30 AM CDT – 12 PM CD
The Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative (LICI) will be hosting a Louisiana iris seed pod collection and opening event at the US Fish & Wildlife Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge. The purpose of this volunteer event is to harvest iris seed pods and remove the seeds. The seeds will be broadcast out at a future date into the muck along the shoreline of the refuge swamp where there is now plenty of sunlight and not many competing plants because of a tallow tree extraction project we have been doing. This is being done to help nature speed up the natural process of expanding the existing irises into these new areas.
More details can be found here:   https://fb.me/e/47l7L1CeX

July 16-18. GSMS SUMMER FORAY, OPELOUSAS, LOUISIANA. Hampton Inn, 1700 Commerce Blvd. Plaza, off IH49 exit 18, Creswell Rd, take east frontage road north adjacent to Walmart. The hotel sits off the road a few 100 yards. A registration form is appended below. Please return to David Lewis by Thursday, July 1. Questions call 409-423-3776.

July 17-25: National Moth Week at Allen Acres. Moth Madness including the Magical Moth Mile and a Bioblitz. Details appended below.

July 25 Certification Project on Snakes by David Hoover of Louisiana Master Naturalists Northeast at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge's Environmental Conservation Education Center 17:00- 18:00.

Aug 20-22 Lily/Orchid Days. Begin from Allen Acres. Check website for details to be added soon.

Sat Sept 11: Edible Plant Workshop Allen Acres

Sunday Sept 12: Plant ID workshop Allen Acres

Sept 14-16: Basic Plant ID class Allen Acres

Sept 18: Butterfly Festival, Haynesville

Sept 21-23: Basic Plant ID class Allen Acres

Sat Sept 25: Edible Plant Workshop Allen Acres

Sun Sept 26: Plant ID workshop Allen Acres

Sept 28-30: Graminoid ID Class, Allen Acres

Oct 1-3 Butterfly Blast Allen Acres Details soon

Sat Oct 16: Plant ID workshop Allen Acres

Oct 19-21: Basic Plant ID class Allen Acres

Sat Oct 23: Edible Plant Workshop Allen Acres

Oct 26-28: Basic Plant ID class Allen Acres

Connect with Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative: https://www.licisaveirises.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/licisaveirises/