Acadiana Master Naturalists

They were small and fast but if you squint hard enough, you just may be able to identify these lucky rehab graduates that were cared for and released at Moncus Park by For The Birds of Acadiana.

We are happy to announce that AMN will continue to lead the Fall bird walks at the park on the third Tuesday of Sep-Nov. We meet at the activities kiosk by the Veterans memorial between 5:15-5:30PM and then bird around the park for about 1-1.5 hours. .

September 15th
October 20th
November 17th

Thanks to the Moncus Park staff and For The Birds of Acadiana for letting us be a part of this awesome program and we look forward to seeing everyone at the park!

We recently visited Briarwood, the birthplace of Caroline Dorman, and the Curator, Bayli Quick Brossette, gave us a personalized tour. If you have not visited or its a been a while, we strongly suggest scheduling a tour with Bayli.

Her knowledge and passion is palpable and we are fortunate to have such a caring and enthusiastic torch bearer for Caroline's legacy.

The grounds of Briarwood are truly magical and awe inspiring and conservation success story our state should be proud of. If you feel the same way we do, consider donating to their non-profit so that future generations can also experience this wonderful preserve and historical landmark.

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/support-our-foundation?fbclid=IwdGRjcATMXhZjbGNrBMxeEGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHjqF3HXTfbiib8jVvsNN8YXMv0-yhXZuw59DM_l1E0kaHGatk08--IRtV8DT_aem_K7MrGpTOPeuas37VnRyvZw

A few naturalists embarked on an epic wildlife foray with Steven Barney this weekend in Kisatchie National Forest. Buggin' was the main agenda but h**ps, plants, and whatever else you can think of was fair game. Laughs were had, sweated flowed profusely, and wildlife was admired. Thanks Steve for coordinating this trip and we look forward to the next one! Thanks to Etienne, Rico, and Chris for the h**p help!

Coming soon to an icebox or car trunk near you...

We were inspired (more like jealous of) by several conservation orgs, such as the Acadiana Native Plant Project and the Louisiana Ornithological Society, that had recently released magnets. We love the idea or magnets over stickers and had a little FOMO so we followed suit and had our own made. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery, right?!

The whooping crane design is digitally adapted from an art print created by 2024 AMN graduate Cole Broussard. In order to graduate, each participant must complete a special project based on their experience with the program. Cole was inspired by the Whooping Crane workshop that we host at White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area and created this beautiful print. He was kind enough to let us use his artwork for our organization so thank you Cole!

More details will be released in the near future on how you can acquire and add these magnets to your collection 😉.

See y'all tonight!

Nature Station Now Hiring
Part-time Naturalist

Our happy place Acadiana Native Plant Project

We've installed our first time laspe photo station from Chronolog at Acadiana Park, overlooking Francois Coulee. These types of photo stations help track ephemeral changes in the landscape, including, but not limited to, seasonal changes in flora, fauna, hydrology, geology, restoration effects, etc. Next time you visit Acadiana Park, give it a try! Isn't citizen science fun?!

Where do you think we should install one next?

It was a truly bittersweet weekend as the 2026 Acadiana Master Naturalists completed their last workshop with Brian Sean Early, Steve Nevitt, and Braden Doucet, trudging through the Eunice Prairie restoration site and dwindling prairie remnants, trying their best to reverse the "ecological amnesia" induced by a fleeting, fragile, and at times, under emphasized ecosystem in Louisiana.

But alas, this class gives us tremendous hope, and we're counting on them, and those that came before, to continue to fight for the preservation of the Cajun Prairie and all things wild that make this state so great.

Congrats to the 2026 class for making it this far and we look forward to graduation, a little pizza party, and most importantly seeing you grow into champions of this great natural state 🫡.