Environmental Education
We offer environmental education programs through two of our refuges: Big Branch Marsh and Bayou Sauvage.
Big Branch Marsh Educational Programs
Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge offers educational programs for students of all ages. We come to your school for younger students (under 4th grade) and invite teachers and students of upper grades to our educational facility near Cane Bayou. All programs are free of charge and once you have signed up you will be sent a pre-visit package that will help you prepare your students to get the most from their field trip.
Endangered Species, for grades 2-4
Credit USFWS
We bring examples of endangered animals and the products that cause them to be hunted. This tragic story is deeply based in cultural values that must change if these animals are to survive.
Creature Features, for Grades 2-4
This program shows students the amazing adaptations animals have made that allow them to survive. Students see live animals, and one lucky(?) student gets his own features to become an animal too!
Refugology for grades 4-6
Let your students manage a refuge for a day! This program hits several benchmarks and is our most popular activity. Students gather information about the refuge as foresters, biologists and as part of a fire crew. Then they put the information to use and make decisions about how the land will be managed.
Friendly Flames for grades 7-8
Forest fires have always been a part of nature but have recently become a big part of the news. Learn how nature copes with fire, why it is needed, and learn how and why we try to control fire. We send you a pre-visit package with lesson plans and a materials box to help prepare your students for this fun and educational field trip.
To reserve a program for your class or for more information call 985-882-2024 or email us at: BigBranchMarsh@fws.gov
Bayou Sauvage Educational Programs
There are two kinds of Environmental Education Programs at Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge; Classroom Programs and Refuge Visits.
Location: Bayou Sauvage is located in New Orleans East on Chef Menteur Highway, 3.8 miles east of I-510. We are able to visit any school in Orleans, St. Bernard, Jefferson, St. Charles or St. Tammany Parishes.
Cost: Classroom Programs and Refuge Visits are FREE.
Classroom Programs: Please reserve at least two weeks in advance. Contact us for more information about program content. Call toll free at 866-554-6319 or 985-882-2022, from 8:00 am until 4:30 pm weekdays.
Refuge Visits: Environmental education programs on the refuge have resumed.
Reservations: To reserve a program for your class or for more information, call us at the number listed above or email us at: BayouSauvage@fws.gov.
Educational Materials
Delta National Wildlife Refuge CD: "Discovering the Delta - An Interactive Exploration of Delta National Wildlife Refuge." This educational CD-ROM is now available free of charge. Click here for more information.
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Last Updated on
December 8, 2008