Southeast Louisiana Refuges Calendar of Events
The Southeast Louisiana (SELA) refuges sponsors or supports several events. Some of them are recurring events that draw large crowds every year. Some coincide with nationally or regionally recognized celebrations. See the event descriptions and photographs below for more information. Check back here and on the refuge web sites for updates.
Feel free to Contact Us about supporting, participating in or attending these events.
The annual events that we sponsor or support include:
Credit USFWS
Wild Things
Description: Wild Things is our celebration of National Wildlife Refuge Week and is one of the most popular nature/conservation events in the area. In addition to showcasing the National Wildlife Refuge System and our area wildlife refuges, Wild Things welcomes other wildlife and conservation-oriented organizations and individuals to share displays, presentations, and hands-on activities as part of a recreational and educational experience for the whole family. 25-30 guest exhibitors are typically on hand to meet and share with about 2000 Wild Things visitors. Admission, parking, and all tours and programs are free.
Wild Things is co-sponsored by the non-profit Friends of Louisiana Wildlife Refuges. Food and drink sales at Wild Things help The Friends to support conservation and education projects on area National Wildlife Refuges such as the annual Youth Fishing Rodeo, summer nature camps, bus transportation for school visits to refuges, habitat restoration, trail signs, and many other worthy projects.
© Donna Bush
Wild Things also features exciting speakers, live animals, demonstrations such as pirogue building and wildlife crafts, continuous live entertainment, gardens and grounds tours, youth wildlife art competition and show (over 400 entries last year!), special kid's activities like the Wildland Fire Academy and Bear Maze, and canoe and pontoon boat tours of beautiful Bayou Lacombe. New activities are added each year!
When: October National Wildlife Refuge Week, the Saturday after Columbus Day. From 9:00 am to late afternoon.
Where: The Southeast Louisiana Refuges and Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters (Bayou Lacombe Centre) on Rt 434 in Lacombe, LA. For more information, you may call us at 985-882-2000.
Credit USFWS
Step Outside Day
Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge co-sponsors Step Outside Day with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District. A long list of local and regional contributors also help us every year. Activities include antler shed hunting, longbow and cross bow archery, the bear maze, bird watching, boat rides, decoy painting, fishing, laser shooting, nature photography, target and trap shooting and wood crafts. Exhibits include adaptive equipment, the birds of prey, black bear and alligator exhibits, dog training, trapping techniques, turkey and duck calling, turkey trapping and water safety. Lunches will be provided.
When: May. The second Saturday in May. This is the Saturday of Mother's Day weekend. From 9:00am to 3:30pm.
Where: The Sherburne Wildlife Management Area of the Louisiana Division of Wildlife and Fisheries. For more information, you may call us at 985-882-2000.
Credit USFWS
Youth Fishing Event
For over 15 years, we have been connecting children with nature through the annual Bogue Chitto NWR Youth Fishing Event. We typically have 175 or more kids from ages 4-12 lining the refuge pond at the Pearl River turnaround. The event is held during National Fishing and Boating Week. Everyone can fish the day of the event without a fishing license. Participants receive a t-shirt, rod-n-reel, tackle, bait, lunch, and prizes for a variety of ages and categories. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of Louisiana Wildlife Refuges. When asked how often they go fishing, many of the kids say, "The last time I was out was when you had this event last year." Every year, we stock the pond with 1,000 pounds of eating size channel catfish through a partnership with Louisiana State University and the Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery.
When: June. The first Saturday in June during National Fishing and Boating Week.
Where: The Bogue Chitto NWR fishing pond, at the Pearl River turnaround, Exit 11 on I-59, north of Slidell, LA and South of Picayune, MS. For more information, you may call us at 985-882-2000.
Credit USFWS
Bayou Teche Bear Festival
The Black Bear Conservation Committee organizes the Bayou Teche Bear Festival. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge are annual supporters of the two day festival.
The mission of the bear festival is to educate the citizens of St. Mary Parish and the surrounding area about the Louisiana black bear, a species listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as "threatened" under the guidelines of the Endangered Species Act. The festival features all the activities associated with a typical Louisiana festival including music, food, and good company, but also includes field trips, educational exhibits and children's activities relating to bears and the many other natural resources found in south Louisiana.
When: April. The festival is held on a Saturday and Sunday in mid-April.
Where: Downtown Franklin, LA. For more information, check the Bayou Teche Bear Festival web site or call us at 985-853-1078.
Credit USFWS
Other Events
National or regional events that we recognize and support to the degree possible include:
April: The Great Louisiana Bird Fest visits Big Branch Marsh NWR every year in April.
April: Earth Day
May: International Migratory Bird Day (the second Saturday in May)
June: National Fishing and Boating Week (the first full week in June)
September: National Hunting and Fishing Day (the fourth Saturday of every September)
September: National Public Lands Day
October: National Wildlife Refuge Week
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Last Updated on
September 1, 2008