Wonderful line-up of speakers for LMNA Rendezvous 2026!
Larry Allain, Pollinators (Keynote Speaker)
After receiving a bachelor's degree in agriculture from the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1975, Larry worked as a nurseryman eventually running his own nursery and landscaping company. In 1992 he returned to the University of Southwestern Louisiana to get his master's in biology. From 1995 to 2018 he worked as a botanist and plant ecologist at the National Wetlands Research Center where his research focuses on Coastal Prairie ecology including fire effects, invasive species, and restoration. Larry is a past president of the Cajun Prairie Preservation Society and member of the Society of Wetland Scientists, the Coastal Prairie Partnership and the Acadiana Native Plant Project. He has authored several papers and digital products on Coastal Prairie and developed the Guide to the Plants of Louisiana website. In retirement he operates a small farm growing fruit and vegetables while restoring his pastures to native grassland. He is working to develop an affordable seed source for restoring coastal prairie, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. He advocates for the restoration of native grassland for working grazing land which includes the study of palatability of native grasses and forbs.
Andre Daugereaux- ULL Ecology Center - PureNative seed bank
Andre Daugereaux is the Operations Manager of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ecology Center, where he oversees research facilities, runs a native seed increase program, and assists with numerous research projects focused on Louisiana’s ecosystems. He brings a strong field-based perspective to research on native plants, wetlands, and fisheries, helping faculty, students, and partners conduct research studies statewide. As a dedicated steward of Louisiana’s native ecosystems, Andre has spent more than 15 years studying the Cajun prairie, with hands-on expertise in seed collection, native plant propagation, and applied restoration. Andre will give a tour of the Pure Native™ seed bank program which cleans, stores, and distributes native seeds for propagation and restoration efforts to conserve ecologically important plant species.
Christopher Kingwill- Prehistoric Louisiana
 Master astronomer, Dave Hostetter pictured with a powerful telescope!
Dave Hostetter retired in 2020 from a 45-year career in planetariums, including 40 years as Curator of the Planetarium at the Lafayette Science Museum. He co-curated the Museum’s accessioned collections of meteorites and traditional planetarium equipment. Dave is a Fellow of the International Planetarium Society and a Past President of the Southeastern Planetarium Association. Since retirement, he has started the Acadiana Sky Facebook page (suggesting sky events visible from the South Louisiana area) and has developed a companion web site at www.acadianasky.com showing an on-line meteorite exhibit and information for beginners about buying and using telescopes, among other things!
Susan David-- Gyotaku Fish PrintingSusan David is an interdisciplinary visual artist. Her work blends elements of the natural world, psychology, religion, mythology, and the feminine. She exhibits her work regionally and nationally. She is a two-time ArtSpark grant recipient, an Individual Artist Stipend administered by the Acadiana Center for the Arts and funded by the Lafayette Economic Development Authority to implement various public art projects. She obtained her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Painting from University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2004 and her Masters of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies at Vermont College of Fine Arts, in Montpelier, Vermont in January 2016. Susan will be giving Gyotaku printmaking demonstrations to assist our attendees in printing their gyotaku prints at Atelier de la Nature on Saturday, April 11, 2026. She will also have prints and T-shirts based on the natural world available for purchase. 
Artist Susan David blends elements of the natural world, psychology, religion, mythology, and the feminine!
Acadiana Native Plant Project with Phyllis Baudoin Griffard, PhDThe Acadiana Native Plant Project is a local non-profit organization with the mission to promote the use of native plants within our landscape. We propagate over 100 species of native wildflowers, grasses, trees and others at our greenhouse in Arnaudville and secondary location at the UL Ecology center. We also have workshops, speakers, and other outreach activities to connect the public with opportunities to improve the ecological function of the land they steward. Phyllis Griffard is an active volunteer with propagation and outreach, and is a retired educator committed to this work.
Dr. Phyllis Baudoin Griffard is a biology educator. Her scholarly work has aimed to make biology meaningful to learners of all ages, especially that in their own backyards! Phyllis is President of the Acadiana Native Plant Project and coordinator of Louisiana Native Plant Society's Louisiana Certified Habitat Program. Phyllis, Pete, and hundreds of species of birds, insects, herps, and mammals live on 7 acres of gold-certified habitat in Sunset, Louisiana. Education and Outreach and President Acadiana Native Plant Project Coordinator of LNPS Louisiana Certified Habitat Program for Southwest Louisiana Program Committee, Acadiana Master Naturalists Tad Guidry-- Urban Native Greens Citizen Science Project with Prothonotary Warblers
Tad was inspired to build and install nest boxes around the lake to help these beautiful and brightly colored songbirds. These nest boxes were designed to increase the chances of their use by this species. Last year he monitored these nest boxes and was pleased to observe several clutches of prothonotary warbler chicks and have recently installed more nesting boxes. While at Cypress Island Preserve for the rendezvous workshop we will be able to view nesting birds that return to the rookery each spring. We will walk the trails where we will look for resident and migratory bird species. We will pass a few of the prothonotary warbler nesting boxes and share insights as to how to design, hang, and monitor nest boxes. Tad will pass on tips on how to match the habitat and bird species you may have at your home and can share information on how to join the nest monitoring program if you would like to be a part of this citizen science program. Brandon Ballengée -- visual artist, biologist and environmental educator.
Ballengée is the co-founder of Atelier de la Nature, the STEAM education center and nature reserve in Arnaudville, Louisiana. He creates multi-media artworks inspired from his ecological field and laboratory research. Ballengée’s artwork has been exhibited in over 20 countries and has received numerous awards and fellowships, including a Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship (2017), Awards from the National Academies Keck Futures Initiative (2015, 2016), Creative Capital Award (2019), a Guggenheim Fellowship (2021), a Special Jury Prize from the COAL 2022 Award (France), and was included in the 2020 Grist 50 Emerging Environmental Leaders. He holds a Ph.D. in Transdisciplinary Art and Biology from Plymouth University (UK) in association with the Hochschule für Gestaltung Zürich (Switzerland). Currently, he is an Adjunct Faculty of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Tulane University, studying the impact of the 2010 oil spill on Gulf of Mexico fish species. In 2026-28 he will be a visiting artist-scientist in the Department of Biology and Fellow of the EcoSphere Group at the University of Antwerp (Belgium). Steve Nevitt--Prairie conservation and Atelier de la Nature prairie walk
Steve Nevitt- pictured conducting a controlled burn of Prairie habitat.
I was born in Lafayette and raised in Southwest Louisiana. My childhood was spent fishing for sac a lait in the basin, hunting for dove on the prairie and duck in the Cheniere plain. I received my Bachelors of Science in Renewable Resources and Environmental Science from ULL and my Masters of science in Geology from the School of Geosciences at ULL. I love the rich lands that surround us and seek to encourage appropriate management of our home range through education, awareness and practice. Not only for our health and enjoyment, but for our responsibility to take care of our bodies and keep our home clean. Unfortunately, all the land in Louisiana has been impacted, and degraded from its natural state. To walk away and leave a once farmed field to ‘go-back-to-nature’ is akin to abandoning any project in the middle and expecting it to return to its original state on its own. Restoration must be deliberate and may seem like a daunting task, but you are putting into motion a cycle that will continue for generations. |
Citizen Science with Dr. Bette Kauffman
Dr. Bette J. Kauffman co-founded the Louisiana Master Naturalist – Northeast chapter and and represents the chapter on the statewide Board. Kauffman is a Professor Emerita of Communication at University of Louisiana Monroe and a photographer whose work appears in local, regional and national juried art exhibits. Read her Edge & Essence Phtography Blog. This workshop will introduce a number of online platforms that naturalists can contribute to, then will take a deeper dive into using eBird and iNaturalist. If internet service allows, it will include looking at examples from Kauffman's 76 eBird lists and 6,700 iNat observations. This talk is used by the Northeast Chapter as part of its Basic Field Skills certification workshop. Kauffman is ULM Professor Emerita of Communications and founded the Northeast chapter. Oyster Sustainability with Beth and Ann of LO-SPATThe LO-SPAT project is a Louisiana state-funded applied research project seeking to implement novel approaches and techniques to promote oyster sustainability in the face of ongoing and future environmental challenges, specifically low salinity that occurs with river floods. To this goal, the LO-SPAT project operates a 1,600 gallon recirculating aquaculture system at the UL Lafayette Ecology Center that is the center of the genomic selection method of breeding being developed and used in the project. We also partner with academic, federal, private, and state institutions to produce and deploy oysters with enhanced tolerance to low salinity conditions, build our understanding of co-stressors of low salinity for oysters, and increase monitoring of water quality in oyster-growing regions (see www.lospat.org). Dr. Beth Stauffer (Associate Professor, UL Lafayette) leads the collaborative project, while Ann Fairly Pandelides (Project Manager) is involved in running and managing all aspects and moving parts of LO-SPAT. Jason Puma -- Herpetology Guide
One of Louisiana's top hands-on field Herpetologists, 'Rico Rabbits' of Louisiana Amphibian and Reptile Enthusiasts (L.A.R.E.), is a proven nature guide, adept at locating, identifying and handling herpetofauna! He has guided field expeditions with naturalists at Briarwood Nature Preserve and Black Bayou Lake NWR, and for Louisiana Master Naturalists Northeast and Northwest and L.A.R.E events! Perhaps it is his Blackfoot ancestry with deep sensitivity and reverence for Nature and respect for all creatures combined with his desire to share rich experiences that shape Puma's wildlife encounters and make them so memorable to those he guides! Steven Barney -- Beetle Guru!
Steven has had a love for beetles for his entire life, especially those in the Scarab superfamily. He has been breeding and working with beetles for the past 30 years, does educational outreach with animals and has done insect work for TV and movies. Last year he opened the Scarab Lab; the only permitted exotic beetle breeding facility in the U.S. Scarab Lab on Facebook Fundraiser by Steven Barney : The Scarab Lab Katherine Gividen -- Nocturnal Insects & Bats
Katherine will lead the nocturnal insect and bat walk at Atelier on Friday night. She is a dedicated Louisiana Master Naturalist and an Advanced Florida Master Naturalist who genuinely loves sharing her passion for the environment. Having served as President of both the Louisiana Master Naturalist state board and the Greater Baton Rouge chapter, she works hard to promote conservation and education in our community. She also serves on the board of Atelier de la Nature and coordinates Cajun FrogWatch of Louisiana. In 2018, Katherine was honored with the Louisiana Wildlife Federation’s Governor’s Award for Conservationist of the Year for her efforts in educating others about conservation in Louisiana. She has served as the Vice President of the Baton Rouge Area Audubon Society and also serves as Vice President of the Louisiana Hiking Club. Additionally, Katherine is a certified instructor for American Red Cross Wilderness and Remote First Aid training, making sure others are equipped to handle outdoor emergencies. Her approachable nature and commitment to the community make her an invaluable asset to our group! Carey Hamburg-- Sculptures inspired by nature made from recycled materials
Carey Hamburg- Sculptures inspired by nature made from recycled materials
Carey Hamburg was born in Houston, Texas, but considers himself a Lafayette, Louisiana native since he moved there at the age of 4 years old. He attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now UL Lafayette) and began the study of Architecture. There he was introduced to structural design thinking, model building techniques, and a wide array of art production materials. While he left the program after three years to graduate in General Studies, Carey has continued to apply the skills and techniques he learned there through an ongoing production of art and design projects. Carey completed a certification in Commercial Art and Graphic Design from the Louisiana Art Institute (Baton Rouge, LA) in 1991 and in 1996 graduated from the University of South Alabama with a Masters Degree in Communication. He has had a 30 year career of working in the fields of education technology, multimedia training development, and digital arts. He has taught in settings of K-12 education as a technology instructor and Arts integration specialist. Carey has also created and presented workshops in a variety of topics such as creativity, Tape Art, technology integration, and online accessibility issues. Throughout his Technology and Educational career, Carey has maintained an interest and participation in the Visual Arts. He has produced paintings, sculptures, theater scenery, costumes, and a variety of digital media works. Carey often uses materials such as cardboard, found objects, recycled plastics, and building materials. His current focus is in the design and development of large scale sensory experiential environments for exhibits and events. 
Matthew Boutte--Prairie conservation and Atelier de la Nature prairie walkOwner of Boutte Landscape. Licensed horticulturalist Matt works to ecologically enrich every property he encounters. He is a licensed horticulturist, conservationist, and avid native plant and habitat enthusiast. He has worked in countless gardens and natural spaces across Louisiana over the last 15 years — for nonprofits, schools, parks, public and private spaces. Through his company, Boutte Landscapes, he offers consultations and assessments of existing native species. He efforts range from rewilding methods for residential spaces to coastal prairie and bottomland hardwood restorations. Boutte Landscape Facebook Mark Shirley- The American Alligator
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