Country Roads Magazine "Our Natural World" June 2022

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Contents

JUNE 2022

Events

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VO LU M E 3 9 // I SS U E 6

Features

PACK YOUR SUNSCREEN Plenty of outdoor concerts, cook-offs, and creative workshops to fill the summer days

REFLECTIONS Old-School Forest Bathing

by James Fox-Smith

NEWS & NOTEWORTHIES

34 39 42

Publisher

NESTING SEASON The rare baby birds hatched on our coast, and the scientists who steward them

by Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

GIVING NATURE A NUDGE The project of creating marshlands in Golden Meadow

by Catherine Schoeffler Comeaux

James Fox-Smith

Associate Publisher

Ashley Fox-Smith

Managing Editor

Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Alexandra Kennon

A FOREST AT HEART Lafitte Woods Preserve stands strong as a safe haven on Grand Isle.

by Kristy Christiansen

On the Cover

BORN ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

Creative Director

Kourtney Zimmerman

Contributors:

Kristy Christiansen, Paul Christiansen, Ed Cullen, Burton Durand, Samantha Eroche, Sean Gasser, April Hamilton, C.C. Lockwood, Lucie Monk Carter, Catherine Schoeffler Comeaux, Chris Turner-Neal

Cover image by Katie Barnes

In the weeks in which we were preparing this issue, an unassuming little shorebird flitted around the Cameron Parish coastline, eventually settling into a little scrape out of the sand and broken shells—where she laid her eggs. Under the guardianship of the folks at the Audubon Delta Coastal Bird Beach-Nesting Stewardship Program, the eggs were safely monitored and protected from their many predators: beach-goers, coyotes, ghost crabs. Their numbers joined the important research being done by the scientists of the program, documenting nesting patterns, success rates, and even new species making a home on our coast, such as the snowy plover and the black skimmer.

On May 16, just four days before we sent this issue to press, Katie Barnes, the Louisiana Coastal Stewardship Manager at Audubon Delta, raced down to the coast to welcome the Wilson’s plover chicks that now grace the cover of Country Roads’ 2022 “Our Natural World” issue. Nestled between stories of successful coastal restoration projects (page 39), old forests being replanted (42), and native habitats returning to residential neighborhoods (53)—these tiny birds exemplify the impact of responsible human stewardship in our rapidly-changing world.

Cuisine

46

MOSQUITO SUPPER CLUB Chef Melissa Martin redefines Southern hospitality.

by April Hamilton

Culture

48

OUR CHAMPIONS Celebrating two National Champion trees in Louisiana

by Alexandra Kennon

52 53

54

Escapes

WAKING TO BIRDS An ode to our local birders

by Ed Cullen

SWAMPFLY LANDSCAPING Bringing native wonders back to local yards

by Lucie Monk Carter

A GUIDE TO LOUISIANA BIRDS Marc Parnell gives the inside scoop on his newest book.

by Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

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PICK IT YOURSELF Re-discovering the joy of gathering what you eat at two Louisiana farms

by Samantha Eroche

58 62

TAKE OFF ALL YOUR CLOTHES A day at Louisiana’s only clothing-optional resort

by Chris Turner-Neal

PERSPECTIVES Brandon Ballangée’s art of the Anthropocene

by Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

Cover Artist

Katie Barnes

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Advertising Coordinator

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President

Dorcas Woods Brown

Country Roads Magazine 758 Saint Charles Street Baton Rouge, LA 70802 Phone (225) 343-3714 Fax (815) 550-2272 EDITORIAL@COUNTRYROADSMAG.COM WWW.COUNTRYROADSMAG.COM

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Copyrighted. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Country Roads magazine are those of the authors or columnists and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products or services herein. Country Roads magazine retains the right to refuse any advertisement.

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Reflections FROM THE PUBLISHER

E

leven or twelve years ago, when our kids were small and school let out for summer, we working parents tried to limit the number of days they spent bundled off to summer camp programs by arranging to each take a day off every week to simply let them stay at home. From late May until early August, once a week Ashley or I would replace our regular fare of staff and client meetings, editorial and production scheduling, and that ubiquitous commute, with a day spent surrounded by finger painting, Legos, cookie baking, tree I.D., pond-swimming, or whatever other child-friendly diversions we could conjure up that didn’t involve leaving the property. Thinking back on that period, I’m struck by how challenging it seemed to reconcile a weekly stay-at-home day with the realities of running a small business. How antiquated that seems, now that working from home has become the rule rather than the exception for so many of us. For some reason my stay-athome day was usually Wednesday when, instead of hustling those two surprisingly compliant little humans out of bed and into the car at 6 am, I would instead apply myself to eight hours of child’s play

that usually involved a trip to the creek— Thompson Creek, that is—the western fork of which winds its way through hardwood forest a mile or so’s walk from our house. If the weather looked good the kids and I would pack sandwiches, drinks, bug spray and buckets, fishing nets, frisbees, and other timeless tools of impromptu game-making (just add water and sand), and set out for the thirty-minute walk. Once there we’d bivouac on a sandbar, making forays to explore the creek’s many rills and rivulets, wallow like hippos in deep holes, build wet clay masterpieces, and construct worlds of make-believe that became increasingly elaborate as one summer followed another. For half a dozen years, off and on from the time the kids were perhaps four and six, our summertime Wednesdays followed some version of this ritual. It was a long time before they tired of it. I’m not sure I ever did.

The branch of Thompson Creek that passes near our house isn’t grand by any means. Most of the time barring the few hours following a thunderstorm it’s little more than a ribbon of clear water cutting across a wide swath of white sand, which meanders through tracts of oak and beech forest on its way to join the Mississippi. Remote and unkempt, the creek is a primordial place—a largely undisturbed sliver of the old Tunica Hills landscape miles from any meaningful road. A place of shifting sandbars, crumbling clay banks, sparkling rapids, and

lazy pools filled with darting redeye bass, where the competition for loudest sound is between the chatter of water over creek gravel and the call of a kingfisher annoyed by our trespass into his domain.

Walking along the water’s edge or wading its shallows, a visitor’s footprints intermingle with the tracks of many others: deer, raccoons, coyotes, bobcats, wild turkeys, herons, and wild hogs all come down to drink. Walk with your eyes on the ground and you’ll spot a round, flat pebble perfect for skimming. Or if you’re really lucky, maybe a knapped flint arrowhead—material evidence that humans have been leaving footprints here for hundreds, actually thousands, of years. I’ve never found an arrowhead at the creek, but my mother-in-law has a shoebox-full collected over her lifetime that keeps me looking.

Something about a visit to the creek produces a palpable sense of calm. Since

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we live in an old house out in the country—in a region prone to bouts of wild weather, no less—there is an inexhaustible list of to-do items to greet us each and every time we step out of the door.

So, I find being surrounded by ragged, overgrown, perfectly natural habitat that no one has any obligation to prune, mow, or otherwise maintain, to be profoundly relaxing. I suppose that this is what the concept of “forest bathing” is all about.

I’m pretty sure that the wild gardeners are onto something, too.

Now that our kids are grown, the creek seems more special than ever. Last August, the weekend before our daughter left to start her college life twelve hundred miles away, the last thing she wanted to do was to go to the creek. The four of us set out just like old times. Now, any time she makes it home she always finds her way back there, to bake on hot sand, loll in the shallows, and gaze up at the dappled play of light and shadow through the canopy of leaves. Just like her mother, grandmother, and great grandfather did before her. In a stressful, speed-of-light world, where kids grow up in an instant and the to-do list extends toward infinity, we all benefit from taking time to stop, sit, listen to the water, skim a pebble, and remember where we came from. It’s what grounds us; it’s the only thing that ever has.

—James Fox-Smith, publisher james@countryroadsmag.com

A special advertising feature from Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Parenting with a Purpose

How taking part in a clinical trial can be good for your child’s health.

D

id you know that nearly 40% of children in Louisiana are overweight or have obesity?

Research shows that having obesity during childhood is highly predictive of your health as an adult. The good news is there’s a solution for Greater Baton Rouge parents that not only helps kids learn how to live healthier lives but also gives them something to be involved in during the summer months.

Plus, participating in a clinical study at Pennington Biomedical Research Center doesn’t just benefit the kids—the experience can have a positive impact on the whole family!

Families willing to participate in clinical studies help researchers answer key questions that can lead to new cures, treatments and techniques for managing disease. Right now, children can participate in research at Pennington Biomedical that will address their current health concerns, explore their family history, evaluate habits and behaviors, and give them the tools to develop lifelong healthy habits. Plus, they’ll have access to some of the most prolific and highly regarded obesity and diabetes researchers in the world.

Dr. Daniel Hsia, an endocrinologist and associate professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, is one of the many researchers working persistently to turn those statistics around.

“We’re

bringing

evidence-based

weight-management and nutrition counseling to pediatricians’ offices to help children and their parents improve their health,” says Dr. Hsia. “Chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity are disproportionately impacting Louisiana’s children, and research is key to progress.”

says. “It’s helped her see that this is not a short-term thing. All of us need to change, together.” Barrett Smelley adds, “It has a lot to do with her realizing that it’s a mindset. Eating healthy is more than just losing weight, it’s adapting to a new lifestyle that’s going to be healthier for you in the long run.”

whether medication can lower body weight in children with obesity.

From conception through early childhood and adolescence, the research conducted at Pennington Biomedical targeting pediatric obesity and chronic disease can be a lifesaver for parents— literally.

Many of the studies are focused on lifestyle, examining the impact of diet, exercise, and/or metabolism. Others provide access to new medications under review to prevent or treat medical conditions (with their pediatrician’s partnership and support). These studies are often conducted within the Center’s specially developed pediatric wing— the Translational Research Clinic for Children (TReCC)—a 14,000-squarefoot facility dedicated to the study of pediatric obesity and diabetes.

“We know that weight is a family issue, and that everyone needs to come on board to develop healthy habits,” says Dr. Amanda Staiano, Associate Professor and Director of Pennington Biomedical’s Pediatric Obesity and Health Behavior Lab. “Our goal is to create a collaborative environment with the child’s care team that benefits the family as a whole.”

Pennington Biomedical has several ongoing pediatric studies that are accepting participants. The studies are free and many of them offer compensation for volunteers who participate.

Parenting with a Purpose The family of Emma Smelley, 9, of Zachary, learned about the study through her pediatrician after their weight-loss efforts were unsuccessful.

Through their participation in the study, Emma’s parents, Barrett and Becky Smelley, have learned to keep better snack choices in the house, focus on portion control, and reduce their sugar intake.

“I definitely think doing the study made a big difference, simply because, on our own, it was hard for us to get her to understand the long-term effects of being overweight,” Becky Smelley

Contribute to Groundbreaking Discoveries What factors influence metabolism development in infants? Can indoor exercise be as effective as playing outdoors for young children? How is body shape related to heart health?

These are just some of the questions Pennington Biomedical researchers hope to answer with the help of young clinical trial participants, from infancy to adolescence.

A current trial examines how children and families lose weight together and become healthier through healthy eating and physical activity. And two additional studies involve medications—one to treat Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents; another to determine

Pennington Biomedical is currently looking for volunteers with diverse backgrounds, ages, ethnicities and health conditions for these and other studies. If you are interested in participating, visit pbrc.edu/clinicaltrials and click on “pediatrics,” or call (225) 763-3000.

There are many safety measures in place to protect volunteers involved in clinical research, with special protections for children. If you and your child decide that you are interested in taking part in a clinical trial, there is a consent process that you both will be part of that covers specifics of the trial and potential benefits and risks.

To learn more, go to pbrc.edu/clinicaltrials

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Noteworthy

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N E W S , T I M E LY T I D B I T S , A N D O T H E R

CURIOSITIES

LO O K C LO S E R

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The “Ghost Bird” Located at Last?

ALMOST EIGHTY YEARS SINCE ITS LAST ACCEPTED SIGHTING, A NEW STUDY REVEALS

COMPELLING EVIDENCE THAT THE IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER PERSISTS IN REMOTE PARTS OF LOUISIANA

We reached out to Dr. Steven Latta, Director of Conservation and Field Research at the National Aviary and the study’s lead researcher, to find out.

From left to right, an apparent Ivory-billed Woodpecker from the study site; a colorized Ivory-billed Woodpecker photo taken in 1935; a Pale-billed Woodpecker from Central America; and an apparent Ivory-billed Woodpecker from the study site. Photo courtesy of Project Principalis.

T

he last universally-accepted sighting of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis, aka the “Lord God Bird” or the “Ghost Bird”) in the wild took place in 1944 near Tallulah, Louisiana, where a biologist named James Tanner had been documenting, recording, and photographing the beautiful, but elusive, species for several years. In the almost eighty years since, no verifiable sighting of an Ivory-bill has ever been confirmed, although enough potential sightings have been reported to keep the possibility of the Ivory-bill’s survival in remote, forested tracts across the southeast tantalizingly within reach. Despite these, in 2021 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed declaring the Ivory-billed Woodpecker extinct. But now, in a newly released paper, biologists working with Project Principalis, a long-running search for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker run by the National Aviary, appear to have gathered evidence to the contrary. Working over a nine-year period in a tract of bottomland hardwood forest in an undisclosed location in Louisiana, the team has recorded compelling evidence suggesting Ivory-bills’ presence in the area, documenting their observations with photographs, drone video, and physical signs of foraging activity. After so many years, could this be the conclusive evidence that, literally, pulls the Ivory-bill back from the brink of oblivion?

The Peach Truck is Coming to Town A PEACH-LOVIN’ COUPLE COULDN’T LIVE WITHOUT SOUTHERN

PEACHES, AND DECIDED THE REST OF THE WORLD SHOULDN’T EITHER

W

hen Stephen Rose moved to Nashville with his wife Jessica, he immediately knew something was missing.

Growing up in Fort Valley, Georgia, he said,“peaches are a way of life.” And the ones at the grocery store were not cutting it.

So, on their next visit back to Georgia, the couple loaded down their ‘64 Gladiator with the delicious gold, and brought them back to Nashville to share with friends and neighbors. “We knew by their reactions and demands for more that we needed to bring this quintessential summer experience to the rest of the 8

community,” said Stephen.

Ten years later, “The Peach Truck” is now a nationally touring endeavor, which delivers fresh-from-the-tree Georgia and South Carolina peaches to homes all across the country.

This year, they’ll be making their way to Louisiana this summer, hitting Lake Charles, Lafayette, Gonzales, Baton Rouge, Denham Springs, Kenner, Metairie, and New Orleans along the way.

So, mark your calendars for July 5 and 6—and visit thepeachtruck.com to find your pickup location. You can also place an order for home delivery at the website.

J U N 2 2 // C O U N T R Y R O A D S M A G . C O M

—Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

Why did the team at Project Principalis embark on this study?

The National Aviary and Project Principalis partnered on this initiative in 2019.

I [brought] resources, new technologies, and connections within academia to a search that had been going on for several years. The National Aviary works with vulnerable species around the world, and as an iconic species of conservation concern, the Ivory-billed Woodpecker’s story is one that resonates with our mission.

At the outset, what was your/the team's feeling as to whether or not the species persisted?

Personally, I have always been optimistic that the Ivory-billed Woodpecker continued to survive in remote corners of bottomland forests of Louisiana and other southeastern states. I often find the stories of encounters with this woodpecker by hunters and local residents to be intriguing and believable. Other team members come into the search with an agnostic sense of the bird’s persistence, but with a commitment to help uncover the true status of the woodpecker.

How did you choose the specific tract in Louisiana?

Initially, we were following up on reports of sightings by local residents. Based on our own sightings, evidence of foraging signs on trees, and understanding of the bird’s habitat requirements based on the historical record, we gradually narrowed down our search area.

Are there other tracts to which you would like to extend the study? If so, in which states?

Having found Ivorybills in our search area in Louisiana, we believe they must survive in other locations. There is a rich history of sightings—around 200 in the USFWS Recovery Plan for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker—and those sightings should be revisited. We believe our methodology is transferrable to other sites and could yield results.

What will it take to have the bird pronounced as persisting by US Fish & Wildlife?

The threshold for evidence is high for documenting the existence of the Ivorybill and other species presumed to be extinct. We respect the decision of the USFWS to initiate the process for evaluating the status of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker under the Endangered Species Act. We keep them apprised of our findings. We continue to evaluate our evidence and collect more with the hope of finding incontrovertible evidence in the form of higher quality photographs, environmental DNA, or an active nest site.

If it is acknowledged to persist, what would happen then to the studied tract? And to other tracts where Ivorybills might persist?

The recovery plan for Ivory-billed Woodpecker provides recommendations for evaluating and managing forest stands on public lands to promote habitat conditions for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.

It is important to point out that most areas where there is substantial evidence of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker presence have come from state lands, federally protected lands, or similar areas across the southeast, often where active forest management has been underway for many decades. For those lands under active forest management, management practices are available to maintain or even improve mature forest conditions, and are compatible with increasing the quantity and quality of habitat for the Ivory-billed Woodpeckers.

Is this the most thorough search for Ivorybills yet carried out?

Yes. Our search has been carried out over the course of a decade using new and advanced technologies. The familiarity we’ve gained with our search area and our long-running search and methodology are unique and have allowed us to gather a substantial body of evidence.

Read the complete report at aviary.org/conservation/projectprincipalis.

—James Fox-Smith

In Memoriam: Johnnie A. Jones, Sr.

REMEMBERING A CIVIL RIGHTS TRAILBLAZER IN BATON ROUGE

F

or years, whenever Mada McDonald would get on the phone with her godfather, Johnnie A. Jones, she’d do so with a notepad in hand. “Because I knew that there was going to be some information that he was going to share with me, something important that he was going to talk about. I have it all documented to this day.”

In the wake of Jones’ recent passing on April 23—Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the nation as a whole collectively recall the remarkable legacy the civil rights trailblazer leaves behind. Over the course of his long life (he died at the age of 102), Jones survived the persecution of the Ku Klux Klan, bombing on the shores of Normandy, and years of violent resistance towards his efforts at equality as an attorney in Baton Rouge. As McDonald noted, he had many, many stories to tell.

It all began at Rosemound Plantation in Laurel Hill, where Jones was raised with his seven siblings until persistent racial violence and lack of opportunities for African Americans forced his family to leave in pursuit of a better life. They ended up in Baton Rouge, where Jones and

his siblings attended the Southern University Demonstration School (today’s Southern University Laboratory School).

He graduated with honors and attended Southern University until he was drafted for service in World War II during his third semester. This was in 1942.

Jones was the first Black soldier to test for and be assigned the then-new position of Warrant Officer, and went on to take part in several major World War II battles, including Operation Overlord on D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge.

During the Normandy landings, he was very nearly killed when a mine exploded beneath his boat—“The man standing next to him did not survive,” said McDonald—and then again on Omaha Beach as he came under German sniper fire. He would not receive national recognition for his service until 2021, at the age of 101, when he was bestowed a Purple Heart in a special ceremony at the Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge.

Upon return from nearly sacrificing his life for his country, Jones was deeply disappointed to discover that in Louisiana, he was still—in the eyes of many— only a Black man, a second-class citizen.

“Johnnie was most concerned about how people were able to live in the society in which we are,” said his cousin “John John” Jones. “That’s why he took it personally when he came back from the military and things were not what he thought he went to Europe to fight for.”

He decided he would do something about it, and enrolled in Southern Law School.

The defining achievement of Jones’s career came merely two weeks after his graduation in 1953, when Reverend T.J. Jemison recruited him to serve as the attorney for organizers of the Baton Rouge Bus Boycott, an eight-day protest in which local activists organized city-wide carpools to avoid use of the segregated city bus system. The initiative succeeded in achieving partial desegregation of busses in Baton Rouge; and served as the prototype for the more famous Montgomery Bus Boycott, organized by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., two years later. Jones himself helped advise Dr. King when he visited Baton Rouge.

In the years to follow, Jones became the very first Black member of the Baton Rouge Bar Association and was involved in the NAACP and the Congress of Racial Equality. He frequently represented demonstrators engaging in civil rights protests, including the 1960 Baton Rouge Sit-Ins that led to the landmark case successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court by then-lawyer Thurgood Marshall. In the wake of the fallout of the

Brown vs. Board of Education ruling, he personally accompanied Black elementary children to their new school. Twice his car was bombed in efforts to assassinate him for his work towards racial equality.

“He always said that civil rights are not a choice,” Jones’s nephew George Jones told me. “You are born with your civil rights.”

Beyond his public life, Jones also placed a strong value on family. “The main thing that hits home is his love for family, which was so important,” said McDonald. Having outlived all of his children, Jones spent the final years of his life very close to his remaining family, which include many grandchildren, cousins, nephews and nieces, and friends.

McDonald, “John John”, and George each possess treasured memories spent in his company—visiting him in his apartment, attending various celebrations in his name, eating at the Golden Corral or at the Broken Egg Café, driving him to speaking events at Southern University and elsewhere. “When he passed,” said George, who lost his father, Jones’s brother, in 2017, “it was like losing a second dad. I’m certainly going to miss him.”

When discussing his work in civil rights just last year on the Count Time Podcast, Jones told his interviewer, LD Azobra: “I was fighting for the generations to come. It wasn’t for myself…I’m still fighting.”

—Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

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BUYING OR SELLING?

FestivalSouth returns to Hattiesburg for its annual cultural "choose your own adventure" of concerts in genres ranging from classical to Motown, theatre performances, opera, visual art exhibitions, ballet, and more; with some virtual offerings, too. See listing on page 14. Image courtesy of FestivalSouth.

UNTIL

JUN 5th

ART EXHIBITIONS THE DALE HAUCK RETROSPECTIVE Abita Springs, Louisiana

Over the course of Abita Springs artist Dale Hauck's expansive career, he's gone from hyper realist expressions of nature to more daring and colorful renderings and sculptures. The Abita Springs Trailhead Museum presents a retrospective tracing this evolution. trailheadmuseum.org. k

UNTIL

JUN 5TH

CARNIVALS CAJUN HEARTLAND STATE FAIR Lafayette, Louisiana

Now over thirty years old, this massive midway carnival attracts more than 175,000 people to the heart of Cajun country. Bring the kids out for a whirl on the giant Ferris wheel and

the Mega Drop; try your hand at a prize-winning ring toss; stroll through Lagniappe Lane to the Crawfish Village with delicious fair food, market vendors, and live music daily. Get your sweet tooth ready for funnel-cake-fueled fun.

Located on the grounds and parking lot surrounding the Cajundome. Free admission; $10 parking. Gates open at 5 pm on weekdays and noon on weekends. cajundome.com. k

UNTIL

JUN 10th

PHOTO SHOWS SLIDELL PHOTO CLUB EXHIBITION Slidell, Louisiana

The Slidell Photo Club presents its annual exhibition at the Slidell Cultural Center at City Hall—featuring the best of the club members' recent work. Gallery hours are by appointment only, Wednesday through Friday, 10 am–2 pm. Call (985) 646-4375 for appointments. k

UNTIL

JUN 12th

THEATRE THE KITCHEN WITCHES Covington, Louisiana

In Playmakers Theater's newest production, two "mature" cable-access cooking show hostesses have hated each other for thirty years, ever since Larry Biddle dated one and married the other. When circumstances put them together on a TV show called The Kitchen Witches, the insults fly faster than the food. Dolly's long-suffering TV-producer son Stephen tries to keep order, but as long as Dolly's dressing room is one inch closer to the set than Isobel's, it's a losing battle. The show becomes a ratings smash as Dolly and Isobel top both Martha Stewart and Jerry Springer. 7 pm. $20 at bontempstix.com. k

UNTIL JUN

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14th

THEATRE THE ODD COUPLE New Iberia, Louisiana

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Events

Beginning June 1st

woman—there's a laughably mismatched roommate out there for you. The Iberia Performing Arts League is staging the tale of Oscar and Felix. 7:30 pm Thursday–Saturday; 2 pm Sundays. $10–$15. ipaltheater.com. k

UNTIL

JUN 17th

LOCAL HISTORY THE PELICAN STATE GOES TO WAR: LOUISIANA IN WWII Hammond, Louisiana

From 1940–1945, Louisiana hosted the largest maneuvers in U.S. military history, witnessed massive changes to its industrial base, and saw its citizens become enthusiastic contributors to the war efforts. In the traveling exhibit held currently at the Hammond Regional Arts Center, Louisiana's specific contributions to the American efforts of World War II will be highlighted through artifacts, photographs, and oral histories. Produced by the National WWII Museum, The Pelican State Goes to War: Louisiana in World War II will include the courageous stories of the 280,000 Louisiana residents who served on the battlefield, as well as poignant

presentations of the contributions at the home front. While there, check out The Service: A Salute to the U.S. Military upstairs in the Mezzanine Gallery, which features artifacts and photographs on loan from local veterans and their families. An opening reception will be held from 5 pm–8 pm. hammondarts.org. k

UNTIL

JUN 30th

ART EXHIBITIONS AT BATON ROUGE GALLERY Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Lining the walls at Baton Rouge Gallery this month: Mary Ann Caffery's portrayals of nature, in which light becomes an artistic tool; Theresa Herrera's acrylics inspired by her Mexican ancestry, sacred geometry, cosmograms, and Mayan hieroglyphs; Brian Kelly's transportive woodcuts; and Rob Carpenter's hand drawn tapestries. A first Wednesday Opening Reception will take place on June 1 from 6 pm–9 pm. Articulate Artist Talks will be held on Sunday June 5 at 4 pm, featuring each artist discussing their work. Free. batonrougegallery.org. k

New Orleans' powerhouse progressive jazz-funk sextet Naughty Professor will perform at Tipitina's on June 24 as part of the famous venue's Free Friday series. See listing on page 13. Photo by Emily Ferretti.

UNTIL

JUL 18th

KID STUFF ARTSPLOSION! SUMMER CAMP

an additional charge. $250 per child, with discounts available for multisession and multi-child registration. artsbr.org/artsplosioncamp. k

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Fill the kids' summer days with arts and crafts, dance, music, museums, and more—through the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge's Artsplosion!

Camp at the Cary Saurage Community Arts Center. For kids in kindergarten through fifth grade. Session 1 takes place from June 13–17; Session 2 from July 18–22. 8 am–3:30 pm each day, with before and aftercare available for

UNTIL

AUG 6th

ART EXHIBITIONS A SURVEY OF RECENT PAINTINGS BY WILLIAM DUNLAP Monroe, Louisiana

William Dunlap's work as an artist, writer, advocate, commentator, and beyond spans over four decades.

His unique take on "hypothetical

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realism" in recent paintings is on display at the Mansur Museum of Art. masurmuseum.org. k

UNTIL JUN

AUG 21

New Orleans, Louisiana

UNTIL

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LOCAL HISTORY FROM SUGAR TO RUM Port Allen, Louisiana

Sugar has been a primary crop in Louisiana for centuries, and now the West Baton Rouge Museum is partnering with Three Roll Estate to take a closer look at the process of distilling it into rum. The exhibition will walk through the entire process, including the history of growing and processing sugar on Alma Plantation, where Three Roll Estate is based today. wbrmuseum.org. k

UNTIL

AUG 30th

PHOTO SHOWS TIMOTHY DUFFY: NEW EXHIBITION New Orleans, Louisiana

Photographer and Founder/President of the Music Maker Relief Foundation Tim Duffy has a new exhibition of twelve of his pigment prints—originally tintype photographs—going up at A Gallery For Fine Photography. An opening reception at 1 pm on May 5 in person and via Zoom will feature performances by Little Freddie King and Alabama Slim. agallery.com. k

24th

LIVE MUSIC TIPITINA'S CONCERT SCHEDULE

The famous Tchoupitoulas venue continues to bring favorite musical acts to Professor Longhair's legendary stage. Here's what's up: June 2: Marty Gras Concert to Benefit Marty Hurley Endowment at Brother Martin High School. 6 pm.

June 3: Free Friday: Papa Mali’s Brand New Bag + Hash Cabbage. 8 pm.

June 10: Free Friday: Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes + Erika Falls. 8 pm.

June 17: Free Friday: Good Enough For Good Times + Slugger. 8 pm.

June 23: Steve Earle & The Dukes with Special Guest The Whitmore Sisters. 8 pm.

June 24: Free Friday: Naughty Professor + Strange Roux. 8 pm. tipitinas.com. k

JUN

1st - JUN 2nd

LIVE MUSIC CANDLELIGHT CONCERT: THE MUSIC OF TCHAIKOVSKY Baton Rouge, Louisiana

An intimate concert by the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra at the Cary Saurage Community Arts Center, featuring music by ABBA and Tchaikovksy. 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm both nights. $30–$55. brso.org. k

JUN 1st - 11th

JUN 1st - JUN 30th

Livingston & Ascension Parishes, Louisiana

Covington, Louisiana

GLOBAL MUSIC & CULTURE DIDGERIDOO DOWN UNDER These performers have traveled 9,678 miles to Livingston Parish, Louisiana to share stories of the music, humor, culture, art, and science of their home—Australia. Promoting tolerance and respect for all people and cultures, this show brings new lessons in the forms of music and entertainment. Coming on June 1 to the Denham Springs-Walker Branch (10 am) and the Watson Branch (2 pm); on June 2 to the Albany-Springfield Branch (10 am), the South Branch (2 pm), and to the Main Branch (5 pm); and on June 11 to the Dutchtown Branch (10 am) and the Gonzales Branch (2 pm). Free. mylpl.info. k

JUN

1st - JUN 30th

ART EXHIBITIONS BEN MOSS AND LINDA MOSS ART SHOW Bossier City, Louisiana

Sometimes, opposites attract. In the case or artist couple Ben and Linda Moss, his influences of gritty street art and pop culture sit in stark contrast to her naturalistic paintings of life's quiet comforts—but both artists' works are coming together for a new show at the Bossier Arts Council. bossierarts.org. k

GOOD EATS A TASTE OF COVINGTON

It's the Northshore's favorite month of the year, giving locals and visitors alike the perfect opportunity to really dig into Covington's vibrant culinary scene. Tuesdays–Fridays throughout the month, enjoy special four (or more) course vintner dinners at local restaurants such as Gallagher's Grill, Marcello's, Pyre Provisions, Nonn Randazzo's, and more.

All dinners require reservations, and begin at 7 pm. Special events include the Festa del Vino Wine Tasting on June 18 at the Covington Firehouse Events Center (7 pm. $90); A Grand Toga Wine Tasting at the Southern Hotel (7 pm. $85); and a series of Vintner's Dinners preceding certain dinners throughout the month. atasteofcovington.com. k

JUN 1st - AUG 15th PAGE TURNERS EBRPL'S SUMMER READING PROGRAM Baton Rouge, Louisiana

This summer, the East Baton Rouge Parish Summer Reading Program presents "Oceans of Possibilities" featuring an entire summer of free programs, workshops, storytimes, concerts, and

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more—designed with every age in mind.

Sign up at your local library location, or online at ebrpl.beanstack.org. Then, as you complete your books, log them into your beanstack account to earn virtual badges and completion rewards, as well as entries for weekly prize drawings. Learn more at ebrpl.com. k

JUN 2nd

BOOK SIGNINGS AN EVENING WITH DIANE MCPHAIL

Garden in Slidell featuring Grammynominated musician Greg Barnhill, who was recently presented the "Native Son" award at St. Tammany's President's Arts Awards. Barnhill will discuss the inspiration behind some of his most famous songs, as well as his work at the Ozone Music Education Foundation; which provides music education, support, and mentorship to songwriters and musicians throughout the region. 7 pm–9 pm. Free.

(225) 578-5234. k

Denham Springs, Louisiana

Author Diane McPhail will speak on her historical novel The Seamstress of New Orleans, which depicts found family and the first female Mardi Gras Krewe in turn-of-the-century New Orleans. At Cavalier House Books. 6 pm. Free, copies of the book are $26. bontempstix.com. k

JUN 2nd

CONCERTS GREG BARNHILL AT THE WINE GARDEN Slidell, Louisiana

Enjoy an evening at the charming Wine

JUN

- JUN

4th

JUN 2nd - JUN 10th

FESTIVALS KROTZ SPRINGS SPORTSMEN'S HERITAGE FESTIVAL

Beginning June 2 - June 3 nd

2nd

2nd

MAGIC SHOWS THE MAGIC OF BARRY PRIMO AT CITÉ DES ARTS Lafayette, Louisiana

For one day only, visit Cité des Arts to see Barry Primo work his magic.

Born and raised in Crowley, Louisiana, Primo became enraptured by the work of Harry Houdini and decided to follow in the legendary magician's footsteps. Come for the magic and stay for the comedy. 7:30 pm. $20. citedesarts.org. k

STEPPIN' OUT BRBT YOUTH BALLET SUMMER TOUR: THE GREAT CANDYLAND ADVENTURE

Krotz Springs, Louisiana

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Krotz Springs is a little town that has seen some disasters. Flood after f lood—in 1927 and in 1973— devastated its citizens, but it only seemed to strengthen their deepening roots. After the f lood of '73, many residents took to crawfishing because the f loodwaters made them plentiful.

After the Mississippi's waters rose once again in 2011, the town found itself evacuated, empty for the first time after such a threat. For whatever reason, many residents decided not to come back after the threat had passed. The Krotz Springs Sportsmen's Heritage Festival is the remaining citizens' attempt to call back its former occupants and to reunite their resilient community by paying homage to their shared history, which is intrinsically tied to the Atchafalaya. Explore the heart of the basin in good taste with the Fur, Feathers, or Fins cook-off and dance the night away to Cajun, Swamp Pop, and Zydeco tunes.

5 pm Friday; 9 am Saturday; and 9 am Sunday. 562 Front Street. Free. kssportsmensheritagefestival.com. k

The Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre's Youth Ballet is proud to present their Youth Ballet Tour, The Great Candyland Adventure, which will travel to twenty different locations, from libraries to youth camps to retirement homes. Each performance will be thirty minutes long and kid-friendly, giving everyone an opportunity to experience this colorful production. Audiences will immerse themselves in the travels of Lolly and Polly, two sisters who must work together to find Queen Frostine's missing gumdrops while meeting many interesting characters along the way. Free. For the schedule, visit batonrougeballet.org. k

JUN 2nd - JUN 17th LIVE MUSIC HENRY TURNER JR.'S LISTENING ROOM Baton Rouge, Louisiana

It's always a fun night at Henry Turner Jr.'s Listening Room—Baton Rouge's premier spot for introducing new and original musical talent. Fridays bring

Nottoway Resort Now Open for Elegant Dining, Weddings & Special Events

From the captivating stories of Carville to the splendor of Nottoway’s historic mansion, Iberville Parish welcomes you to explore some of the most magnificent and unique attractions.

Carville Hansen’s Disease Museum Phased Reopening — Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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visitiberville.com • (877) 310-8874

performances by Henry Turner Jr. & Flavor, and the Listening Room AllStars, who may include Kelton ‘Nspire Harper, Larry LZ Dillon, comedian Eddie Cool, and more. Friday nights welcome special guests, along with an all-you-can-eat community fish fry.

Saturdays go acoustic, bringing in special guests and soul food. Here are some special guests to look forward to this summer: June 2: Bryan Bielanski June 11: Skippy Skip June 17: Jett Jenkins $10 entry. henryslisteningroom.com. k

JUN

2nd

- JUN

FESTIVALS FESTIVALSOUTH

25th

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

The Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre's Youth Ballet presents their 2022 tour The Great Candyland Adventure, which will travel to twenty different locations this summer. Photo courtesy of BRBT.

From Broadway, to Motown, to opera, to ballet, and any genre in between; plus theatre, art shows, and beyond—FestivalSouth in Hattiesburg offers something for every lover of music and the arts. This year for the thirteenth annual season, performances are available in person as well as via livestream, making for a cultural "choose your own adventure". Check out the lineup and find tickets at festivalsouth.org. k

JUN 2nd - JUN 26th

CREATIVE CLASSES ART GUILD OF LOUISIANA SUMMER CLASSES Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The Art Guild of Louisiana is offering a series of workshops this summer to keep participants' creativity going strong.

June 2–23: Composing in Depth-Intermediate Drawing —For those already possessing basic drawing skills, up the ante with the help of local artist Larry Downs while learning more advanced design elements and principles, resulting in a still life drawing.

3 pm–6 pm. $90.

June 25–26: Watercolor Batik —This two-day Batik workshop will be led by Jan Wilken, who will guide students through the ancient technique of using wax as a resist to further enhance movement and texture in a work. Participants will work on a different image each day. Most supplies will be provided, though a short list of watercolors, brushes, and other tools will be requested for the student to bring. 9 am–4 pm. $175.

Register at artguildlouisiana.org. k

JUN 3rd - JUN 4th LOCAL HISTORY HISTORY HARVEST Baton Rouge, Louisiana

To prepare for the Old State Capitol's

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Beginning June 3rd upcoming exhibit,Voices and Votes: Democracy in America, Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin is inviting the public to share their stories, photographs, and other memorabilia to enhance the exhibit.

Following the topic of "Voices and Votes," the History Harvest is geared towards finding items that document the history of campaigns, elections, conventions, and state and national politics. 10 am–3 pm. louisianaoldstatecapitol.org. k

JUN

3rd - JUN 5th

LITERARY CELEBRATIONS THE WALKER PERCY WEEKEND Saint Francisville, Louisiana

"Bourbon does for me what the piece of cake did for Proust," wrote iconic Southern author Walker Percy in 1975.

There won't be any tea and cake served at the seventh annual Walker Percy Weekend, but with boiled crawfish by the hundredweight and bourbon cocktails served throughout St. Francisville's historic district, no one will be starved for sustenance—literary or otherwise. Beloved for blending spirited literary discussion with spectacular social events, the Walker

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Percy Weekend fortifies attendees for a series of literary lectures and panel discussions with the finest Louisiana food and beverages. The festival invites fans of Southern literature to explore Percy's thought and writing through presentations by renowned scholars, panel discussions, and social and culinary events inspired by the author's most famous works.

Events take place in atmospheric locations around St. Francisville's historic district.

Highlights include: Friday evening "Bubbles, Beer, and Barbecue Feast" at of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church at 7 pm. $75.

Saturday series of Lectures and Panel Discussions. $75.

Saturday-afternoon Progressive FrontPorch Tour and Bourbon Tasting between several private porches in St. Francisville's historic district at 5:30 pm. $75.

Saturday evening Crawfish Boil at 7:30 pm on Prosperity Street. $50.

Festival proceeds support the Julius Freyhan Foundation —an organization dedicated to restoring St. Francisville's historic Freyhan School building to serve

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as a community and cultural center for West Feliciana Parish. For more details and accommodation information, visit walkerpercyweekend.org. $245 for all-access ticket; $180 for Social Ticket (excludes all panels) at bontempstix.com. k

additional arts-related activities, including adult and youth art workshops (for a small charge), an Arts Market, Conversations with the Artist programs, a treasure hunt, a Petite Gallerie display, and more. artscouncilofpointecoupee.org. k

JUN 3rd - JUN 7th

JUN 3rd & JUN 17th

Lockport, Louisiana

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

FESTIVALS BON MANGÉ FESTIVAL Down there in the Lockport neck of the woods, not too far from Lake Salvador, lies the community of Gheens. Join the good folks of Gheens for this annual 'good eats" festival featuring Cajun food, music, rides, and dancing—and a festival queen, of course. Held at the Vacherie-Gheens Community Center at 1783 Highway 654.

Free. (985) 532-5740. k

JUN

3rd - JUN 12th

ART EXHIBITIONS TREASURES OF POINTE COUPÉE New Roads, Louisiana

To the Julien Poydras Museum comes this annual art extravaganza, this year curated

by John Alleyne with Beth Welch serving as judge. Artists have been busy creating work inspired by Pointe Coupée Parish, and the results will take over the museum for viewers to peruse over two weekends.

The show spans two weekends with

LIVE MUSIC CONCERTS AT BEE NICE MUSIC Located in one of Baton Rouge's most charming neighborhoods, the backyardturned-stage dubbed "Bee Nice Music" provides a casual space for listening to local music. Just pull up your lawn chair.

Here are the shows coming up: June 3: The Remnants June 17: Three Blind Mice 4205 Capital Heights. Visit facebook. com/beenicemusic for the latest info. k

JUN 3rd - JUN 24th MOVIE NIGHT FRIDAY NIGHT MOVIES ON THE PLAZA Baton Rouge, Louisiana

After an extended hiatus, the East Baton Rouge Parish Library is finally bringing its beloved Movies on the Plaza series back. Held every Friday evening in June, these outdoor, family-friendly screenings

SOAK it up

LET YOUR HAIR DOWN. Explore, discover and … exhale.

VisitLakeCharles.org

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Beginning June 3rd - June 4th are a fabulous way to end the week for all ages. Closed captioning will be provided.

Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and make yourself comfortable on the lawn.

A snowball stand and snacks vendors will be on site, and don't miss the after-movie dance party. All movies are rated PG. 7 pm. Free. ebrpl.com. k

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th

FILMS & COMEDY AT THE MANSHIP THEATRE

Ripe & Ready Second Line Creole Tomato Food Booths Kids Activities in Dutch Alley Creole Tomato Farm Stands

French Market New Orleans

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FOOD • SHOPPING • EVENTS

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Leave the X-Men to the megaplex. Each month, the Manship Theatre offers a slate of films, from modern classics to engaging new documentaries and locally-produced stories. Here's what's in store this month: June 3: Blue Hawaii (1961): In this story about a rebellious young man in Hawaii, who goes into the tourist industry, Elvis Presley is featured on the big screen as lead actor. Enjoy ticket giveaways and signature cocktails, and come dressed in your tropical best. 7:30 pm. $9.50.

June 12: Petite Maman (2021): After eight year old Nelly and her parents move into her mother's childhood home, her mother abruptly abandons them. Then, Nelly meets a girl her age in the woods, building a tree house. Her name is the same as her mother's. 2 pm. $9.50.

June 23: Crimes of the Future (2022) (Rated R): In the not-so-distant future, mankind must learn to adapt to its synthetic surroundings, sparking a metamorphosis that alters their biological makeup. 7:30 pm. $9.50.

June 24: The Family Dinner Improv Comedy Show: Baton Rouge's The Family Dinner Improv Comedy Troupe present

their live, interactive improv games.

7:30 pm. $10. manshiptheatre.org. k

JUN 3rd - JUN 25th

THEATRE CLAPS SUMMER THEATRE Covington, Louisiana

The Covington Louisiana Actor's Playhouse System presents its summer series, featuring the following performances at Covington High School's Elmer E. Lyon Performing Arts Center.

June 3–4: Cabaret. 7 pm. $15; $10 students.

June 10–11: Aladdin, Jr. 10 am. $10; $8 students.

June 17–18: Frozen, Jr. 7 pm. $10; $8 students.

June 23–25: Something Rotten. 7 pm. $10; $8 for students. clapsonline.org. k

JUN 3rd - JUN 26th

CONCERTS LIVE MUSIC AT ROCK 'N' BOWL Lafayette, Louisiana

It's always a lucky strike kind of night at Rock 'n' Bowl Lafayette, with plenty of fantastic live music acts sure to up your game. Find the upcoming schedule of performances, here: June 3: The Rouge Krewe June 10: The Mixed Nuts June 11: The Chee Weez June 16: Ryan Foret & Foret Tradition June 17: The Good Dudes plus Yacht Sea June 18: Dustin Sonnier & The Wanted June 24: The Molly Ringwalds June 25: Louisiana Red June 26: Concert for a Cure featuring

SIX HISTORIC BLOCKS OPEN DAILY! Visit our boutique shops and farmers & flea markets for clothing, jewelry, confections, arts and crafts, home decor, children’s toys, unique gifts, souvenirs, and more!

French Market New Orleans

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LEARN MORE @ FRENCHMARKET.ORG 18

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The Walker Percy Weekend returns bringing a weekend of literary panels, crawfish boils, bourbon tastings, barbecue feasts, and more to Percy's former stomping grounds of historic downtown St. Francisville. See listing on page 16. Photo by Alexandra Kennon.

Doug Stone, Chubby Carrier, and Atchafalaya

JUN 4th

Times and ticket prices can be found at rocknbowl.com/lafayette. k

Ruston, Louisiana

JUN

3rd

- JUN

30th

ART EXHIBITIONS ACTS OF FAITH: FORWARD TOGETHER Monroe, Louisiana

For the month of June, or "Juneteenth Month," as proclaimed by the Monroe City Council, Biedenharn Museum will showcase sixty works from the African American Spiritual Art collection by Will and Cheryl Sutton, as well as pieces from the Living Water Ministries International Collection, and featured local artists. An opening reception will be held from 6 pm–9 pm. bmuseum.org. k

JUN

4th

CONCERTS DOWNTOWN LIVE AT CRESCENT PARK Donaldsonville, Louisiana

Come out, lawn-chair in hand, for Donaldsonville's Downtown Live series at Crescent Park. In June, hear Larry Neal & the Neal Brothers' Blues Band.

6 pm. Free. For more information, contact lee@visitdonaldsonville.org. k

JUN

4th

FESTIVALS WING FEST Donaldsonville, Louisiana

Fly on over to Crescent Park this weekend for the inaugural Wing Fest, hosted by the Donaldsonville Area Chamber of Commerce. There will be competitions, live music by Larry Neal and the Neal Brothers' Blues Band, tastings, and the wings will be practically flying off the grills into visitors' waiting mouths. Competition begins at 1 pm; music lasts from 6 pm– 9 pm. For details, call the chamber at (225) 473-4814. k

JUN

4th

FESTIVALS MADISONVILLE MUSIC FESTIVAL Madisonville, Louisiana

Madisonville has a new festival, with all of the obligatory good-times strappings, at the Madisonville Ball Field. Live music will be provided by Supercharger and Sugar Bomb; food by Creole Tomateaux, Pyre BBQ, Bobby Jacks, Tinymomma's, and Rusty Pelican; beer

by Champagne Beverage. Proceeds will benefit the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum. Gates open at 3 pm. $15. lpbmm.org. k

FESTIVALS LOUISIANA PEACH FESTIVAL We know, we know...Ruston is kind of far from most of you. But we also know that most of you can't get enough Ruston peaches when the season rolls around.

Make a peach pilgrimage to North Louisiana for this annual festival and its cooking contests, live music, juried handmade arts & craft marketplace, parade, antique cars, and more. How many pounds of peaches can you eat in two minutes? Enter the peach eating contest to find out, and fill any leftover space with peachy-keen tarts, pies, salads, preserves, and main dishes. Free from 9 am–5 pm; $10 for adults and $5 for kids from 5 pm–11 pm. lapeachfest.com. k

JUN 4th - JUN 25th

LIVE MUSIC JUNE AT THE RED DRAGON Baton Rouge, Louisiana

In its modest digs on Florida Boulevard, the Red Dragon Listening Room pulls in artists who are anything but in terms of their abilities. Well-known and emerging songwriters take the stage here several times each month, and with the venue's non-profit status all money raised at the door goes directly to the artists. Join the eager audience for these concerts: June 4: My Politic June 18: Tony Haselden (of LeRoux) June 19: Bobbo Byrnes June 24: Carla Williams "Carpenters" Tribute June 25: Scott Sean White Shows usually start at 8 pm.

(225) 939-7783. Tickets and prices can be found at the Red Dragon Listening Room Facebook Page. k

JUN 4th - JUL 16th

CREATIVE CLASSES WRITER’S WORKSHOP Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge invites writers and aspiring writers—especially those over the age of fifty-five—to explore their creativity and hone their skills at this workshop over the course of six Saturdays. Participants will learn from author and communications expert Rannah Gray as well as other writing professionals about fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The workshop will also delve into how to constructively critique peers and build a creative community. For the final class, participants will have the opportunity to present their work at an Open Mic Night. 10 am–1:15 pm each Saturday except July 2 at the Jones Creek Library.

Free. artsbr.org/creativeaging. k

Stafford Tile project ; Liz King photography

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Beginning June 4th - June 5th

JUN 4th - JUN 30th ART EXHIBITIONS LEDELIGHT AT GALLERY 600 JULIA New Orleans, Louisiana

During the month of June, stop by Gallery 600 Julia to see the LEDenhanced acrylic paintings of William B. Crowell. The First Saturday ArtWalk opening reception will be held 5 pm– 8 pm. Open Monday–Saturday, 10 am–3:30 pm. Free. gallery600julia.com. k

JUN 4th - JUL 2nd ART EXHIBITIONS ARIODANTE GALLERY JUNE EXHIBITION New Orleans, Louisiana

New works will be on display this month at Ariodante Art Gallery on Julia Street in New Orleans, beginning with a First Saturday ArtWalk opening reception from 5 pm–8 pm. Works include artwork and crafts by Nancy Susaneck, jewelry by Lisa Normand, and other pieces by Maurice "Mo" Hicks. ariodantegallery.com. k

JUN 4th - JUL 23rd

ART EXHIBITIONS IS THIS TOO MUCH? AT LEMIEUX New Orleans, Louisiana

Is This Too Much? is a group show curated by gallery co-owner and director, Christy Wood. Centered around "Maximalism," the exact opposite of minimalism, this showing focuses on the idea that the more, the merrier. There will be an artist reception from 6 pm–8 pm, during the First Saturday Artwalk. lemieuxgalleries.com. k

JUN 5th

CYCLE RACE TOUR DE LOUISIANE BIKE RACE Covington, Louisiana

Cyclists flock to Covington from across the United States to compete for titles and thousands of dollars in prizes, with courses ranging from three miles to sixteen miles long. Registration fees range from $40–$80, depending on your category. For details or to sign up, visit neworleansbicycleclub.org. k

IN THE FIELD

Mushroom Walk FORAGING FOR FUNGI AT THE NORTHLAKE NATURE CENTER

By Alexandra Kennon

J

ohn Mansfield has been a wild mushroom enthusiast since long before foraging's pandemic-induced surge of popularity and TikTok fame. He’s studied the fungi for over forty years, in fact—making him a natural choice to lead the Northlake Nature Center’s “Mushroom Walk” on a recent Saturday morning in May. Before the presentation began, Northlake Nature Center’s Executive Director Rue McNeill introduced Mansfield and explained a bit about Northlake. The independently-run nonprofit nature preserve is made up of four hundred acres of ancient pine and hardwood forests, bordered on the west side by Bayou Castine and intersected by a marsh—all teeming with native flora and fauna. Those who walk the

LOCATED AT BURDEN MUSEUM AND GARDENS OPEN DAILY 8:00–5:00 • I-10 AT ESSEN LANE, BATON ROUGE, LA FOR MORE INFO CALL (225) 765-2437 OR VISIT WWW.RURALLIFE.LSU.EDU

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system of pathways at Northlake can experience four different ecosystems, including hardwood forest, pine-hardwood forest, pine savanna, and pond-swamp. It’s funded by donations and upkept by volunteers—who come out for weekly “Nature Walk and Titivation” events, which feature a nature stroll and trail-trimming session.

With over four decades of experience in research and foraging, Mansfield’s knowledge is vast—and includes an awareness of what he doesn’t know for certain, or isn’t willing to risk. He explained that the way mushrooms are grouped is much like plants such as roses or azaleas that come in different varieties of species. We learned that the unassuming-looking Amanitaceae family is responsible for ninety percent of mushroom poisonings, and that even delicious chanterelles have a deadly doppelgänger. Mushroom mycelium was credited for its use as an alternative to plastic, and another mushroom enthusiast in attendance chimed in that mats made of oyster mushrooms are used to soak up oil spills.

Shortly thereafter, the presentation came to a close, and Mansfield looked around at the increasingly-excited, now somewhat-fidgety group: “Now who wants to go looking for mushrooms?”

Armed with our new fungi knowledge, plastic knives, and paper bags, we were off; the group dispersing in various directions down the boardwalk paths. I headed back across the parking lot toward the canoe launch area, which seemed as promising a place as any to come upon mushrooms. I joined a couple from North Carolina who was visiting their Mandeville-based daughter and a pair of teenaged sisters with their parents. Our eyes would have been drawn beyond the boardwalk to the beauty of the surrounding wildlife, regardless, but our quest gave us a boost in motivation. Even as we chatted, our eyes carefully scanned along the forest floor, up tree trunks, and along fallen logs, ready to hone in on a sneaky spore-bearer.

Just as I thought the warm weather might not yield any of us much luck, one of the teenagers yelled from a few yards away: “We found one!” I wondered if they had been watching foraging videos on TikTok as the rest of our group excitedly clamored over to check out the find. She brandished a gnarled-looking mushroom with a neon orange cap that some animal had clearly taken a bite out of. I wondered how that critter was doing as we all marveled at the specimen.

A short time later, when our group had a modest-but-varied few mushrooms

among us, we headed back toward the Pavilion with our spore spoils in tow. There, we and the other foragers laid out our finds on a long table, and Mansfield helped us identify them utilizing the two reference books he’d suggested­— his “old standby” the National Audubon Society Field Guide to Mushrooms and a newer release, Mushrooms of the Gulf Coast States. Collectively, the group had found turkey tails, oyster mushrooms, some old chanterelles, and an orange bully. An older lady excitedly placed an oyster mushroom she found in the palm of my hand. “If you take that home and sauté it in some butter, it’ll taste just like seafood!” After a bit more excited chatter, the group said goodbye and moseyed back down the boardwalk to our cars, having practiced a new skill and spent a pleasant morning immersed in nature.

Northlake is hosting the following events in June: June 1, June 8, and June 22: “Nature Walk and Titivation”—Walk the trails and help to keep them groomed. Loppers available on a limited basis. 5:30 pm. Free.

June 3, June 11, and June 17: "Storywalk"—Explore the trails at Northlake Nature Center while reading interactive stories. Reservations required.

6 pm. $5; free for members.

June 14: "Kundalini Yoga" with Sally Dunn—Reservations required. 1 pm. $5; free for members.

June 25: "Walk in the Woods—Medicinal Plants with Kelly McGee and Plant I.D. with Rue McNeill"—Reservations required. 9 am. $5; free for members.

June 26: "Dog Wag and Walk"—Reservations required. 8 am. $5; free for members.

June 28: “Bicycling the Back Trails” and “Tips to Trail Riding” with The Bike Path owner, David Moeller. Helmet required, mountain bike or wide tires and bike light recommended. Reservations required. 6 pm. $5; free for members.

To register, call (985) 626-1238 or email rue@northlakenature.org. northlakenature.org.

Summer in Livingston Parish

Camp, boat & swim in the beautiful outdoors or shop & explore at Bass Pro, Juban Shopping Center & the Denham Springs Antique Village!

KOA Kampground 7628 Vincent Road, Denham Springs, LA 1-800-562-5673 Tickfaw River Village Campground 29388 Old Hwy 22 Springfield LA, 70462 985-974-0844 Lakeside RV Park 28370 Frost Road, Livingston, LA 225-686-7676 Lagniappe RV Campground 30141 La 22 Springfield LA, 70462 225-414-0584 Tickfaw State Park 27225 Patterson Road, Springfield, LA 1-888-981-2020

www.livingstontourism.com visitlivingstonparish // J U N E 2 2

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Events

Beginning June 5th - June 9th JUN 5th

KID STUFF PARTY IN CANDYLAND Baton Rouge, Louisiana

CALENDAR OF EVENTS JUNE 2022 Marksville Main Street Market Every Thursday in June Beginning at 4:30 PM Marksville Main Street Market

Louisiana Corn Festival Haas Auditorium Grounds-Bunkie J une 9-11, 2022 (318) 346-2575 Louisiana Corn Festival

Deal or No Deal Paragon Casino Resort June 25, 2022 3PM and 6PM Paragoncasinoresort.com

Join the Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre as they kick off their Great Candyland Adventure tour with a sweet, sweet celebration at the Old Governor's Mansion. Come for the performance, stay for the candy treats, face painting, balloon animals, dancing with characters, and more. 2 pm. $30. batonrougeballet.org. k

JUN 6th - JUN 10th

KID STUFF LOVE ACTING'S KIDS ACTING SUMMER CAMP Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Join the talented folks at Love Acting at Eye Wander for a week of learning acting for the camera, improv, auditioning technique, creative writing, dance, and more. Participants will build their confidence in front of the camera and otherwise, and creativity will be encouraged, so all experience levels are welcome. Campers will learn a dance and acting scene to perform live at the end of camp performance for all of the parents to attend. Campers will also receive professional headshots taken by Eye Wander. Campers can attend one week or both weeks for a discounted rate. Recommended for ages nine through twelve. Sessions are June 6–10 and/or July 11–15. $400 for one week plus a $50 registration fee. Register at eyewanderphoto.com/classes/kidssummer-acting-camp. k

JUN 6th - JUN 24th

KID STUFF ST. TAMMANY ART ASSOCIATION ART CAMPS Covington, Louisiana

This summer, the St. Tammany Arts Association has created a variety of creative experiences for little artists of all levels. Make the most of summer freedom, and transpose it into creative freedom. See the schedule below:

8592 Hwy 1, Mansura, LA 800.833.4195 travelavoyelles.com 22

J U N E 2 2 // C O U N T R Y R O A D S M A G . C O M

Fingerprints Art Camp: Children will learn the basics of strategies in painting, drawing, and clay—exploring Art History and their own imaginations under the guidance of artist Amanda Morris. Bring your own lunch and morning snack. Session 1: June 6–June 10, 9 am–3 pm Session 2: June 13–June 17, 9 am–3 pm Session 3: June 20–24, 9 am–3 pm $250.

Young Artists Studio: Up-and-coming

artists ages twelve to seventeen are invited to develop their craft under the nurturing guidance of artist Robyn Kennedy. Each student will get one-onone time with a focus on fostering joyful, artistic growth while creating artwork they are proud of.

Session 1: June 13–June 17, 4 pm–6 pm Session 2: June 20–June 24, 4 pm–6 pm $250. sttammany.art. k

JUN

7th

- JUN

12th

GOOD EATS NEW ORLEANS WINE & FOOD EXPERIENCE New Orleans, Louisiana

What began as a one-day meetingof-the-minds between winemakers and chefs a couple decades ago has mushroomed into a grand celebration of wine and food that attracts tens of thousands of people to New Orleans to worship before these twin deities.

This year's Food & Wine Experience offers Wine Dinners hosted by New Orleans area restaurants; Vinola fine wine tastings; the Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award Gala, where Chef Frank Brigtsen will be honored; and culinary seminars which will fill the days and nights with all things culinary and oenological. Combination packages and full experience tickets available. nowfe.com. k

JUN

8th

CONCERTS JAZZ LISTENING ROOM: COLOMBIAN LATIN JAZZ JAM Baton Rouge, Louisiana

A Colombian Latin Jazz Jam will be held at the Cary Saurage Community Arts Center as part of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge's Jazz Listening Room Series. 7:30 pm. $20 at bontempstix.com. artsbr.org. k

JUN 9th - JUN 10th

CREATIVE CLASSES WHIMSEY UNDER THE WAVES: THE ART OF DRAWING UNDERWATER Gonzales, Louisiana

Join children's book illustrator Chuck Galey for a unique and engaging workshop on the art of underwater drawing, designed to inspire kids to look at art creatively and become lifelong readers. For ages six to eleven, at the Gonzales Branch Library at 10 am and 2 pm on June 9; at the Dutchtown Branch

Come Celebrate in iberia parish

ENJOY BEATS ON THE BAYOU* Live Music at the Isle of Iberia RV Park & Resort!

MAY Gordon Bradberry Band – May 28, 6-9pm JUNE Swampland Revival Band – June 4, 6-9pm Matthew Ewing All Star Band – June 11, 6-9pm The Cast – June 18, 6-9pm Andy Smith – June 25, 6-9pm JULY Basin Street Band – July 2, 6-9pm Cajun Company Band – July 9, 6-9pm Southern Swing Band – July 16, 6-9pm DJ Will – July 23, 6-9pm Straight Whiskey – July 30, 6-9pm

Spend time at Avery Island, Jefferson Island, the Jeanerette Museum, and take advantage of the New Iberia Historic District Pass** for attractions at a discount!

Enjoy dining, history, outdoor beauty, as you Savor the Difference in Iberia Parish.

AUGUST The Cast – Aug. 6, 6-9pm Beau Young Band – Aug. 13, 6-9pm Kip Sonnier – Aug. 20, 6-9pm Andy Smith – Aug. 27, 6-9pm SEPTEMBER Colby Latiolais & Ambush – Sept. 3, 6-9pm Kip Sonnier – Sept. 17, 6-9pm Blake Luquette – Sept. 24, 6-9pm OCTOBER Blake Luquette – Oct. 15, 6-9pm Bad Boys Band – Oct. 29, 7-10pm *$10 per person, cash only at the door, one hour before showtime.

Iberia Parish Convention & Visitors Bureau 2513 Hwy. 14, New Iberia, LA 70560 888-942-3742 • IberiaTravel.com

**IberiaTravel.com/HistoricPass // J U N E 2 2

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Events

JUN

- JUN

11th

CHEERS FREDERICKSBURG CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL

Beginning June 9 - June 11 th

10th

th

Fredericksburg, Texas

Library at 10 am; and at the Galvez location at 2 pm on June 10. Free. myapl.org. k

JUN

9th - JUN 11th

FESTIVALS LOUISIANA CORN FESTIVAL Bunkie, Louisiana

Sink your teeth into Avoyelles Parish's most important harvest celebration at this annual festival in downtown Bunkie, where corn shucking, corn eating, corn-cooking contests, street dancing, food booths, parades, pirogue races, music, honors for the farmers who grow the corn—and all the hotbuttered corn you can pack away—is what it's all about. And don't miss the city-wide parade, rolling out at 10 am. Thursday and Friday ride bracelets can be purchased in advance for $20, $25 at the gate; Saturday bracelets is $25; Entry is $4 for those age twenty-one and older, $1 for twenty and younger. bunkiechamber.net/l acornfest. k

JUN 9th - JUN 30th

GREEN THUMBS EBR MASTER GARDENER TALKS Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The Master Gardeners of East Baton

Rouge Parish are once again sharing their expertise with the public via informative lectures at East Baton Rouge Parish libraries through their Library Series. This month features two events on the topics of "Propagation" and "Terrariums and Fairy Gardens". The first will take place on June 9, featuring Master Gardener Cheri Fasy, who will discuss the science and practice of propagation before giving students a chance at trying it themselves—participants will take home a new baby plant. On June 30, Master Gardeners Angie Wall and Kitty Bull will present workshops on creating children's/ fairy/critter themed container gardens— incorporating fun accessories such as play dough, rocks, clothespins, and more—and on the proper materials to create a garden under glass. Thirty minutes before each event, the Master Gardeners will also host a Plant Health Clinic, in which Master Gardeners will be available to help solve any plant problems. Bring pictures or specimens of your sick plant—and they'll help you get it back to tip-top shape. Both events begin at 6:30 pm, with the Health Clinic opening at 6 pm. Free. ebrmg.wildapricot.org. k

B 

Natchez

MonmouthHistoricInn.com 601-442-5852

24

J U N E 2 2 // C O U N T R Y R O A D S M A G . C O M

Head to the historic and charming Hill Country town of Fredericksburg for its first-ever Craft Beer Festival. A craft beer competition, an awards dinner, cuisine paired with Texas beer, music, and more, all in Market Square in downtown Fredericksburg. For tickets and a full schedule of events, visit fbgcraftbeerfestival.com. k

JUN

10th

- JUN

MUSICAL THEATRE WAITRESS

12th

New Orleans, Louisiana

Inspired by Adrienne Shelly's beloved film with an original score by Sarah Bareilles, Waitress tells the story of a waitress and expert pie maker dreaming of a way out of her small town and loveless marriage. A baking contest in a nearby county and the town's new doctor may offer her a chance at a fresh start, while her fellow waitresses offer their own recipes for happiness (although pie whenever you want it and a handsome doctor sound like perfectly fine ingredients to start with). Coming to the Saenger. 8 pm Friday, 2 pm and

8 pm Saturday, 1 pm and 6:30 pm Sunday. Tickets start at $30. saengernola.com. k

JUN

10th

- JUN

24th

CONCERTS UPCOMING SHOWS AT LOCUST ALLEY Natchez, Mississippi

Locust Alley in Natchez is hosting a slate of musical acts this month. Here's who: June 10: Bradshaw. 9 pm.

June 24: Voodoo 13. 7 pm.

Free. Tickets available at bontempstix. com. locustalleynatchez.com. k

JUN 11th

HEALTH & WELLNESS FREEDOM GARDEN OUTDOOR KITCHEN EXHIBITION Donaldsonville, Louisiana

The River Road African American Museum is hosting the ‘Rootin’ to Cookin’ Freedom Garden Outdoor Kitchen Exhibition. Participants at this healthful, educational event will partake in demonstrations on gardening and harvesting with FarmHer Missy, along with live food demonstrations and sampling with A Healthy Soul Kitchen, exercise routines with Personal Trainer Brady

I L H E

William B. Crowell's LED-enhanced acryllic paintings grace the walls at Gallery 600 Julia in New Orleans's Arts District this month. See listing on page 20. Artwork courtesy of Gallery 600 Julia.

Miles, local produce and prime beef from Muse 3 Farm, free health checks/ resources from Southern AgCenter, Chi Eta Phi Nursing Sorority, and more.

This event is sponsored by the Louisiana Healthy Communities Coalition.

10 am–1 pm. Free. For more information, contact Bianca Plant at (337) 371-1207. africanamericanmuseum.org. k

JUN 11

th

FESTIVALS JUNETEENTH MUSIC FESTIVAL Donaldsonville, Louisiana

For twenty-six years Donaldsonville has celebrated freedom as it's meant to be celebrated—with good food, good music, and good company. This year's lineup includes tents dedicated to Gospel Music, R&B, Soul, and Funk—plus a Children's Tent. Local vendors will be selling their wares, and for the first time, this year guests can participate in a talent show.

11 am–7 pm at Louisiana Square. Free.

(225) 717-1019. Details on the Juneteenth Music Festival-Donaldsonville, Louisiana Facebook page. k

JUN 11th

FUN FUNDRAISERS A NIGHT UNDER THE SEA Madisonville, Louisiana

Enjoy a special evening of delicious

food, drinks, an exciting DJ, and a silent auction at the Lake Ponchartrain Basin Maritime Museum—all to raise money for the Recreational Fisheries Research Institute and the Louisiana Cooperative Marine Sport Fish Tagging Program.

7 pm. $150. rfri.net. k

JUN

11th

GREEN THUMBS PLANT SWAP AT THE LIBRARY Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Bring in your surplus greenery—whether it be flowers, vegetables, house plants, or cuttings—to exchange with other green thumbs at the Bluebonnet Regional Branch Library this Saturday. 10 am– noon. Free. ebrpl.com. k

JUN 11th

KNOWING NATURE GARDEN DISCOVERIES: NATURE JOURNALING Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Presented by the Baton Rouge Botanic Garden Foundation, this Garden Discoveries event will explore the beauty and mystery of the natural world using the tool of journaling. Led by naturalist and educator Matthew Herron, the session will educate on tools, techniques, fun routines, and exercises that deepen awareness and mindfulness, help relax the // J U N E 2 2

25

Events Beginning June 11 - June 15 th

th

mind and body, build observation skills, and strengthen your sense of place.

10 am. Free. Registration is required. ebrpl.com. k

a cornhole tournament, face painting, a super bouncy slide, local vendors, and more at 2412 Heron Street in Cameron.

(337) 436-9588. k

JUN 11th

JUN 11th

GO FISH YOUTH FISHING RODEO AT PEARL RIVER Pearl River, Louisiana

For the twenty-ninth year, Friends of the Louisiana Wildlife Refuges, Inc. and the Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuges Complex are hosting their annual Youth Fishing Rodeo at the Pearl River Turnaround Fishing Pond. Families can fish all weekend long, even without a fishing license. Youth ages fifteen and younger are eligible to participate for the chance to win prizes. Free. (985) 882-2025 or rebecca_larkins@fws.gov. k

JUN 11th

FESTIVALS HOLLY BEACH CRAB FESTIVAL Cameron, Louisiana

This inaugural festival will include a crab dish cook-off, free boiled crabs, crab races

26

FUN FUNDRAISERS ARTINI Bossier City, Louisiana

Celebrate creative expression in North Louisiana at the Bossier Arts Council's annual fundraiser ARTini. The Bossier City Civic Center will transform into a big top circus including circus performances, live music, delicious catered food, and a craft martini contest.

7 pm. $75 at eventbrite.com. k

JUN

11th - JUN 12th

FESTIVALS FRENCH MARKET CREOLE TOMATO FESTIVAL New Orleans, Louisiana

It's the thirty-sixth year celebrating summer's favorite bounty: fresh Creole tomatoes. These juicy fruits take over the French Market every year

J U N E 2 2 // C O U N T R Y R O A D S M A G . C O M

At Vermilionville's twentieth-annual Creole Culture Day in Lafayette, celebrate Creole heritage and traditions with music, food, crafts, dance, history, and more. See listing on page 27. Image of a performance of a Creole "shout song" from a previous Creole Culture Day, courtesy of Vermilionville.

to mark the official opening of Creole tomato season with food booths, kids' activities, and more in Dutch Alley.

10 am–7 pm. Free. frenchmarket.org. k

JUN

11th

- JUN

25th

LIVE MUSIC JAZZ'N THE VINES IN JUNE Bush, Louisiana

Wild Bush Farm + Vineyards' outdoor concert series brings celebrated Louisiana musicians to a gorgeous pastoral setting. Entertaining assembled picnickers will be: June 11: Ten Gallon Tinfoil Hat June 18: Flow Tribe June 25: Mark Levron and Friends 6:30 pm–9 pm at 81250 Highway 1082.

Gates open at 5 pm. Bring a picnic blanket, lawn chairs, and bug spray. Wine from Wild Bush Farm + Vineyards and various foods will be available for sale from local vendors. $12 admission at bontempstix.com. wildbushfarmandvineyard.com. k

JUN

11

th

- JUN

26

that's captivated audiences for generations: the tale of an extraordinary little girl who dares to take a stand and change her own destiny. Showtimes at 8 pm Friday– Saturdays; 2:30 pm Sundays. $29; $27 for seniors; $14 for students; $21 for children younger than twelve. 30byninety.com. k

JUN

POETRY SUNDAYS@4: RAYMOND BERTHELOT'S THE MIDDLE AGES Baton Rouge, Louisiana

This month's special guest at Baton Rouge Gallery's Sundays@4 event is Raymond Berthelot, poet, Parks Program Manager for the Louisiana Office of State Parks, and a teacher of history at Baton Rouge Community College. His work has appeared in journals like Apricity Magazine, The Elevation Review, and Journal of Caribbean Literatures. His chapbook of poetry The Middle Ages was published by Finishing Line Press. 4 pm–6 pm. Free. batonrougegallery.org. k

th

MUSICAL THEATRE 30 BY NINETY PRESENTS MATILDA: THE MUSICAL Mandeville, Louisiana

30 By Ninety Theatre brings Ronald Dahl's children's masterpiece to the stage. It's a story

12th

JUN

12th

LOCAL CULTURE CREOLE CULTURE DAY AT VERMILIONVILLE Lafayette, Louisiana

Vermilionville will celebrate Creole

heritage and culture with food, music, history, crafts, dance, and art. Come celebrate the Creole traditions that have influenced the contemporary folklife that permeates through the region, for one day only. 10 am–5 pm. Free. facebook.com/ Vermilionville. k

JUN 13th-JUN 24th

KID STUFF JAGCATION SUMMER CAMP Baton Rouge, Louisiana

At Southern University Ag Center's JAGcation two-week summer camp, kids ages nine to eleven will learn about various concepts and careers in agriculture. Local agricultural specialists, researchers, and academics will introduce campers to the areas of animal science, entomology, food science, nutrition, plant and soil sciences, and public health. The registration deadline is June 10 at foundation.sus.edu/jagcation. k

JUN

15th

- JUN

17th

KID STUFF LOUISIANA FOLK ROOTS SUMMER CAMP Opelousas, Louisiana

Le Vieux Village in Opelousas will host this year's Folk Roots Kids’ Cajun and Creole Music Camp for three days

this June, providing kids ages eight to thirteen with cultural activities orchestrated by a talented group of music instructors. Each day will bring activities from singing to dancing to music classes, and much more. There will also be a "Sounds of Summer" celebration on the final Friday, June 17. Camp is Wednesday–Friday. 8 am– 4 pm. For registration and more information, visit lafolkroots.org/kids-camp. k

JUN

15th

- JUN

22nd

KID STUFF ART WORKSHOP WITH WINNIE HUGHS Albany, Louisiana

Kids can take part in a hands-on twoday art studio workshop with guest artist Winnie Hughes this summer.

Hughes will demonstrate a colorful acrylic design, which students will then attempt on their own. Supplies will be provided. Registration required at (225) 686-4100. Session 1 (ages twelve to eighteen) will take place June 15 and 16 at the AlbanySpringfield Branch at 2 pm each day; Session 2 (ages eight to eleven) will take place June 21 and 22 at the Denham Springs-Walker Branch at 2 pm. Free. mylpl.info. k

The Shields Town House $1,650,000

214 S. Pearl Street $320,000

107 Arlington Street $319,000

209 Arlington Street $530,000

Natchez, MS 114 Main Street • 601-442-2286 // J U N E 2 2

27

Events

Beginning June 16th - June 18th JUN

16th

CONCERTS BOBBY RUSH AT THE ACA Lafayette, Louisiana

Straight out of Homer, Louisiana— Bobby Rush weaves together blues, rap, and funk into a unique style that continues to bring audiences to their feet after over seventy years in the business. He's won twelve Blues Music Awards and a Grammy, and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame, and Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame. Catch him live at the Acadiana Center for the Arts as part of The Allstar Series. 7:30 pm. Tickets start at $45. acadianacenterforthearts.org. k

JUN

17

th

LOCAL HISTORY HISTORICAL HAPPY HOUR Port Allen, Louisiana

This month's event will celebrate the opening of the upcoming Courting Styles exhibit at the museum, and will feature badminton, bocce ball, croquet, and more— all to the backdrop of live music on the Juke Joint Porch. Guests can get a preview of the exhibit, as well as enjoy the Wimbledon tradition of strawberries and cream. 6 pm– 8 pm. Free. westbatonrougemuseum.com. k

JUN

17th - JUN 19th

FESTIVALS NATCHEZ SOUL FOOD FUSION FESTIVAL Natchez, Mississippi

The third-annual Natchez Soul Food Fusion Festival is bringing a weekend of fun times, delicious flavors, and the best of local culture to the banks of the Mississippi River. Friday evening brings BBQ Blues and Brews, Saturday features a White Linen Night, and Sunday marks the Lazy Magnolia Brunch at Natchez NAPAC African American Museum.Full schedule and tickets are available at bontempstix.com. k

JUN

18th

LOCAL HISTORY GU272 AND ASCENSION PARISH: THE JESUIT AND EPISCOPAL CONNECTION TO SLAVERY Donaldsonville, Louisiana

The Jesuit and Episcopal Connection to Slavery will be shown at the Episcopal Church of Ascension. The co-founder of the Episcopal Church was a sugarcane planter who has a part in the story that will be told.

Registration is required. 10 am– 2 pm. Free. For more information, visit africanamericanmuseum.org. k 28

J U N E 2 2 // C O U N T R Y R O A D S M A G . C O M

JUN

18th

FUN RUNS Q50 RACES RUN TO THE HILLS Franklinton, Louisiana

Q50 Races presents "Run to the Hills"—a five or ten mile race on a scenic, dirt course with small hills at Bogue Chitto State Park in Franklinton. Registration begins at 6:45 am at the Equestrian Parking Lot, and all proceeds benefit the New Orleans Mission Shelter. $75 for ten-mile race; $70 for five-mile race. q50races.com. k

JUN

18th

KNOWING NATURE BIRDING AT BURDEN Baton Rouge, Louisiana

It's no secret that Louisiana is aflocked with an enormous variety of birds. At LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden alone, over 320 species have been recorded—from the meager mockingbird to the wondrous woodpecker. Through its new program, Burden is inviting the bird-experts and birdcurious alike to participate in three-hour guided bird walks. Walks take place from 7 am–9 am. $10. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars, a cell phone, birding apps and/or field guides, sunscreen, insect repellant, appropriate outdoor footwear, weather-appropriate clothing, and water. lsuagcenter.com. k

JUN

18th

FESTIVALS FRANKLIN SOUL FOOD FESTIVAL Franklin, Louisiana

Head down to the bayou (the bayou side of Teche Drive, that is) in Franklin for some delicious soul food, a 5k race, Juneteenth exhibit, Children's village, and performances

by Rocc Out by Trap Orchestra, DJ Troy-D, Sweet Southern Heat, DJ Fab, Roi Anthony, and more. (337) 578-8336. Details at the Soul Food Festival page on Facebook. k

JUN

18th

LOCAL HISTORY JUNETEENTH: THE SLAVERY DETECTIVE OF THE SOUTH Denham Springs, Louisiana

Engage in the startling research of Dr. Antoinette Harrell (featured in People Magazine and on Nightline News), who studies the continuance of slavery and peonage in the United States, including in Livingston Parish, after Juneteenth. Harrell will give a presentation at the Denham Springs-Walker Libarry Branch at 2 pm.

Free. Details at mylpl.info. k

Adventure Awaits, Step Into Cajun Country, Don't Just Visit, Experience Allen Parish

r e t n e C l a Cultur Canoeing an

d Tubing on th e Ouiska Chitt o & y Coushatta s h Myt s Bywa d Casino Resort n e Leg Cycling d o o w r e h Leat eum Mus No Man's Land

Convenience Store du Jour Trail

For more information, contact Allen Parish Tourism Commission at www.allenparish.com or 888-639-4868 Like us on // J U N E 2 2

29

Events

JUN

Beginning June 18 -June 25 JUN

th

18th

COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION AT THE LIBRARY Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Celebrate ultimate freedom in America at the Delmont Gardens Branch Library this Juneteenth weekend. Test your trivia skills with "Book Jeopardy" with the theme of African American literature; learn about various local professions such as boutique cosmetics, tattoo art, baking, and aromatherapy; and enjoy food and goods provided by local vendors. (225) 354-7050.

10 am–4 pm. Free. ebrpl.com. k

th

18th

FESTIVALS JUNETEENTH FREEDOM DAY CELEBRATION Covington, Louisiana

JUN

18th

TRIBUTE CONCETTS ELVIS LIVES CELEBRATION Baton Rouge, Louisiana

For its annual fundraising event, this year the Manship Theatre is transforming into an "Island of Love," inspired by all things Elvis Presley. Enjoy Elvis-inspired food, drink, and curiosities. Movies will be screened in the theater, plus a Vegas-style Variety Show and Casino-style games.

Vegas and Elvis-era attire encouraged.

30

- AUG

14th

FASHION EXHIBITIONS COURTING STYLE: WOMEN'S TENNIS FASHION Port Allen, Louisiana

Hound Dog General Admission tickets ($50) get you access to the party and party rooms (featuring the variety show, movies, hangouts, and live concert feed). King Tickets ($247–497) get you access to all of that, plus the culminating performance by Dwight Icenhower, a five-time World Champion Elvis Presley Tribute artist.

6 pm. manshiptheatre.org. k

JUN

18th

The Future Leaders of Louisiana are hosting a celebration of freedom at Rev. Peter Atkins Park in Covington this Juneteenth Weekend. It all kicks off with a Freedom Parade through downtown Covington at 9 am, followed by a program and resource fair. The celebration continues through Sunday with the inaugural "One Love" fashion show at the Fuhrmann Auditorium and other festivities. Details on the Juneteenth Covington La Facebook Page. k

J U N E 2 2 // C O U N T R Y R O A D S M A G . C O M

The West Baton Rouge Museum is getting a delivery that includes one of Serena Williams' tennis outfits— see it and more in the museum's new exhibition Courting Style: Women's Tennis Fashion. Drawn from the collections of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, this exhibition features outfits worn by iconic women tennis players across the sport's history, including Martina Navroatilova, Chris Evert, Billie Jean King, Tracy Austin, Goolagong, Maria Sharapova, and the Williams sisters.

Tracing the way fashions evolved as a reflection of the society around them, the exhibition highlights a special niche in sports history and fashion history worth taking the time to explore. westbatonrougemuseum.org. k

JUN

21st - JUN 22nd

PUPPET SHOWS ANIMALIA Gonzales, Louisiana

A show you won't want to miss, ANIMALIA is the brain child of puppeteer Hobey Ford, known as the winner of puppetry's highest honor, the

UNIMA Citation of Excellence, as well as three Jim Henson Foundation grants and The Hermitage Fellowship. Each of his Golden Rod Puppets are handcrafted by himself, as are the intricate sets they occupy.

Expect to engage with a magnified butterfly and frog metamorphosis, explore the world of birds, and enjoy a classical undersea ballet performed by whales, dolphins, and otters.

Performances will be held at the Gonzales Branch Library on June 21 at 10 am and 2 pm, as well as at the Dutchtown Branch Library on June 22 at 10 am and 2 pm. Free. mypl.org. k

JUN

21st - JUL 10th

MUSICAL THEATRE HAMILTON New Orleans, Louisiana

Who lives? Who dies? Who tells your story? Alexander Hamilton, previously most notable to the modern era as "the guy on the money" or perhaps "Aaron Burr's frenemy" got a hip-hop jolt of relevance with Lin-Manuel Miranda's smash hit Broadway musical. Hamilton was an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington's right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and was the new nation’s first Treasury Secretary. With a score that blends the aforementioned hiphop with jazz, Brit-pop, blues, showtunes, and lyrics that spill from the mouths of

evident history buffs, Hamilton has become one of the more popular history lessons in recent memory. Here's your chance to see the show during a three-week engagement at the Saenger. Find tickets and showtimes at saengernola.com. k

JUN

23rd

CONCERTS FEMME II AT THE ACA Lafayette, Louisiana

In 2018, the Acadiana Center for the Arts brought together a group of Acadiana's favorite women musicians for the production of "Femme," a concert curated as part of the Louisiana Crossroads Series. In 2022, the celebration continues with "Femme II", curated by vocalist Anna Laura Edmiston and directed by Lian Cheramie of Cajun Face. Presented through a chronological lens and a thematic of the natural elements earth, wind, fire, and water—musical performers and other artists will come together in an "iridescent collage of artistry and music".

7:30 pm–9:30 pm. Tickets start at $35. acadianaccenterforthearts.org. k

JUN Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony Award-winning historical musical Hamilton is bringing its national touring production to the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans this month. Photo by Alexandra Kennon.

23rd

GO FISH CASTING OUT! FISHING WORKSHOP Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Join the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries

for a free workshop on all things casting and fishing in Louisiana at the Eden Park Branch Library. Ages four to eleven.

4:30 pm. Free. ebrpl.com. k

JUN

24th - JUN 26th

OPERA THE TALES OF HOFFMANN Baton Rouge, Louisiana

This month, The River Center Theatre hosts Opéra Louisiane's performance of Offenbach’s grand opera, The Tales of Hoffmann. The story follows the poet Hoffmann as he searches for true love—a mechanical doll, an ailing singer, a beautiful courtesan, and his own muse all fulfill a part of his desire, but who will he choose and how will it determine his fate? Friday performance at 7:30 pm; Sunday at 3 pm. Tickets from $20 at operalouisiane.com. k

JUN

25th

FESTIVALS LARRY HARTZONG TWISTED BEER FEST AND HOMEBREW COMPETITION Mandeville, Louisiana

Time to get twisted at the ninth-annual Larry Hartzog Twisted Beer Fest and Homebrew Competition at the Castine Center. Wander through a Beer Garden with over two hundred beer samplings

Get away, the Evangeline Parish way

evangelineparishtourism.org To learn how to book a stay at cabins and campsites in Evangeline Parish, call Elizabeth at (337) 492-0615 or visit us at 306 West Main Street, Ville Platte. // J U N E 2 2

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Events

Beginning June 25th - June 29th

Art Classes for all ages • Over 120 Louisiana artisans Retail Gallery & Art Learning Center

Visit https://mid-cityartisans.com for more information info@mid-cityartisans.com • 225-412-2802 • Baton Rouge, LA

Art shows, Art classes, and more!

midcityartisans

from commercial breweries and homebrewers alike—featuring the newest and top-selling brews of the year. Attendees will also enjoy local eats, live music, and the chance to weigh in on the People's Choice Award.

All proceeds will benefit the Northshore Humane Society. 4 pm–7 pm. General Admission is $45 and gets you access to all of the beer samples; $55 Early Entry tickets allow entry at 3 pm and the opportunity to meet brewmasters in person; discounted designated driver tickets also available. eventbrite.com. k

JUN

25

th

COMMUNITY COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS WITH THE 821 PROJECT Baton Rouge, Louisiana

For this Community Connections session, hosted by the Main Branch Library in Baton Rouge, The 821 Project's Jahi Mackey will introduce attendees to an array of curated online courses specializing in empathy, diversity, equity, and inclusivity as part of the Building a Better America Today with the America, My Oyster Association (AMOA) DEI Program. All courses are available for free through the library, and are designed for middle and high school students, college students, and lifelong learners. Participants of all completion levels will be honored by AMOA and the library at a recognition ceremony on July 10 at 4 pm. Learn more and register at theamoa.org. ebrpl.com. k

JUN

Council of Livingston this summer. Students will learn how to create art using pencil, charcoal, pastels, and watercolor. Grades second through sixth; students should bring no. 2 pencils and a drawing pad no larger than 16" x 20". 6 pm–7:30 pm Monday–Thursday at South Live Oak Elementary School. $45; $40 for ACLP members. Register at artslivingston.org. k

JUN

29th

WEDDING BELLS HOUMA LOUISIANA WEDDING EXPO Houma, Louisiana

It takes a venue the size of HoumaTerrebonne Civic Center to contain the hundreds of variables from which a bride (and groom, and mother-of-the-bride, and aunt of the groom, and cousin of the mother of the father of the bride...) can concoct her dream wedding day. 6 pm– 9 pm. $10. houmaciviccenter.com. k

JUN

29th - JUN 30th

KID STUFF SHANA BANANA Livingston, Louisiana

Award-winning national children's musical storyteller Shana Banana is visiting Livingston Parish Libraries this summer, and she's bringing her two puppy puppet pals, Hal and Henson along with her. Shows taking place at the Denham Springs-Walker Brach (10 am) and Watson Branch (2 pm) on June 29 and at the Main Branch (2 pm) on June 30. Free. mylpl.info. k

26th

CONCERTS STARS & STRIPES: A MUSICAL CELEBRATION New Iberia, Louisiana

The Acadiana Symphony Orchestra and the Iberia Parish Community Concert Band will join forces for this performance of patriotic music at the Sugar Cane Festival Building. They'll honor military veterans with music selections from the World War II era, among many others. 3 pm–5 pm.

(337) 967-2018 or iberiacultural.org. k

JUN

27th - JUN 30th

KID STUFF CHILDREN'S SUMMER ART CLASSES Denham Springs, Louisiana

Your little Michelangelo has the chance to learn about art and the principles of design through fun creative projects with the Arts 32

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For all events, including those we couldn’t fit into print, point your phone camera here.

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Features

JUNE 2022 34

STEWARDING

42 PLANTING

NEW LIFE ON

NEW TREES ON

THE

C O A S T // 3 9

LOUISIANA’S

CREATING

LAST BARRIER

REBUILDING

NEW MARSH ISLAND

IN GOLDEN

MEADOW

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FLEDGLINGS

Living on the Edge

AUDUBON DELTA’S COASTAL BIRD BEACH-NESTING STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM ENTERS A NEW SEASON

By Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

A least tern nest, discovered and recorded by Katie Barnes at Rutherford Beach as part of Audubon Delta’s Coastal Bird Beach-Nesting Stewardship Program. Photo by Jordan LaHaye-Fontenot.

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hen a bird lays an egg on Louisiana’s coast, nothing can go wrong.

During the incubation period, which depending on species can last from sixteen to twenty-eight days, the egg lays in its scrape—an indention scratched out of the sand and shell debris by its male parent. When the parent isn’t sitting on it, the egg is totally exposed to the elements, whether that be the blistering heat of an early Louisiana summer or the blustery chaos of hurricane season. Shorebird eggs make great meals for local coyotes and ghost crabs.

And camouflaged as they are with their speckled, neutral colors—many fall victim to inattentive passersby. On the beaches of Cameron Parish, these include the hooves of grazing cattle and the tires of beach-driving tourists.

If they survive incubation—they’ll hatch and emerge into a world in which they are at the bottom of the food chain.

They won’t fly for another three to four weeks.

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This is all assuming that the baby bird’s parents can find a suitable place to nest at all, as more and more miles of Louisiana’s coastline are consumed by Gulf waters each year. “I’ve seen birds use parking lots,” said Katie Barnes, Audubon Delta’s Louisiana Coastal Stewardship Manager, “because of the pressures on the coast.”

Barnes manages Audubon Delta’s Coastal Bird Beach-Nesting Stewardship Program in Louisiana, which aims to both protect and study the five species of migratory birds that nest on the coastlines of Louisiana’s mainland.

“We work mainly on mainland beaches that people have access to,” she explained to me as we both looked out on the Gulf from Cameron Parish’s Rutherford Beach. The program works on over 1,100 acres of habitat on Grand Isle, Elmer’s Island, and on Cameron Parish beaches. “These beaches are where the human disturbance comes in.

It’s where we’re going to have the most impact on birds, and where we can step

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in and be stewards of the beach, protecting and monitoring them.”

The program got its start in the wake of cleanup efforts after the 2010 BP Oil Spill, which occurred right at the onset of nesting season that year. While conservation organizations like Audubon were actively working to minimize the impacts of both the spill and cleanup efforts on wildlife, Erik Johnson—who had recently been hired as a conservation biologist for Audubon—noted a significant gap in data when it came to mitigating challenges for coastal nesting birds on the mainland.

“When the oil spill hit, there were a lot of unknowns about how to direct cleanup efforts to minimize the impacts on these birds, because there wasn’t a good source of data to know how the birds might be affected,” said Johnson, who now serves as Audubon Delta’s Director of Bird Conservation. “Particularly these sort of secretive brown nesting birds that you can’t see from a plane or survey from a boat. You have to kind of

be there with feet on the ground.”

Johnson led the initiative to generate funding for a dedicated surveying program modeled after similar monitoring work conducted on the Florida coast.

In 2012 Audubon Delta was able to hire its first seasonal technicians to monitor nesting areas on Grand Isle, with a focus on minimizing human disturbance and assessing threats. In 2016, they extended the program to include Cameron Parish; Barnes was one of the first technicians to work on the new sites. Over the past ten years, the program has acquired enough funding to further develop dedicated teams and leadership, facilitate conservation methods such as fencing around key nesting areas, and further community outreach initiatives—and continues to seek funding to expand and increase the program’s reach.

Today, Barnes trains and oversees the program’s seasonal technicians, who are responsible for finding, monitoring, and recording data on each year’s nests.

Standing outside of a mile-and-a-half

stretch of fenced-off nesting area, she demonstrated the intricate methodology of completing a nest survey—starting by spraying my shoes with Scent-Away. “The way we walk around in there is very strategic,” she explained. “We try to mitigate as much of our interaction with the birds as possible. We’re very careful, and we’ve been doing this with a standardized protocol. The spray is just an extra parameter we use to protect the birds from potential predators.”

During the nesting season, which typically lasts from April to mid-to-late-August, technicians visit sites like this one in the mornings beginning at sunrise until just before the heat sets in, minding every single step as they seek out nests, count up birds, figure out how many nesting pairs there are, and record coordinates.

They also band chicks as they hatch, as well as their parents.

“If you’ve got the same male coming back every year, you’re like ‘Okay yeah, that’s P3,’” said Barnes. “He’s always at that beach, and he’s always in that area.

It’s very interesting to see not only these same birds coming back—like your old friends—but also being able to see their annual survivorship. How well do they do every year with breeding? How many chicks do they fledge every year?”

The result is a set of data that allows scientists like Barnes and Johnson to monitor the overall success of the year’s nesting season and compare it to years prior, and to better understand the rea-

sons behind nest failures, drops in population, and changes in bird behavior. “We look at things like ‘How many chicks are fledged each year compared to the number of pairs on the beach?’” Johnson explained. “Things like that give us estimates on how these bird populations are doing, and we can also hone in and identify what the particular threats are.”

It’s part science and part advocacy, said Barnes. Johnson agreed: “We use the science each year to help us inform the strategies needed to go forward in terms of identifying and prioritizing what the biggest threats are and at which beaches, determining which stakeholders we should engage with. We want to make sure we maximize the impact that we can have.”

When I visited Rutherford in late April, the nesting season had been ongoing for around a month. The priority species the program monitors are least terns, Wilson’s plovers, and common nighthawks; now with a small number of snowy plovers and black skimmers.

“The Wilsons arrive first,” said Barnes, explaining that they and the nighthawks are solitary nesters, meaning that they form a pair bond that together defends a particular territory for nesting. In comparison, the least terns are colonial nesters: they nest in colonies ranging from just a few pairs to hundreds. “The least terns arrive in early April, but kind of hang around and try to figure out where they want to go. Around the twenty-fifth

of April is usually when we start finding those first nests.”

Standing right outside the fenced-in nesting area, Barnes set up her spotting scope and tripod—tools that allow her and her technicians to observe birds and find nests from a distance, minimizing physical interactions as much as possible. As she scanned the area through the scope, three tiny gray birds arose from the sandy expanse—squeaking aggressively and performing a series of acrobatic dive bombs right above our heads.

“This is the way that they indicate to us that they’re upset,” said Barnes. “We’re in their space.” It also means, she said, that we are probably pretty close to a nesting colony.

“Oh look, there is a least tern right there who just sat down on her nest.”

Barnes waved me over to peer into the scope. “She’s incubating. Look, they’re really cute. Very squeaky.” Through the lens, I could see the tiny gray bird, with its black cap and yellow beak, as though it were mere inches away. The white feathers on its belly just barely peeked out as it nestled into the sand.

Barnes peered into the scope one more time before she started packing it up, readying to walk in and get a closer look. “The way we do this,” she said, “I’ll find a landmark—a piece of trash or vegetation. That will give me an idea of where the nest is in relation to where we are. And when we get to it, we’ll just do everything we need to do very quickly.

Then, we don’t just turn around and go back where we came. We can’t leave a dead end at the nest, because it could lead a predator right to it. You have to continue walking straight past it.”

Barnes chose a patch of yellow flowers near the nest as our landmark, intending to take a path that would pass near a spot where she observed a Wilson’s plover giving her “vibes”—suggesting another possible nesting site. I followed just behind her as we entered the habitat, matching her footsteps almost exactly, absolutely terrified of stomping on an egg. “It takes some time, but after doing this for a while you start to develop an eye for this stuff,” she said.

Just seconds later: “Oh, there it is.” My eyes followed her finger, but I was unable to register the eggs until we got within three feet of them. Two blue speckled eggs the size of large grapes, curled into a pile of seashells. There were then about five least terns dancing in the sky just above us, squawking in protest. Barnes told me to find a spot where I could get a good photo, and to plant my feet. She then pulled a popsicle stick from her bag and sprayed it with Scent-away. “Since this one hasn’t been marked by our team, I’ll go ahead and mark it,” she said, calling it “Nest 600” and planting the stick in the ground about a foot away from the eggs. This will help team members identify the nest more easily from a distance with the scope for monitoring over the course of the next two months. Barnes

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entered the coordinates into the GIS, and then we continued on towards the vibey Wilson’s plover.

Except she had gone, vanished without a trace.

Though Wilson’s plovers get started nesting the earliest, their nests are usually more difficult to locate than least terns’, Barnes explained. “Wilsons are much more secretive,” she said. “least terns are like ‘here I am,’ all up in your face and squawking and diving. The Wilsons will let you know that they’re there, but they’re like ‘Good luck finding my nest.’” Nighthawks, she said, don’t even scrape out a nest; they just lay their eggs right there on the ground.

Continuing on through the habitat and into a strip of dunes and vegetation that separate it from the recreational beach, Barnes pointed out that Audubon’s fencing efforts had coincidentally been bolstered by a separate set of fencing targeted towards beach restoration, installed by the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. The two fences together have helped contribute to a significant section of regrowth that also serves as an additional barrier between the nesting habitat and human activity on the beach.

The environment is ever-changing, though.

Two years ago, this beach looked like an utterly different place following the back-to-back devastation of Hurricanes Laura and Delta. “Everything on this beach was completely leveled,” said Barnes. “All the vegetation was scoured.” Though the storms destroyed habitats for countless species, birds and otherwise, they actually created a habitat that was very attractive to shorebirds, who prefer wide-open spaces. Nesting numbers for these birds saw a significant increase in 2021.

With a still relatively short history of data to

work with, set up against the increasingly unpredictable weather patterns of our warming world, it remains difficult to anticipate the ways events like this will affect Louisiana’s shorebirds from year to year. This is exacerbated as the state continues to pursue much-needed coastal restoration projects, which can further disrupt bird habitats.

The Stewardship Program has incorporated these challenges into its efforts, studying the ways these projects affect birds in real-time and working to educate the people behind them to keep the birds in mind.

“We’re looking at responses to restoration, so that we can figure out future management implications and educate not only the public, but the restoration planners that are creating these projects,” said Barnes. “We can say, ‘Hey, these projects are great, and they’re even helping out populations. But Wilson’s plovers are a species of concern, and they need certain habitat requirements and certain types of substrates to thrive.

What can we do to protect them?”

For shorebirds in particular, things like beach renourishment, dune creation, and marsh creation tend to be positive overall as more suitable habitat is created. But Johnson noted that the data shows that nesting on recently-restored sites is actually lower than it should be. The obstacle, they realized, was the fact that the new sites also tend to be very popular for predators, particularly coyotes.

“It’s more than just putting sand on a beach,” said Johnson. “We sort of need to be thinking about the whole ecosystem.”

On occasion, though, the shifting world aligns just right—and creates the perfect environment for new life. Due in no small part to the efforts of

A nest of Wilson’s plovers hatched within a spool of abandoned rope. Photo by Katie Barnes.

Katie Barnes surveys the nesting area on Rutherford beach for new nests. Photo by Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

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One the five species Audubon Delta monitors as part of its Coastal Bird Beach-Nesting Program is the least turn.

Photo by Katie Barnes.

In 2021, snowy plovers succesfully fledged chicks in Louisiana for the first time in recorded history. Just days before we sent this issue to press in mid-May Katie Barnes captured a photo of 2022’s first nest of snowy plover chicks.

the Stewardship Program, 2021 was deemed the best nesting season in Louisiana since 2016. And not one, but two new species chose the Cameron Parish coastline as a nesting site.

Black skimmers—black and white seabirds recognizable by their distinctively-shaped orange bills—regularly nest on Louisiana’s remote barrier islands, with only failed attempts occurring on the mainland beaches for as long as the program has been collecting data. In late July of last year, technicians discovered a scrape with four chicken-sized skimmer eggs on the site of the Cameron Parish Shoreline Project at Holly Beach. Two more nests were discovered before the end of the season.

“Part of it was that they’re responding positively to the restoration,” said Barnes. “And part of it is, you know, we’re out there stewarding the beach, putting up fencing around it, protecting them and allowing them to be successful. We actually stewarded them all the way into late September. Our season was an extra month and a half long because they are [sometimes] late nesters. And they actually made it to fledge.”

2021 was also the very first year in recorded history that the rare snowy plover successfully fledged chicks in Louisiana. Usually a winter resident in the state, the snowy plover was first documented to ever nest here in 1994, with a few scattered nesting records since. “But last year was the first time that multiple nests actually hatched and fledged,” said Johnson. “We successfully fledged three chicks, which doesn’t sound like much, but we’re hoping that it’s the beginning of a population establishing itself in Southwest Louisiana. It’s really very exciting.”

Speaking with Johnson over the phone about a week after my visit to Rutherford, he shared that Barnes had since discovered a 2022 snowy plover nest in a spot near last year’s fledglings. “Katie and I ran down there on Sunday, and put an enclosure around the nest, so that the bird can move in and out of the cage and incubate the eggs, but coyotes can’t get to the nest.”

Just four days before we went to press, we got the update that Louisiana’s first baby plovers of 2022 had officially hatched, safe and sound. (Find them on our cover!)

Back on Rutherford Beach, still carefully making our way through the habitat, Barnes observed the immense challenges the birds she stewards face: “They’re so vulnerable, you know. They’re living right on the edge.” She asked me to imagine what it must be like to sit on an egg for three weeks in the beating sun, only to lose it and start all over again. “They face so many challenges to reproduce, and they only get one chance every year.” Hers is rewarding work, she said, with very clear indications that impacts are being made.

“This is just such an important place, from a biodiversity perspective.”

Suddenly, she stopped and pointed: “Oh, look there!” The elusive Wilson’s plover nest, three eggs nestled against a burst of vegetation. To me, they looked very similar to the least tern eggs, if a tiny bit bigger and more speckled. Barnes’ excitement was palpable: “The team is going to be so excited that I found this!” She marked the nest, took some photos, and put in the coordinates. Then, we walked on. h

Learn more about Audubon Delta’s conservation intiatives at audubon.org.

Discover America’s First Freedom March Follow in the footsteps of the brave revolutionaries who marched from the grounds of a plantation, now the 1811 Kid Ory Historic House, and traveled down River Road to break the chains of oppression.

Visit the website for an exclusive collection of curated attractions, retailers, restaurants and more, and downloadable audio tour.

Commemorate Juneteenth as you travel between the two trailhead locations, 1811 Kid Ory Historic House and Destrehan Plantation. Stop at specific points highlighting significant events along the journey, with extended experiences at Whitney Plantation and Historic Riverlands Christian Center.

Explore the interactive map to discover more about the journey of these freedom fighters.

Learn More at The1811SlaveRevolt.com

Audio Tour Narrated by Wendell Pierce

LARiverParishes.com

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R E S T O R AT I O N

“We Can’t Not Try” A CLOSER LOOK AT MARSH CREATION

Story by Catherine Schoeffler Comeaux • Photos by Sean Gasser

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or millennia, the Mississippi River Delta region has been a place shaped by floods.

Receding waters leave behind land-forming sediment in some areas while natural erosion carries it away in others—resulting in a cyclic, shape-shifting coast that, for a time, maintained its fertile acreage. Then came human ingenuity, which altered the Mississippi River to provide navigation, irrigation, commerce, energy, and a variety of solutions to diverse needs. One of the unintended consequences of these alterations, though, is the region’s deprivation of sediment which, compounded by erosion and subsidence, has resulted in the drastic loss of South Louisiana’s wetlands.

“We have a complex issue,” said Windell Curole, general manager of the South Lafourche Levee District as he spoke to a small group of us on a recent tour of the various restoration projects Ducks Unlimited Inc. (DU) has overseen in Golden Meadow in recent years. “We have one of the great deltas of the world and every great delta has two things: great opportunity and great risk. The challenge is to use the opportunity to minimize the risk.”

Curole has harnessed the opportunities of the coast, spending his childhood catching fish in the canals to help feed his family and shrimping in the Gulf to pay for college at Nicholls State University, where he earned a degree in biology.

He also is all too aware of the risk of living in a place so shaped by the waters around it. Destructive hurricanes, flooding, and disappearing land successively pushed Curole’s ancestors northward over the past century, from the coast at Cheniere Caminada to where he now lives in Lafourche Parish about thirty-five miles from the open waters of the Gulf. “We’ve retreated, the Gulf has followed us,” he said.

Today, Curole brings his years of experience as an extension services fisheries agent for the Louisiana State University AgCenter to his work at the levee district where, for over forty years, he has had a hand in maintaining the levee system that protects the communities it encircles from the threat of flooding. He was considered a hero when the levees withstood a direct hit from Hurricane Ida in August 2021.

The Golden Meadow Marsh Creation and Nourishment Project has built upon Curole’s work, strengthening the levee system’s line of defense against the increasing threat of hurricanes and rising sea levels. Ducks Unlimited launched the project in 2019, in partnership with ConocoPhillips/Louisiana Land and Explo-

ration Company, the Lafourche Parish Government, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Shell, and TransRe. A hydraulic dredge was used to pump sediment from nearby Catfish Lake through a temporary pipeline system into a series of shallow ponds that were at one time marshland. When active work was completed in 2020, this project—an elaborate nudging of nature’s inclination to use sediment to build land—had already restored and nourished 140 acres of marshland adjacent to the South Lafourche Levee System.

The project is one of several restoration projects DU has overseen on the Gulf Coast as part of its mission to conserve waterfowl habitat in North America; so far, the organization has played a role in conserving over 497,000 acres of habitat in Louisiana alone. Mike Carloss, DU Director of Conservation Programs for the Southwest, joined us on the tour, noting, “The Golden Meadow marsh restoration project is a strategic use of limited funds with critical partners and landowners doing their best work to benefit the ecosystem, fisheries, water quality, and other ecosystem services, as well as the communities—not only the livelihoods of the people but by helping to protect them from storm impacts such as flooding.”

Our small group, including Curole and other project partners, drove the levee southward to see the effects of DU’s work in the region. In the areas outside the scope of the project, we saw broken marsh interspersed with open water all the way to the horizon, where a blue sky met the muted yellows and bright greens of the marsh grasses.

Leslie Suazo, DU’s Coastal Restoration Coordinator, pointed out the duck wing-shaped terraces created by DU and other partners: twenty-five acres of the V-shaped and linear terraces created with carefully placed dredged material.

I was surprised at how well they were integrated into the existing landscape.

Measuring approximately one thousand feet long, forty feet wide at the base, and about ten feet wide at the top—each terrace was planted with native oyster grass. Nature quickly filled in with other marsh vegetation like wire grass and leafy three-square—all which help to hold the terraces in place as they buffer existing marshland and the toe of the levee against the wave action that continuously erodes both.

Carloss pointed out the groundsel bush growing along several of the ter-

races. He noted that this small bush provides cover and habitat for various birds while adding to the structure of the newly restored land. Groundsel, referred to as manglier in some areas of South Louisiana, is used in Native American, Creole, and Cajun culture to make a bitter tea known to cure fevers, chills and congestion. (Note: The word manglier comes from the French word for the black mangrove—a totally different plant which grows sparsely in the southernmost areas of the Louisiana coast. To further complicate this matter of plant nomenclature, in Carloss’s hometown of Abbeville, the word manglier refers to the wax myrtle. If you are confused, be sure to get your manglier tea from a reputable source and don’t try to make it at home.)

The vegetated terraces calm the water so that subaquatic plants can take hold and thrive—providing habitat and nourishment for aquatic and avian species alike. Several of the terraces in the Golden Meadow project were designed to include 3D-printed blocks comprised of biologically-enhanced concrete, which is made with a locally-developed mixture specifically engineered to attract oysters. The strategically-placed, irregularly-shaped blocks, created by Tyler Ortego of Ora Estuaries, form a structure that invites oysters to take hold, adding to the diversity of life that keeps the marshland in place.

“Can we walk on it?” Sean Gasser, the photographer, asked as we came to the point on the levee overlooking the 140 acres of continuous marshland.

Curole responded with confidence, “Yes, you can. It’s amazing how quick the change. That marsh was out there, and I could see it in my lifetime eroding away, and in a couple of years—boom, it’s back! It’s amazing how well it comes back. You put some dirt above the waterline, and it germinates.”

I hadn’t worn my knee boots, so I stepped out on faith, following Gasser into the chest-high grasses. Feeling the dense, spongy give underfoot I recalled trudging through the marshes with my father as a child, looking for a whitetailed deer, the land seeming to move beneath my feet. The mud released the smell of new grasses comingled with rotting humus—a somewhat sweet, subtle stink promising new life— “boue pourri,” Curole called it: the South Louisiana French term for “rotten mud”.

Crouching in the grasses on the edge of the newly-restored marshland, we heard red-winged blackbirds and watched a small gulp of cormorants perched in a low tree. At our feet, we noticed mussel shells embedded deep // J U N 2 2

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Windell Curole overlooking the newly restored areas of marshland that had been steadily disappearing in his lifetime.

Broken marsh interspersed with newly-created marsh as a result of restoration projects taking place in Golden Meadow.

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in the root structure of the leafy threesquare—they were everywhere, some dried and cracked open to reveal their violet-tinged insides. The gulf ribbed mussels are an important part of the marsh ecosystem, as they filter water and help to hold the land in place by providing structure with their shells and byssal threads. Seeing them throughout the newly-restored marsh bolstered my confidence in nature’s ability to take back its rightful hold on the land.

Continuing our tour, Curole noticed the remnants of a chenier, a beach ridge populated with oaks, rising out of the high ground in the marsh. Knowing the importance of treed ridges in the community’s line of defense against hurricanes, Curole mused, “I’d like to see a chenier out there again.”

This comment caught the attention of John Harrington, ConocoPhillips Wetlands Director, who started a conversation about the potential for establishing new cheniers. Harrington participates in ongoing communications with the South Lafourche Levee District and DU regarding the projects supported by

ConocoPhillips. He said, “By engaging in organic conversations with project collaborators, we can avoid random acts of restoration, ensuring there’s purpose and resiliency in what we do.”

Throughout the morning’s discussions, I heard the oft-repeated statistics of coastal land loss (like the football field disappearing into the Gulf every hour) and perused maps showing the boot of our state in need of a re-soling. Looking out over the broken marsh itself, I asked the question, “Is rebuilding the coast even possible?”

“We have a complex issue, without a simple solution,” Curole reminded me, “For the future of our coastal communities, you’re either going to do something to protect yourself from flooding or you will disappear—that’s it. You have to actively want to have your community to continue to exist, if not, they won’t be here. And we’ve lost communities before, this is not new. We can’t not try.”

Buster Avera, a retired oil field worker who spends at least one hundred days of his year fishing the waters of South Louisiana, depends on people like Curole and

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Gulf ribbed mussel thriving in roots of marsh vegetation.

the folks of DU to try, he said, “I think it’s a little late coming, but we need more of these types of projects to protect what we have left.”

Witnessing the collaboration between the people who see coastal restoration not only as a possibility but who are actively making it possible, I am grateful that human ingenuity has the power to correct mistakes of the past, the will to try, and the humility to keep learning— relying on feedback from nature gained by continual vigilance and scientific research.

In an article for the Lafourche Chamber’s publication Insights, Curole wrote, “As we work to maintain our communities, it is always important to question everyone and everything. Precise understanding of our problems and their evolution, along with the solution to these problems, is critical. After questioning everyone else, it is more important to question ourselves and our work. What was right today, may not be right tomorrow. We must employ the best information available to give ourselves a chance for success in a changing environment.”

We end our tour with lunch at Griffin’s Seafood, a local eatery in Golden Meadow. Curole passes around a video he has on his phone. “Did you see the shrimp they’re catching on the beach at Grand Isle? Some were getting thirty pounds in one throw of the cast net!” he exclaimed “That’s why we live here—it’s the most productive area there is. This place throws food at you!”

Yes, it does, and the fried shrimp po-boy was great. h

Learn more about Ducks Unlimited Inc.’s conservation efforts in Louisiana and nationwide at ducks.org/ wetland-conservation.

Learn more about various restoration projects along the South Lafourche Levee District at slld.org/projects.html.

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H A B I TAT

Since 1999, The Nature Conservancy has been acquiring land at the heart of Grand Isle, planting and cultivating the oak-hackberry forest known as Lafitte Woods Preserve.

The Forest at the Heart of the Island

THE LAFITTE WOODS NATURE PRESERVE STANDS STRONG AS A PROTECTIVE HAVEN ON GRAND ISLE Story by Kristy Christiansen • Photos by Paul Christiansen

F

ifty miles due south of New Orleans, Grand Isle stands boldly as the front line of defense for Louisiana’s hurricane-battered coast. In normal times, the southern end is an eight-mile-long expanse of beach, the northern side a lush tidal marsh. Nine months after Hurricane Ida’s eye plowed through the island, it’s hard to tell one side from the other.

The storm breached the southern end’s burrito levee in several places, spreading the sand like a blanket from beach to marsh. The green lawns and purple bluebonnets are gone, washed away with the mountains of treasured human ephemera lost to the storm. The west end bore the brunt of the damage. Here, collapsed camps still lie in heaps beside newly rebuilt, brightly painted homes hoisted seventeen feet off the ground.

For many residents of this vulnerable and battered island, the hope for recovery and resiliency lies at its center, where the landscape shifts and thick stands of trees stretch toward the blue sky overhead.

Known as the Lafitte Woods Nature Pre42

serve, the largely oak-hackberry forest is some of the last remaining undeveloped land on Grand Isle.

Since 1999, The Nature Conservancy has protected the trees, which serve as vital habitat for wildlife, including bi-annually migrating birds—which travel up into North America in the spring to

fewer predators. They fly fifteen hours in from the Yucatan or eighteen hours from South America, and need food and water.”

Grand Isle is their first sight of land after the long journey. Birders from all over the world visit the island during peak migration in late April to witness

“I CAN’T TELL YOU THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT SAID, ‘THE FOREST SAVED MY HOME.’” —JEAN LANDRY breed and south to the tropics in the fall.

Grand Isle’s forest serves as a rest stop in the Gulf, a refuge providing ample seeds and fruit, as well as shelter among the trees.

“The forest is unique along the Gulf.

It’s the center of the Mississippi flyway,” said Jean Landry, program manager for the Nature Conservancy. “The birds start jumping off right at dusk, when it’s cooler to fly, so they use less energy and there are

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the colorful species flitting through the trees. If they are lucky, birders will arrive in time for a “fallout,” a rare event when large groups of migrating birds fly into strong thunderstorms. Exhausted, the birds literally fall out of the sky, landing in the safety of the woods. Landry recalls her children walking out of the house one morning and being greeted by a blue carpet of indigo buntings on their front lawn. She has also seen fallouts of Ruby-

throated Hummingbirds and Prothonotary Warblers.

Detailing the history of the Lafitte Woods, Landry explained how the Nature Conservancy got its start on Grand Isle in 1999, “Our first acquisition was a donation. We got fourteen acres from Mr. Grilletta from New Orleans, who inherited the property on a bad debt.”

From there, the Nature Conservancy received a grant from ExxonMobil to plant trees on thirty acres of land formerly used as an Exxon campsite.

Landry led the effort to plant a miniature forest on the property, which included persimmon trees, mulberries, hackberries, sweet bays, honey locusts, and toothache trees. The last serves as the host tree of the giant swallowtail butterfly and gets its unusual name from its leaves, which have similar properties to Novocain when chewed.

The Nature Conservancy continued to expand its property, adding acreage known as the Sureway Woods and a half-acre from the Govan family out of

Arlington, Virginia. They then entered into management agreements to maintain property owned by Louisiana State University and the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office. In 2012, shipbuilder Boysie Bollinger donated 128 acres of tidal marsh and water bottoms covered in black mangroves. Today, the Nature Conservancy owns and/or manages around two hundred acres total on the island.

“I just celebrated twenty-one years with the Nature Conservancy. I was originally hired for three,” laughed Landry, whose job is to manage the woods and keep out invasive species. She maintains the trails, develops conservation programs with the community through the island’s K-12 public school, and fosters a good working relationship with the town government.

Landry has lived on Grand Isle for sixty years. Her home is on the outskirts of the Nature Conservancy property and, like many of the homes at the center of the island, is surrounded by trees.

“The goal from the beginning has always been to preserve the woods and grasslands for the migrating birds,” said Landry, but the forest has also served to protect the human residents who live near them. This is the oldest part of the island, with one home dating back over two hundred years. Some of the trees protected here are five hundred years old.

The Nature Conservancy and the Grand Isle Garden Club have worked together over the last several years to plant native Louisiana irises along the boardwalk in the Lafitte Woods Preserve.

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“Katrina, Delta, Zeta, Ida,” Landry begins ticking off the names of past hurricanes. “I do believe we didn’t suffer the same damage [as the rest of the island] because of the trees. After Ida, my neighbor hugged me and said, ‘I want to thank you for every tree you planted.’ I can’t tell you the number of people that said, ‘The forest saved my home. I want to plant more trees.’ Both local people and camp owners, they would protect an oak tree any day of the week.”

Recognizing the value of trees and their potential for protection in Grand Isle’s fragile environments, other groups have engaged in tree plantings as well. Ronnie Sampey, president of the Grand Isle Garden Club, works closely with Landry to fulfill the club’s goal of beautifying the island and bringing back its natural environment. The Garden Club is responsible for maintaining and enhancing the beach crossovers, which offer public access from Highway 1 over the levee to the beach. The club and the Conservancy also teamed up with the Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative (LICI) to plant native irises along the Lafitte Woods boardwalk.

“Two years ago, we only had a few native irises in a small section of the preserve,” said Sampey. “We got six hundred plants from Gary Salathe with LICI and cut out invasive plants along the boardwalk in the Lafitte Woods Preserve so we could plant them. After that, we did four more plantings and today have a total of two thousand irises. It’s now a highlight of the trail.” Like the trees, the irises survived Ida’s storm surge, and this spring, their blooms dappled the forest with bursts of bright purple.

The demonstrated importance of the forested habitat is beyond measure, and Landry works to educate all who will listen. The Nature Conservancy is currently planning a major renovation of the Lafitte Woods, which will include further developing the trails and adding new educational signage. Their plan is to link all the tracts together in one long path, install packed aggregate on the trails, and make the path handicap accessible.

Landry also intends to renew her native plant nursery, which she maintained as a teaching nursery for the local students until Ida destroyed it.

As the 2022 hurricane season approaches a community still recovering from the last, the Lafitte Woods stand as living evidence of Grand Isle’s enduring vitality—at the center of the last barrier island’s cycle of devastation and rebirth, a shrine of verdant, impressible life. h

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J U N 2 2 // C O U N T R Y R O A D S M A G . C O M

SAVE THe DATe November 12 & 13, 2022 The Myrtles, St. Francisville, LA Featured Chefs & Restaurants • Notable Wines Craft Beers & Ales from LA & MS Brewers • Lawn Games Craft Cocktails • Live Music • Whiskey Tastings • Chefs Demos Small Town Chefs Award Winners • AND MORE!

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Cuisine

JUNE 2022

46

“FEEDING PEOPLE AND

SPREADING

THE WORD ABOUT SOUTH

BAYOU TO TABLE

LOUISIANA”

W

SUPPERTIME

The Gate is Open

FOR MOSQUITO SUPPER CLUB’S MELISSA MARTIN, HOSPITALITY EXTENDS BEYOND THE TABLE

By April Hamilton

Top umbrella and left: Excerpted from Mosquito Supper Club by Melissa Martin (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2020. Photographs by Denny Culbert. Right: Photo by Todd Cole.

“I

thought strangers talking could maybe save the world.”

This is a refrain that guides Melissa Martin, the New Orleans chef who started her communal dining series, Mosquito Supper Club, in a house-turned-restaurant on Dryades Street in the spring of 2014. The original concept featured two farm house tables in a single dining room where up to twenty-four guests gathered to hear stories of the curated multi-course meal celebrating South Louisiana’s fishermen and farmers and traditions. Each platter of fresh-from-the-coast crabs or oysters, basket of biscuits, and petite cauldron of seasonal gumbo was served family-style, passed from person to person, nourishing body, mind, and soul.

Since then, the concept has evolved to accommodate more diners as Martin’s following grows. “We are the busiest we’ve ever been,” she said. “Now we’re using the space differently. We’ve given people more options to eat here.” The expansion now includes two 46

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dining rooms outfitted with communal tables, outdoor garden tables featuring four-course pre-fixe for private seating, and plates served family-style. There’s also a well-stocked bar. “You can walk in and sit at our bar and have a drink and a snack, oysters, or my grandmother’s oyster stew.” This stew, which originated in her grandmother Velma Marie’s Magnalite soup pot, is a comforting fusion of salt pork and briny oysters in a garlic, onion, and tomato-enhanced seafood broth. Martin calls it a prayer and compares it to the bouillabaisses of the south of France. “If I’m traveling around the world, the best thing that could happen to me is if they cooked something that you’d have at somebody’s house.”

The original spirit of Mosquito Supper Club remains steadfast, despite the experience’s evolution into a true restaurant. “If you want to, you can do the whole original supper club, 7:30 seating at tables of ten to twelve. You will sit next to a stranger, that’s what’s great about it,” she said. “For private dining,

we offer one 7 pm seating inside or on our screened deck, which used to be covered only with a sailcloth.

It’s nice out there with a roof and a heater and Scottish blankets for everyone.”

The manner in which Martin walked me through her space was reminiscent of a mother welcoming college kids for their first visit back home, her pecan brown hair just starting to reveal highlights of silver.

The gentlest spring breeze fluttered a sheer window drape that cozies the space. A bookcase hosts lush cascading plants and relics of the region: a pair of painted wooden ducks, a cast-iron Dutch oven, copper gratin dish, and corked moonshine jug—each appearing to have passed through loving, storytelling hands. A stack of treasured Louisiana books is accompanied by a single copy of Martin’s debut cookbook, Mosquito Supper Club: Cajun Recipes from a Disappearing Bayou, which includes personal essays dedicated to each ingredient and its role in Louisiana Cajun tradition.

The storyteller in Martin has another book to write,

this one focusing on Cajun food and stories that are more ephemeral. “What are the parentheses between those things life and death?” she asks. “This [book is] about holding together the bittersweet moments of life. In Cajun culture, this happens to involve food.

Right now, I have a 6,000-word story about onions.

It’s an allium that will make your eyes twitch and cry, pour tears, a good cry.”

A year ago, she hired the 2022 James Beard Awardnominee for best emerging chef, Serigne Mbaye to cover her kitchen duties while she focuses on writing.

“People have been knowing he’s on his way to greatness,” she said, singing the young chef’s praises and taking the opportunity to shift attention from her own James Beard nomination for Best Chef, South.

“What he brings to our table is his attitude and his incredibly great palate.”

Nestled within the foodways and the storytelling traditions inherent to Martin’s Mosquito Supper Club, though, is a fierce dedication to preserving the world that created them. “I hope that when people think of Mosquito they think of our mission,” she said, referencing researcher and public speaker Brené Brown’s adage: a person can have twenty values, but they have to choose two. “My number one is sustainability. It’s a huge umbrella. We think about it every single day beginning with the food that we procure.

We know our purveyors on a first-name basis and trust them. We recycle and compost. We started with pre-fixe so we wouldn’t waste food. We take time off so we can rest.” Mosquito is open for service Thursday through Sunday, their season running September through July, giving Martin and her staff three rest days a week and a summer break. “We try to eliminate paper waste, so we found some old chalkboards and wrote the menu on them.” The chalkboards are propped in each room with the night’s offerings

neatly printed in white chalk. The day I visited, it was: Sweet Potato Biscuit with Steen’s Butter Bright Side Oysters with Mignonette, Pickled Shrimp with Toast, and Crawfish Sliders Maxine’s Shrimp and Okra Gumbo Market Salad with Romanesco, Greens, and Parm, and Stuffed Crabs Strawberries Sorbet and Buttermilk Ice Cream with a Cookie and Benne Seeds Martin could name the precise plot of earth and sea where each item came from and who grew or caught it. Sustainability sits on the front burner.

“We’ve been feeding people and spreading the word about South Louisiana,” Martin went on. “When the book came out, we got to have a dialogue.” Last year, when Hurricane Ida devastated the Louisiana Gulf Coast region, those conversations about sustainability extended to community outreach, defining Martin’s second core value. “We got to catapult the brand to fundraise for this [place] that I love,” she said. Her grassroots efforts, which she launched in the form of bayoufund.org in the wake of storm recovery, quickly amassed a long list of local partners willing to help—through the Helio Foundation in Terrebonne Parish—get cash payments to residents who had lost their homes. Martin said that she was amazed at the amount of money that came in (“It’s still coming in.”). “I looked at my Instagram with 40,000 followers and thought if everyone gives five dollars, we can raise a lot of money. We can buy electrical boxes, we can install new electrical poles. Last time I checked we got close to a million dollars, including all the private donations. We were able to make a difference.

We focused on getting funds to families and had a ‘Float the Boat’ fund to help the shrimpers and fisher-

men recover their boats and fix their crab traps.” The “IDA” story on Mosquito Supper Club’s Instagram page recalls the wreckage the August 2021 hurricane caused with a simple request: “please don’t forget the bayou.”

The rebuilding of Martin’s home parish, Terrebonne, and the neighboring communities on the bayou began overnight after the monster storm almost ripped parishes off the map. “All these people, all these great local shops, stepped up. Tabasco, Bywater American Bistro, Mossy Oak, I can’t even name them all,” Martin said. “The work Krewe of Red Beans did on the bayou was just incredible. They sent their musicians door to door asking ‘What do you need?’ I was on my phone twenty-four hours a day until I reopened the restaurant.” Martin’s dedicated work earned the attention of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, who recognized her and partners Jonathan Foret, Reagan Creppell and Genie Ardoin with the Hurricane Ida Award for Coastal Stewardship in May. Mosquito Supper Club is closed on Wednesdays, part of Martin’s dedication to sustainability, which extends to caring for her employees. But on the mid-week afternoon when I visited, the front gate was open, signaling welcome. The wooden MOSQUITO sign told me I’d found the right place— this world permeated by Southern hospitality at its purest. Martin and her staff were there, preparing for a fundraiser dinner for New Orleans public television program WYES in April. The work continues—Mosquito’s place within its community consistently emerging as one of contribution andpreservation,generosityandappreciation.Really,Martin said, it’s always been, simply, about humanity. h mosquitosupperclub.com

Courting Style: June 18 - August 14

WOMEN’S TENNIS FASHION

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Culture

JUNE 2022 48

LOUISIANA'S CHAMPION

LANDSCAPING

// 5 4

TREES

// 5 2

THE SECRET TO

PLAYING

F R I S B E E W I T H G O D // 5 3

B A C KY A R D B E A U T I E S THE

ART OF NATIVE

"BIRDING-BY-COMPARISON"

CHAMPIONSHIPS

If These Trees Could Talk

CAT ISLAND'S NATIONAL CHAMPION BALD CYPRESS CONTINUES ITS REIGN OVER A CHANGING LANDSCAPE, AND A NEW NATIONAL CHAMPION LIVE OAK RECLAIMS ITS TITLE IN ST. TAMMANY Story by Alexandra Kennon • Photos by C.C. Lockwood

I

was around nine years old when I first laid eyes on the National Champion bald cypress tree nestled deep in the forests of my home parish of West Feliciana. My father had instilled his own profound love for nature in his only daughter, thus our pilgrimage to the tree did not come without some hype. “It’s the largest tree east of the Mississippi River,” he emphasized for the umpteenth time as his ’89 Volkswagen camper van rumbled down the dirt road into Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge. “It’s over a thousand years old.”

Having not quite breeched a decade myself, my grasp on size and time even more abstract than now, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But walking around the wide, gnarled base of the impossibly-immense tree, running my child-sized hand over centuries’ worth of graffiti carved into its trunk, I gained a small semblance of understanding. I truly felt my smallness for the first time. I looked up toward the canopy, the crown obstructed by the sunbeams streaming through the foliage. Even as a child, I perceived a deep wisdom emitting from that tree—a wisdom only granted by time, by a thousand years spent as a silent observer of the ever-changing world.

called of his and Hunt’s discovery. “I mean, it’s just so much bigger than everything else.” Surely enough, they had discovered the new National Champion bald cypress, which has continued its reign ever since, unrivaled as the largest bald cypress tree in the United States.

memorating his and Hunt’s discovery of the Champion Tree on the wall in his office. “I’ve got a box that is three feet deep of all the memorabilia from this tree over the years, from all over the United States,” Clapp told me over the phone, recalling how Louisiana Lottery used

48

A Refuge is Formed

In October, 2000, Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge was formed by an act of Congress, which designated 36,500 acres for the refuge as the land could be purchased from existing landowners.

Georgia-Pacific sold the federal government the initial ten thousand acres, with the Nature Conservancy of Louisiana acting as a holding company. Now, according to President of the Friends of Cat Island William Daniel, the refuge has expanded to 13,000 acres. “So, it’s growing over time. The federal government is an eternal entity—we will both be gone, and our grandkids will be gone, and they’ll still be thriving and acquiring land as long as it’s a willing seller.”

Daniel also noted that unlike in most land sales in Louisiana, private land owners who sell property to the government to become part of the refuge can maintain their mineral rights in perpetuity—meaning they can not only keep them, but pass them on to heirs.

“And the Champion Tree caused a big push to form this refuge. You know, it was a main factor in it,” Daniel explained of the formation of Cat Island, which was also founded to preserve a habitat for migratory birds and native animals. “It’s the largest hardwood bottomland forest along the lower Mississippi that’s unprotected by levees, which means it still floods on an annual cycle.”

Discovering a Champion

In the early 1980s, when the Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge property was still owned by Georgia-Pacific paper company, Georgia-Pacific foresters Desmond Clapp and Jeff Hunt came upon a jaw-droppingly large bald cypress tree.

It turned out that tree broke the national record for largest bald cypress in the country at the time, and so it became the new National Champion.

“Well, about a month later, we found another one even bigger than that, and turned it in,” Clapp said, recalling the wonder of discovering so many huge, ancient cypress trees in one area. But he and Hunt had not even found the true behemoth, yet. “Then we were working down there and found this one, which dwarfed all the rest of ‘em,” Clapp re-

And I did not scratch them off, because I really wanted, you know, the original untouched thing. So, I may have had a winner, but I’ll go to my grave never knowin’ that.”

Onward, the Flood Photo of the National Champion Bald Cypress at Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge, taken in the spring of 2022 by C.C. Lockwood.

While Jeff Hunt is now retired, Desmond Clapp lives and works in El Dorado, Arkansas today—where he still keeps a photograph and certificate com-

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a photograph Clapp took of the tree on scratch-off lottery tickets. “So, I went out and bought a bunch of those lottery tickets with that picture on them.

When Cat Island was formed in 2000—and certainly when the Champion Bald Cypress Tree was first discovered in 1981—Mississippi River flooding impacted the area much less severely and frequently than it does today. What was previously a “five year flood” of the river into Cat Island and downtown St. Francisville became an annual occurrence. “The only good thing that’s come

out of this flooding—this constant, drastic flooding that we’ve been going through the last ten to fifteen years—is that more people are becoming willing sellers,” Daniel said. Landowners who previously leased property to deer hunters are unable to make much money if the land is only accessible a few months of the year. Land once utilized for timber is no longer lucrative, as the frequent flooding prevents the forest’s regrowth.

“It’s not just the annual flooding: it’s the heights it’s reaching, and it’s the duration that’s the killer,” explained Daniel. “Those trees down there are used to being flooded, but there are some that can’t take being underwater ten months out of the year. Being underwater two months, or three months, is no big deal.

But when you stretch it out and they’re under water for ten months, and get two months of dry ground and then here it comes back for another ten months— there are certain species down in there that can’t take that. Those are the ones that start dyin’ first.”

St. Francisville-based nature photographer C.C. Lockwood has been visiting the Champion Tree since the early 1980s, when the property was still owned by Georgia-Pacific. “I saw the tree then, and had seen big trees across the state, and been fascinated with trees that have been there for so long. And that tree’s been there 1,500 years,” Lockwood marveled.

The profundity of the tree’s age, and consequentially the countless animals that have considered the specimen home throughout the centuries, keep Lockwood traveling back to visit and photograph the cypress year after year, even as flooding of the refuge has become more frequent and severe. “I mean age . . . what that thing has seen. Black bears can den up in cypress trees, pileated woodpeckers, the [possibly] extinct ivory-billed woodpecker, barn owls—how many different animals have lived in that tree? Just imagine.”

In 2011, when record levels of rainfall caused the Mississippi to flood more severely than it had since the major floods of 1927, Lockwood and fellow St. Francisville local Jimbo Roland planned to bring their kids to see the tree via bateau. “The water was forty feet, the crotch of the big tree is about twenty feet up. So, I said, ‘How are we gonna find it, out of these millions of trees?’”

Next time the water was down, Lockwood marked the coordinates of the Champion Tree on his iPad. Of the fifteen years he’s lived in West Feliciana, Lockwood has visited the tree by foot and boat every year, excluding two when the water was not high enough to sustain boat travel. “And it’s just magnificent … it would take me nine times to reach around it. But seven long-armed NBA players could do it,” Lockwood remarked with a chuckle.

While Lockwood’s determination and possession of a flat-bottomed bateau have continued to grant him access to the refuge even in high waters, the same cannot be said for much of the refuge’s wildlife. “When I went out [to photograph for the book Louisiana Wild: The Protected and Restored Lands of The Nature Conservancy], there was a little cottontail rabbit floating on a log. And the nearest land was four miles away. It was the day before Easter—the Easter Bunny was sitting out there.

Rebuilding a Forest

The increase in flood frequency and severity prompted Daniel and the Friends of Cat Island to partner with the West Feliciana School System and the Louisiana Department of Forestry to launch a reforestation program. The Department of Forestry provides the seedlings; the Friends of Cat Island provide the pots, soil, and volunteers; and the school system provides the students and a place to keep the trees while they grow large enough to potentially survive the flooding when they are replanted at Cat Island. “We want them on the school system, so the kids can actually see them grow, and help take care of them,” Daniel explained.

When the trees are large enough, the students and Friends of Cat Island replant them at the refuge. The hope is

“When it’s flooded you rarely see much wildlife, but if you go slow and paddle or stop, you’ll see a raccoon up in a tree, or a squirrel, or [hear] different birds chirping. When you’re out there just flying on by, you don’t see anything,” Lockwood said. “When the water goes down, and all the fish come out, and head back to the Mississippi, it is a birding paradise. That’s the nature of flood and recede. We’re just making it flood a lot longer due to all the levees and concrete.”

that the same group of kids who start the seedlings will get to replant them at Cat Island, but increasingly early spring flooding makes the timing difficult.

“This year, when we planted those trees, two days later it closed because of flooding,” Daniel told me. “We knew we were gonna have a lot of mortality, that’s just part of it. But every tree that we get to survive is one more that we have.”

Daniel said that if possible, he would like to see the program eventually expand to include schools beyond West Feliciana Parish. “It’s really fun watching the kids. Some of them take to it, some of them are not that keen on it.

But you know, if you just get one or two interested in it, maybe you plant a seed for life in ‘em, and they’ll be tree people for the rest of their lives.”

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The Champion Endures

While extended annual flooding has devastated much of Cat Island’s plant growth and wildlife, the Champion Tree and other old-growth cypress remain relatively unbothered. “Well, bald cypress can grow in standing water. You see them grow in lakes all over the state, and they’re doing fine. But they do better out of the water,” said Brian Chandler, who served as the LSU AgCenter’s Area Extension Forester for the Florida Parishes until his retirement in 2017, and has re-measured the cypress three times to confirm its National Champion status.

Daniel explained that each habitat has a “climax species” that can survive with limited resources—in a hardwood bottomland forest like Cat Island, cypress is one of the climax species. Their strong, wide-spreading root systems protect them from being uprooted during

A New Contender

For a tree to remain in good standing as a state or national champion, it must be re-verified every ten years, using official protocols. Chandler, the forester responsible for re-measuring champion trees until his retirement in 2017, explained that the process isn’t a simple one. Three measurements are taken from the tree: height, circumference, and crown spread. A point system and formula are then used to determine the

storms, and they are less susceptible to wood-eating pests than other trees.

Despite the hardy nature of bald cypress, there has been some disagreement over the health of Cat Island’s National Champion. In December of 2021, when the floodwaters had receded and students were out at the refuge planting their trees, the Refuge Manager Jimmy Laurent asked the Head of Louisiana’s Parks Department Wade Dubea his opinion on the health of the tree. “It’s dying,” said Dubea. “But, it’s been dyin since the day it sprouted," countered Daniel. "All trees start dyin’ as soon as they start growin’. It’s just like any other organism that has a limited lifetime. It’s healthy, it’s gonna live longer than me and you, it’s gonna still be there when you and I are gone . . . It’s just an old tree growin’. It seems to be healthy and Cadillacin’ right along.”

tree’s standing—a tree gains a point for each foot of height, a point for each inch of circumference, and a quarter of a point for each foot of the average crown spread. “And they’ve changed that up over the years, but that’s how it’s scored,” said Chandler. In 2021, the Cat Island tree scored 739 points.

While impressive, West Feliciana’s celebrated cypress is far from the only big tree in the state. Louisiana boasts

around 115 State Champion trees of various species, but at present, only the one National Champion—though that is about to change.

The Seven Sisters Live Oak in Mandeville was previously included on the National Champion list as recently as 2008, having last been measured by Chandler, but fell off when the Louisiana Forestry Association was unable to get in touch with owner of the land it stands on for re-measurement. At the end of April 2022, current State Forester for the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and Champion Tree Chair Rick Williams was able to contact the owner and re-measure the oak.

“I had suspicions that it was probably the National Champion [live oak], because it hadn’t been measured in so long. I figured it had gotten a little bigger than the previous measurements,” Williams said. “And it has a little bit, it’s got a few more points than it did the last submission. And the last submission was enough to be the National Champion over the current one that’s in Georgia.” When Chandler last measured the live oak in 2008, it rang in at 570 points—Williams’ measurement in April clocks the tree in at 590 points.

Unlike Cat Island’s bald cypress, which requires a short hike at best and a strenuous paddle into a closed refuge at the flooding’s worst to view the Champion Tree, the Seven Sisters Live Oak is

situated in a front yard and can be seen from the road at 200 Fountain Street.

“The tree sits real nice,” mused Williams. “It kind of frames the whole front of the house.”

“We’re really excited about this one, because it is several points higher than the [live oak] that’s on record now in Georgia,” effused Zeringue. “And while we do have great friends in Georgia, we’re happy to take the title back hopefully when we get all this submitted this year.” Pending the Louisiana Forestry Association submission’s acceptance, the Seven Sisters Live Oak should hopefully reclaim its National Champion status when the list is released this June.

Those who suspect they may have a state, or even national champion tree on their property, can reach out to Zeringue at the State Forestry Association to inquire about setting up measuring.

“You know, people are excited once they know their tree is a champion or a co-champion,” Williams said. “I will go out and visit with them and measure the tree, and a lot of times they’re with me when I measure and you know, they’re talking about the tree, and some of the trees have history in the family or whatever—that’s where they did their picnics under that tree, or they climbed it when they were kids—and so a lot of the trees have meanings to the family.”

The thing about very large, very old trees, is they are not only part of

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our landscapes, they become fixtures of our homes and families; over time containing memories and traditions beneath the shade of their branches.

And perhaps—much like a wise older family member—they too should be honored for these contributions. Later this summer, when the Mississippi finally recedes, I think I’ll ask my dad to come with me out to Cat Island again to pay our respects to our hometown Champion. h

For more information on whether Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge is open (it is roughly estimated that flooding will have receded enough to allow reopening in July of this year), or how to donate to or volunteer with the Friends of Cat Island, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/FCINWR. For more information on C. C. Lockwood’s photography or to purchase any of his books documenting the nature of the Gulf South, visit cclockwood.com.

For more information on State or National Champion Trees, or to submit your tree for potential measuring, visit laforestry.com.

Photo of the National Champion Bald Cypress at Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge, taken in the 1980s by C.C. Lockwood.

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E S S AY

Waking to Birds AN ODE TO THE LOCAL BIRDERS

By Ed Cullen

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y day doesn’t always start with the sound of birds, but when it does, it’s like God calling me outside to throw the frisbee.

God has yet to appear in my front yard. But Rob Brumfield has.

Rob is a former neighbor. Globe flitting ornithologist, university professor, natural museum overseer, father, husband, Rob is a busy man. He makes time to walk his neighborhoods to see what birds he may see, like an oversized Boy Scout Guide.

Finding Rob in the front yard is always a harbinger of a good day. He is what the cheap dime novels called ruggedly handsome: tall, fit, a chap whom women might throw a glance at and men want to shake a hand with.

“Inca doves in your satsuma tree,” he might say off-handedly, though surprised. Like, “Good morning. There are Lithuanians in your camellias.”

My friend Harriett Pooler is a birder.

Not a bird watcher. Like all serious amateurs on the verge of going pro, Harriett identifies birds by call as easily as through binoculars.

Our phone conversations sound like this: “Hey, how you doing? What kind of bird is green and yellow and goes chirrup, chirrup?”

“Where are you?”

It matters not if I’m at Devil’s Swamp landfill or paddling a kayak near shore’s edge at Toledo Bend. Harriett speaks some possibilities into her cell phone, and I choose one.

“Thanks” “Coffee soon?”

“Sure.”

Writing this, I realize I know more than a few birders. There's Marie Constantin, who does a perfect imitation of a river crow’s call. She makes the sound of the crow inches from my head. I whirl to find Marie smiling. Marie took the famous photograph of Mother Theresa

that the Vatican and the Associated Press flashed to the world. For me, her greatest talent is making that wise-ass call of the river crow.

And the late Murrell Butler. Naturalist. Tunica Hills landowner. Painter of bird portraits.

I made a Christmas bird count with Murrell. That’s not as thrilling as it sounds. There are no presents. No fat man’s jolly laugh. Just grinding, dogged bird call listening that starts at 3 am with a count of owls.

Birders sometimes use a recorded owl sound to coax sleeping owls into making their distinctive call. At 3 am, I not only was unable to distinguish between the recording and the owl—I didn’t care at all.

Near dusk, Murrell heard the flapping sound of the ruby encrusted frog eater, or it could have been a frog-eating, encrusted ruby. He slammed on the brakes of his car. I had begun amusing myself by making up bird names before Murrell could identify them by their songs. He was not amused.

“Come on, get out, so you can hear better,” cried Murrell, diving out of the car.

“I think I’ll see if I can find the Saints game on the radio,” I said.

He gave me the look of the withering warbler.

“Murrell,” I said. “We’ve been at this for fourteen hours. I’ve got what I need for the story—for ten stories.”

Warm under the covers of my bed, I listen to the birds in the yew tree outside the window and think of Rob, Harriett, Marie, and the long-suffering Murrell, and have this deep thought: If God threw a frisbee, would the spin be right or left? Does God hold a frisbee like the pros do, like a boomerang or a tomahawk? Or does a frisbee thrown by God arrive with no spin, diving and fluttering like a knuckle ball?

If God and I play frisbee, I’ll file an update. h

N AT I V E P L A N T S C A P E S

Happy to Be Here

SWAMPFLY LANDSCAPING BUILDS PARADISES FOR BUTTERFLIES, SNAKES, AND YOU, TOO Story and photos by Lucie Monk Carter

F

or my next new year’s resolution, I’m vowing to treat all my loved ones like dirt.

Or at least how the women of Swampfly Landscaping treat dirt.

They embrace and enrich dirt. They fill a yard with plants that want to be there, and restore nitrogen, oxygen, and bacteria to the depleted earth. “You’re typically boosting the soil when you use native plants,” said co-owner Ashlee Brackeen.

“Especially in Louisiana, we need the bacteria and oxygen in the soil to be at its healthiest state because it needs to absorb the water.”

Brackeen and fellow Swampflies Emily Pontiff and Caitlin Robbins understand that some clients fear a wild look in their yard (or a rat-a-tat-tat from the Homeowners Association). This is where the thoughtful designers come in, hand-drawing their visions for your little oasis—incorporating two, maybe three different plants. “Through our designs, we can give people a good idea of how it can still look clean and formal if you implement these plants,” said Pontiff. “And also give you a little zest that maybe you needed.”

Wordsworth had his host of daffodils, and you can have a heck-of-a-lotof echinacea. Planting a few species in abundance, or massing, creates a more sustainable garden over time. “The number one thing people ask for, I would say, is low maintenance,” said Brackeen. “If you do native plants and you do massing, you will inherently have a low maintenance property. They seed themselves.

When this singular species takes over a 5x5 area, it’s going to look really good— even in its dormancy phase—because it has a uniformity to it. With the reseeding, it makes them take up a lot of space, so eventually you don’t have to remulch.

They shade out weeds.”

But there are clients who give Swampfly more creative freedom, too. “REPLACE MY LAWN” blared one email inquiry. The client had a corner lot in New Orleans and mowed for hours each week. She worked from home and had recently moved her desk to have a view of her front yard. “And she was tired of what she had. She wanted something more,” said Pontiff.

Though native plants weren’t a specific request when she hired Swampfly, the client loved the way a passion vine they implemented fed a Gulf fritillary caterpillar. In the months that followed, “she became our biggest believer,” said Pontiff. The front corner lot is now a certified native plant habitat, complete with a bat house. She’s even overheard neighbors

bring their own landscapers down the street to point out plants they’d like in their yards.

Swampfly often works with fellow nature lovers to increase the chances of encounters with favorite creatures. One woman in Lacombe hated to hear that her neighbors were killing harmless snakes that slithered onto their property.

Swampfly built her a snake pit from the invasive tallow trees they’d felled in her yard. Now there’s an Eden in Lacombe: snakes welcome.

As the Swampflies have discovered, it isn’t all that difficult to advocate for a beautiful, beneficial flower. “We had someone a while back who was getting a home built and had a very traditional Louisiana landscape designed,” said Brackeen. “We put together a palate alternative for every single species proposed by the architect. We gave a native alternative that would have the same appearance, the same bloom time, and color.”

“And it would be much more beneficial and low maintenance,” Robbins added.

“Much more suited to be down here.”

Native plants have become no-brainers for many landscapers and their clients.

Rick Webb owns the wholesale nursery Louisiana Growers, which supplies horticultural professionals like the folks at Swampfly. “Whenever people talk to me now, I can’t help but sound like this curmudgeon,” laughed Webb. “I’ve been in the native plant world for a long time— almost preaching to talk people into using native plants.” These days they’re a key component in stormwater management projects, and Webb sees a renewed “awareness that we should do something to try to repair the damage that we’ve done to the environment.”

Swampfly eventually hopes to educate at a larger scale than one yard and a few neighbors at a time. The group’s first official commercial project was designing the community garden for Wonderground, an under-construction cooperative arts venue in Old South Baton Rouge. They’re remediating the soil currently—“It’s by the train tracks and was a dumping ground for tires,” said Brackeen—but the garden will ultimately complement owner Cindy Wonderful’s vision for a space where “anyone can be involved or perform here” by hosting specialty classes with friends (beekeeping, citrus tree pruning, etc.) and running a community pantry where a naïf on native plants can pick up good soil and alluring seeds.

I wandered through a couple of Swampfly clients’ yards trying to hold onto all the plant names Robbins threw

Ashlee Brackeen, photographed by Alexandra Kennon in the yard of a client in New Orleans.

Top from left to right: Coreopsis tinctoria, or "Tickseed" and Echinacea purpurea, or "purple coneflower". Below: Oenothera lindheimeri, or "Butterfly Gaura," also known as "beeblossom" and purple coneflower in a Baton Rouge garden.

at me: phlox and iris, sea oats and lyreleaf sage. Earlier I’d asked the group to name their favorites, because why labor over a Google image search and scrape up synonyms for pink when I can have someone who loves a flower describe it to me?

Pontiff raved about the rudbeckia maxima. “It’s a large coneflower that has a blue-silver tinge to the leaf. They grow very tall. They have a tall cone and a droopier petal. I think they’re striking. They do really well in the clay soil.

They’re able to break it up and amend the soil, making it easier to absorb water.

They get established pretty quickly and they are booming right now.”

“That’s a star. It’s a showstopper,” Brackeen agreed.

“It’s striking to behold,” said Robbins.

“You cannot deny the beauty of a native plant when you’re looking at the rudbeckia maxima,” said Brackeen.

I asked Webb if he had a favorite native plant, and he said that’s the wrong question. “Don’t give me that one native plant. Diversity is important. Lots of things are essential. We’re creating ecosystems.”

The women of Swampfly agree: there

are no favorites when it comes to nurturing the environment. Some plans, like many oak species in North America, offer immense ecological value. “Others have the unique ability to capture the imaginations of people previously unfamiliar with native plants,” said Brackeen.

“Oftentimes we find that it’s the really show-stopping, unique, visually striking plants … that spark people’s imaginations, that excite them, and that help instill their trust in us to bring some magic into their spaces.”

And it’s true. But it’s not just that surface beauty that Swampfly’s clientele craves—it’s the company, too.

“A lot of people get into that with milkweed,” said Brackeen. “Feeding the caterpillars and then watching the monarch come back. There are so many other critters to support.”

“You see them start to pop up,” said Pontiff, “then you see the birds that want to eat these insects. You get into having this life around you.

“You watch everything become healthier,” said Robbins, “because you invested in it.” h

swampfly.org

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Q&A with Birder Marc Parnell

THE AUTHOR OF LOUISIANA'S NEWEST BIRDING GUIDE TELLS ALL

By Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

O

rnithologist and lifelong birder Marc Parnell, author of the Birding Pro's Field Guides series, recently released his Louisiana guide in March. Besides offering monthly feathery forecasts, feeding guides, and little-known facts—Birds of Louisiana also introduces a new strategy for local birders called "birding-by-comparison".

As a special exclusive for our "Our Natural World" issue, Parnell offered some insight into this approach, along with his birding strategies and on why Louisiana is one of the best places in the world for bird-lovers.

Can you tell us a little about your background as a birder?

How long have you been doing this?

Ever since I was a young child, I was fascinated by nature. My career in ornithology is best described as a natural outgrowth of this passion. Bright colors and otherworldly abilities of flight tend to steal the headlines, but I was particularly interested in birds' behavior behind the scenes, as well as their migratory trends: predicting which birds would be best observed in each month throughout the calendar year. Over the past twenty years, I have travelled and backpacked across the country in search of these answers, and I have only fallen in love more with our feathered friends along the way.

How did you go about the research for this book?

The research process typically consists of several loosely defined stages. First of all, I try to locate birds at different times of year, in different locations, and in different habitats: carefully observing to capture the best overall description of their day-to-day behavior throughout the entire year. Secondly, I place great emphasis on reflection: in order to best put myself in the bird's mind, so to speak, I sometimes have to take a step back and consider things after a good night's sleep. And finally, data analysis plays a significant role, summarizing and unifying all of my various observations.

What is special about birding in Louisiana in particular?

Hands down, Louisiana is one of the two best states in the country to observe birdlife. The delicate coastal wetlands support a wide variety of avian species, from long-legged wading birds to a diverse collection of waterfowl and songbirds.

In addition, large sections of flooded forest throughout the state provided the ivory-billed woodpecker with some of its last-known habitats, while numerous native birds still populate these woodlands today. My book gives specific recommendations on how to find each of the 152 most common species in the state, and there will undoubtedly be some stunners around the corner from each and every reader's neighborhood.

What are some of your favorite public places to go birding in Louisiana?

My favorite places to bird in Louisiana include Sabine National Wildlife Refuge near Lake Charles, the Big Lake WMA east of Monroe, and the Red River (and its oxbows) near Shreveport.

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Birds of Louisiana introduces a new strategy to birding, in which birdwatchers can learn to identify new birds by comparing them to species that they already know. Can you expand on the birding-by-comparison approach and how you developed it?

The "birding-by-comparison" approach seeks to distill a single concept: comparing new birds to those which you already know. Most birdwatchers are familiar with at least fifteen to twenty species in their local area (e.g., Brown Pelican, Northern Cardinal, American Crow, Mallard, etc.), and my book sorts all species from largest to smallest, with categories for size-based groupings of bird species.

For instance, most birders will be intimately familiar with the appearance of the Northern Cardinal from a variety of distances and angles, though the less common Gray Catbird, which is of a very similar size, is often overlooked. The birding-by-comparison approach, in turn, uses size similarities and in-depth behavior descriptions to equip birders with the knowledge and visualization techniques necessary to best identify new species.

in thickets, wooded edges, or overgrown fields: where they are always a sight to behold.

European Starling: One of Louisiana's most common birds, this black-bodied, yellow-billed, cardinal-sized species is actually non-native. About one hundred starlings were originally introduced to New York's Central Park in 1890 and 1891 by Shakespeare enthusiasts, in homage to a brief account of the species in Henry IV. Today, over 100 million call the U.S. home, and they can be observed in large, wheeling flocks of hundreds or even thousands: particularly in open country.

Eastern Bluebird: Blue with orange on its underside, this semi-common thrush of open country is often observed perched on fence posts and power lines. Individuals can spot insects from up to 25 yards away: and make quick work of any potential meals!

How do you recommend using Birds of Louisiana as a guide?

It’s June! What special birds should Louisiana birdwatchers be Birds of Louisiana can be enjoyed one of two ways: as the best possible daily keeping an eye out for?

Most songbirds have just completed their spring migrations, and many have already begun to build nests and defend their territories. Among Louisiana's particularly show-stopping summer residents, the following stand out: Painted Bunting: A finch-sized bird that contains nearly every color of the rainbow! The Spanish word for this species is "seven-colored bluebird," and the male features bright hues of green, red, blue, and even yellow. Most commonly found

companion for bird identification, or as an occasional bite-sized read (with fun facts and "day-in-the-life" descriptions for each species). While most guides offer more surface-level information, this book includes dedicated sections on behavior, food, nesting and eggs, bird-feeding, and estimated ease-of-finding for every single bird. As a special point of emphasis, this book is also the first-ever bird guide to include monthly birding forecasts for each species, which helps readers to know when to look for their favorites. h

Birds of Louisiana is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Learn more about Parnell's other bird guides at thebirdingpro.com.

is BACK!

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//J U N 2 2

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JUNE 2022

56

DOUBLE

Escapes

B E R R Y D E L I G H T S // 5 8 G O I N G

AU

NATURALE

B A R E H A N DS ( & M O R E )

A T L O U I S I A N A ’ S O N LY N U D I S T C A M P G R O U N D

DIY

Pick Your Favorites TWO PICK-YOUR-OWN FARMS WORTH VENTURING OUT FOR

Story and photo by Samantha Eroche

G

rowing up in rural Louisiana, summers were for snacking-off-thevine. I remember planting tomatoes, eggplant, green beans, bell peppers, and cucumbers in the small garden by the house. We always had fresh aromatics as well: mint, basil, thyme, and–at one point–a four-foot-tall rosemary bush that prevented us from closing the screen door. Behind our house we grew a variety of citrus: satsumas, lemons, navels, cumquats, grapefruit, Louisiana sweets. Even further back, in the pasture, wild edibles grew, too. The thistle–a wild celery–was as high as my elbow, and honeysuckle–a sweet nectar–wrapped its delicate tendrils around the trees in which it lived. Then there were the days of pulling on black rubber boots, buckets in hand, ready to hike our way through the thorny blackberry bushes.

Growing older and into a world more urban and convenient, it’s easy to forget that rare delight of picking food from the branch. This year, as the air warmed into its growing season, I ventured out to two pastures of bounty—pick-your-own farms where all are invited to partake in the fruits of summer.

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W

Mrs. Heather’s Strawberry Farm Albany, Louisiana

I arrived at Mrs. Heather’s and was greeted by a sweet stray dog whose wagging tail seemed an indication that I would have a great day. Walking up to the farm, I noted the thistle and honeysuckle growing on the side of the road and along the fence. It was a busy weekend at the heart of the strawberry season. Adults watched on as their children took to rustic swings and slides and an inflatable trampoline; others were getting button-sized strawberries painted on their faces (I’m sorry I didn’t get one,

too). Across the property, other adults tried to keep up behind their eager strawberry-picking youngsters through rows and rows of bright red fruit, lightly coated in the sand upon which they grew. For owner Heather Hughes, this is the most rewarding part of working on the farm. “[I love] just being outside interacting with the kids and stuff when they come over, [seeing] the little faces on the kids and the people when they pick their strawberries.”

I met Hughes as I was walking the

property, making my way to a small shed selling food items: flats of strawberries, buckets for pick-your-own, ice cream, shortcake, chocolate-covered strawberries (these were some of the best I’ve had), smoothies, jam.

As someone who “grew up being outside,” Hughes has easily stepped into her husband’s family legacy of strawberry farmers. When I asked her what her favorite way to use the family fruit is, she offered sage advice: “[Strawberries] just don’t last. The best thing to do is to just

go home and eat them!”

In addition to growing strawberries in the spring, Mrs. Heather’s also hosts a pumpkin patch in the fall. Hughes recommends keeping your pumpkins as dry and cool as possible so as not to ruin the skin. “With pumpkins,” she said, “as long as you don’t carve them or cut them open, they last a long time.”

To first time pickers, Hughes advises a simple: “Dress comfortably, bring a picnic or some snacks, and just stay and enjoy yourself,” and: “Don’t feel rushed.”

berries grow here. It is quiet and picturesque, like a painting. In addition to their blueberries, the farm plants pickable vegetables, varying from season to season. “Oh, and the vegetables will not look perfect since we don’t spray,” said Katherine. “That means that birds and insects can eat them, too. But they will taste better than what you can get at the supermarket.”

The farm is encircled by dozens of large trees and is home to a number of animals, such as horses, goats, chickens, cats, and dogs. “You can feed the horses and pet the goats,” Katherine said. “I’ve seen kids chasing chickens, but I don’t recommend trying to pet them,” she

laughed. At Ridemore, gardeners without access to their own land can also take advantage of the farm’s garden rental service—which allows “tenants” to grow their own vegetables on the property.

When it comes to the blueberries, Katherine offered a few “care tips”: “Don’t wash them and subsequently freeze them [because] they’ll turn to rubber,” she said. “But if they are dry, freeze them for as long as you need them.”

Katherine said that she finds a great deal of joy in what she does on the farm with her parents. “We like the people we meet and being able to share the experi-

ence of farming with them,” she smiled.

“The most rewarding and fun part of what we do is seeing people light up– especially their kids–when they realize where the blueberries and other produce come from.”

According to Katherine, first-time visitors should book a berry-picking reservation, arrive early, and take their time.

“It’s important to get here between 7:30 and 8 am to get the best selection. Really, people come from all over to be here early and when the alarm rings, some actually run out to the field!”

thfarms.com

Ridemore Farm Covington, Louisiana Perched on land that has been farmed by the same family since the 1940s, Ridemore Farm was revived by current owners Danny and Linda Prats in 2005 after years of abandonment. After retiring from corporate jobs, they sought to take up the hobbies they had once enjoyed, such as bike riding, wood working, and simply being outdoors—and opened the farm as a horse-boarding and berry-picking experience. Years later, their daughter Katherine followed suit, becoming the Marketing and Operations Manager. “[We] all feel a deep connection with this family land,” said Katherine.

Long rows of blueberries and black-

ridemorefarm.com

READ SOMETHING REAL // J U N 2 2

57

BUFFY

Camping, au Naturale

INSIDE LOUISIANA’S ONLY CLOTHING-OPTIONAL CAMPGROUND AND RESORT

Story by Chris Turner-Neal • Illustration by Burton Durand

I

t was ten in the morning, and I was riding backward on a golf cart past a group of naked men.

I hadn’t won a prize or lost a bet: I was on a tour of Indian Hills Nudist Park in Slidell, Louisiana’s only clothing-optional campground and resort. The site’s operator Tim Kraemer was whizzing us along the campground’s roads, waving at residents and giving me a quick rundown of the property’s history.

It’s a family business. Founder, Gottlieb Kogel, opened it in 1971, later bequeathing it to friend and employee Hilda Kraemer, who ran it with her husband Selves until their recent retirement, in which she bequeathed management responsibilities to her children Stephanie Lasserre and Tim. The siblings didn’t know their parents ran a clothing-optional resort until they were young adults. Relatively complex legal arrangements protect both the Kraemers’ and the local government’s interests: a long lease ex58

pressly protecting operation as a nudist resort also requires a Kraemer or heir retain the land. The Kraemers have, through responsible stewardship, built up a reservoir of trust; it’s easy to imagine a Slidell power-that-is saying something like “I’m not having any naked people I don’t know move in up the road.”

Indian Hills hosts a small enclave of permanent residents and also offers rental cabins, campsites, RV spots, and day use. They know it’s funny—one of the rental cabins is called “No Tan Lines,” and signs on the private cabins make heavy use of bear/bare puns. A pool area and kitchen/activities center anchor the site, which also offers a nature trail and three stocked ponds.

(One of them is watched over by a concrete menagerie of giraffes and gorillas—whimsical décor former cabin tenants or guests balked at transporting when they moved away.) An events calendar offers yoga, painting, karaoke, and other activities throughout the

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week, with theme weekends popping up more or less monthly—the particularly confident can even participate in a crawfish boil competition. Looking to the future, Kraemer hopes to further promote the idea of nudity as an activity, not necessarily as a lifestyle—plenty of people might welcome the opportunity to step out of their routine and their drawers, but don’t realize that a day or evening jaunt is possible.

One of the classic sitcom setups about nudism: is it rude to show up clothed? Of course not. We live in a world that has embraced the trouser and the blouse, and the vast majority of Indian Hills is clothing-optional so people may be as (un)dressed as weather and comfort permit. Exceptions are the clothing-necessary office and front of the property (to avoid startling the delivery people) and the pool area, where nudity is required to avoid an awkward dynamic—you can imagine how people might feel more comfortable with everyone in the same boat.

The stereotype of the nudist as an older, probably-European man reflects certain truths: social nudity is more popular in Europe (which sent its Puritans to this continent), and while hanging out outside naked is older than civilization and indeed the human species itself, the practice did see an expansion in the ostensibly freewheeling 1960s and ‘70s. Kraemer noted that the older nudist cliché is buoyed by the fact that retirees simply have more time to engage in their hobbies. On the March Saturday I went, the age range skewed a little older, but there were people of all ages; the clientele was largely, but not monolithically, white nor was it particularly male.

In modern-day America, nudity is often solely associated with sexual activity; if you search “nudism” online—say to research an article you’re writing—you find many more giggling clickbait articles than actual sources on the history of social nudity as a cultural phenomenon. Indian Hills is not unaf-

fected by this perception. Kraemer said he and the other staff do field occasional calls from the public asking about the ages and perceived attractiveness of the day’s guests—some callers want to be assured of an appealing eyeful, and other people are leery of being geese among swans. Both these groups of callers miss the point. Yes, you can have sex nude. You can also swim, sunbathe, socialize, picnic, paint, do yoga, play bingo, or perform karaoke. People go to Indian Hills and other nudity-friendly areas not to perform or spectate but to relax; not to see and be seen, but to be. To address concerns and secure the comfort of their guests, the campground prohibits the underage from entering beyond the office and requires that any hanky-panky occur behind closed doors.

As my interview with Kraemer wound down, I had yet to take off so much as a sock. I jumped in: “And so, I really should have the full experience.

Can I go ahead and walk around na-

tard. In common with many people, I believe the human body to simply be a natural fact to be taken as it comes, without judgment or shame; in common with many of those same people, I spend much of my time being vaguely horrified by my particular body and by the various numbers on the garments that usually cover it. But life’s too short, I was on assignment, and I couldn’t look any worse nude than I did in the ultra-dumpy Amazon Basics slacks I had arrived in. After a little awkward shuffling to get shorts over shoes and a triple-check that my keys weren’t about to be locked in the car, I was off.

I couldn’t stay out long—I sunburn very easily, even on a near-perfect midspring day, and while I trust sunscreen I prefer to pair it with caution and shade. I took a turn around the nature trail and then, because it was a nice day, around the broader property, exchanging the usual greetings and smiles with the people I passed, nude, clothed, or

“YES, YOU CAN HAVE SEX NUDE. YOU CAN ALSO SWIM, SUNBATHE, SOCIALIZE, PICNIC, PAINT, DO YOGA, PLAY BINGO, OR PERFORM KARAOKE. PEOPLE GO TO INDIAN HILLS AND OTHER NUDITY-FRIENDLY AREAS NOT TO PERFORM OR SPECTATE BUT TO RELAX; NOT TO SEE AND BE SEEN, BUT TO BE.”

ked for a while?” Kraemer seemed impressed—though I’m far from the first person to write about the campground, Southeast Louisiana is apparently short on naked lifestyle journalists. (Or maybe one is enough!) He drove us back to the office, where I paid a $30 day-use fee (my all-time favorite reimbursement receipt) and received a beach towel and a small round sticker to place over my cell phone camera lens.

I expected to be more self-conscious than I was. I say this not to shock but to inform: I have been nude before!

I’ve even done so outside, and on one long-ago occasion streaked through a dorm at the University of Pennsylvania. I was not then, as I am now, shaped like a thirty-seven-year-old man who spent the pandemic falling in love with someone who knows how to make cus-

naked except for a T-shirt—Pooh Bearstyle. My body stood out only in that it was the most tattooed—I don’t know if this is because of the sun’s effects on tattoo ink or that people comfortable removing their clothes don’t feel the need to create visual interest with drawings of birds. All in all, my nude walk was pleasantly anticlimactic— cheerful and lightly rebellious.

Social nudity isn’t for everyone— we’ve all been wearing clothes our whole lives, and most of us have some aspect or other of our bodies we’re reluctant to expose. But even if you need a cloud of mosquito spray and layer of UV-thwarting sunscreen, it is good to be reminded that we are part of nature.

Be it a lark or a lifestyle, it’s worth a whirl. h

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Directory of Merchants

Albany, LA Livingston Parish CVB

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Baton Rouge, LA 6 Allwood Furniture Alzheimer’s Service of the Capital Area 55 41 Artistry of Light Becky Parrish Advance Skincare 44 Blue Cross Blue Shield Louisiana 13 Calandro’s Select Cellars 39 Drusilla Imports 15 East Baton Rouge 64 Parish Library Elizabethan Gallery 52 J & J Exterminating 9 Losey Insurance and Financial Services 16 Louisiana Public Broadcasting 61 LSU Museum of Art 3 LSU Rural Life Museum 20 The Manship Theatre 28 Mid-City Artisans 32 Opera Louisiane 30 Our Lady of the Lake Regional 10, 38 Medical Center Pennington Biomedical Research Center 7 Pinetta’s European Restaurant 50 Stafford Tile and Stone 19 Wilson & Wilson Attorneys, LLC 52 WRKF 89.3 FM 61 60

Brookhaven, MS LaPlace, LA Pointe Coupee Brookhaven Tourism Council 49 River Parishes Tourist Historical Society Commission 37 Pointe Coupee Parish Tourist Broussard, LA Commission Parkside RV Park 52 Mandeville, LA St. Tammany Parish Tourist Oberlin, LA Donaldsonville, LA Commission 20 Allen Parish Tourist River Road African American Commission Museum 36 Mansura, LA Avoyelles Arts Council 9 Opelousas, LA Ferriday, LA Avoyelles Tourism St. Landry Parish Tourist Brakenridge Furniture 25 Commission 22 Commission Fredericksburg, TX Visit Fredericksburg

Morgan City, LA 33 Cajun Coast CVB

Grand Isle, LA Grand Isle Tourism Department

Natchez, MS Crye-Leike Stedman Realtors 40 Monmouth Historic Inn Murray Land & Homes Realty 63 Natchez City Sightseeing Natchez Olive Market Soul Food Fusion Festival 5 United Mississippi Bank

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New Iberia, LA Iberia Parish CVB

New Orleans, LA 51 French Market District The Historic New Orleans Collection Stafford Tile and Stone 17 New Roads, LA City of New Roads

Plaquemine, LA 51 Iberville Parish Tourism Department 27 Port Allen, LA 24 West Baton Rouge CVB West Baton Rouge Museum 11 26 Scott, LA 50 Bob’s Tree Preservation 30 25 St. Francisville, LA Artistry of Light Grandmother’s Buttons 23 The Magnolia Cafe Town of St. Francisville 18 Ville Platte, LA Evangeline Parish Tourism 2 Commission 19 Zachary, LA Lane Regional Medical 49 Center

50 35

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A NEW LIVE REGIONAL DAILY RADIO PROGRAM ABOUT SOUTH LOUISIANA Monday through Friday live at noon and rebroadcast at 7:30 p.m.

In Baton Rouge on WRKF 89.3 FM In New Orleans on WWNO 89.9 FM and on wrkf.org and wwno.org

SEASON PREMIERE Sunday, June 19 at 8PM 2-NIGHT EVENT

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Sponsored by Tangipahoa Parish Tourism

P E R S P E C T I V E S : I M A G E S O F O U R S TAT E

Hope in the Age of Loneliness

INTEGRATING ART AND BIOLOGY, BRANDON BALLANGÉE CENTERS LOSS IN THE AGE OF THE ANTHROPOCENE

By Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

Brandon Ballangée. From left to right: “RIP African Pompano,” 2014; “MIA String Eel,” 2018; “MIA Spreadfin Skate,” 2020. Courtesy of the artist.

M

ost small boys dream of growing up to buy a Corvette, or a horse, or mansion with a swimming pool. Brandon Ballangée wanted his own nature reserve. “I wanted a sanctuary, where species could kind of live without being disrupted,” he said, recalling his early fascination for the intricate worlds of the wild. “I was really interested in how [animals] worked.”

His parents indulged him, allowing him to keep enough aquariums that they relegated them from his upstairs room to the basement, worried that the ceiling might fall through under the weight. “I had a kind of wet lab,” he said.

“It got more and more complex, and I’d do research—even in like high school— trying to figure out how to breed exotic night fish from the Amazon and stuff.

Yeah, I had a pet electric eel when I was like, fifteen.”

It was the vanishing frogs of the 1990s, though, that sealed Ballangée’s fate as a Guggenheim-awarded artist/ biologist/conservation activist. “Those first big studies about amphibians disappearing … that just really hit, just really resonated,” he said. “That was my first kind of awareness about our loss of biodiversity.”

Thirty years later, Ballangée’s body of artistic work could be described as a sustained study on this loss. His most recent exhibition at the Acadiana Center for the Arts, in fact, was titled The Age of Loneliness—a phrase borrowed from scientist and environmental philosopher Edward O. Wilson, who used it to describe the mass extinction event of our current Anthropocene era.

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Distinct and powerful in their amalgamation of science and visual arts, Ballangée’s work draws as much on human curiosity as it does on nostalgia and empathy. His sculptural installation Collapse acts as a tribute—a symbolic sacred burial in the shape of a pyramid—to 26,162 preserved specimens collected from the Gulf Coast, illustrating an eerie peek into the incomprehensible world of the Gulf’s aquatic ecosystems.

Empty jars throughout symbolize species that are in decline, or already extinct.

His collection, Frameworks of Absence, extends this conversation in an exploration of how to exhibit absence. Perusing old field guides, published before the Carolina parakeet and the passenger pigeon became extinct, he wondered: “How do you give visual form to something that doesn’t exist anymore?” He started by blacking them out, using Super Ultra Black Japanese micro pins. “I would finish, and you have these beautiful like ebony shapes, like silhouettes, and like—well, that’s not really a negative,” he said. “It’s another positive.” He tried again, imitating the strategy of artist Robert Rauschenberg, who erased a drawing by the abstract expressionist Willem de Kooning. “It left this kind of ghostly image, and I was like ‘Okay I’m gonna try that.’” But the ghost that remained still felt like something. “At some point, out of frustration, I just kind of cut one out and held it up. And then I was like, ‘Oh, okay, that’s absence.’”

Ballangée described this process of trial and error as “so much like science.”

“It’s like, ninety-nine things don’t work,

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and suddenly you get a result where you’re just like, ‘wow’.”

His most recent project, titled Searching for the Ghosts of the Gulf, concerns the 2010 BP Oil Spill—the event that brought Ballangée and his work to Louisiana, where he moved full time with his wife Aurore and son in 2015. The first iteration of Ghosts is a collection of chemically-cleared and -stained specimens collected in the Gulf following the oil spill—species that are endangered and described by the artist as “apparitions”. Another branch of the project, titled La Mer des Enfants Perdus, is a series of radiographs of specimens that have not been documented in the Gulf since 2005, some as long ago as 1950. The most recent component of this project, though, are Ballangée’s crude oil paintings—for which he uses oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill as paint in portraits of these lost species.

As is often the case in science, such projects as these rarely offer the satisfaction of a clean conclusion—particularly as our world continues down the path of environmental crisis. “What I find is, it’s really hard to come up with a final conclusion to what you’re trying to say on this topic,” said Ballangée. As a result, many of these projects are ongoing.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though.

An important component of Ballangée’s work is education and activism. This can take the form of workshops hosted through his community-based residency with A Studio in the Woods—which educates the coastal communities of Plaquemines Parish on the Gulf’s disappearing species; or it can take the form of the bi-annual BioBlitz hosted at Bal-

langée’s nature reserve in Arnaudville.

Because, yes—his childhood dream came true.

“When we moved here, we found this little old house with nine acres of soybean fields,” he said of his reserve, Atelier de la Nature. “And immediately, we got out and started to take the soybeans out and just started to remediate the land, bring back the native species, build up the topsoil again and create different kinds of habitats.” So far, he and Aurore have planted over one thousand trees, created a wetland habitat, and planted two and a half acres of Cajun prairie grass. Recently, they were also able to purchase sixteen adjacent acres, expanding the reserve to twenty-five total. “It’s amazing how many creatures have already come back—the return of biodiversity happening right before our eyes.”

On the property, he and Aurore regularly host volunteer events, workshops, and fundraisers—plus two annual festivals: The Fete de la Nature in the spring and the Halloween Art and Nature Festival in the fall.

“One of the takeaways I always try to talk to people about is how you really can [bring the nature back in]. I mean, it’s possible! You don’t have to be Elon Musk or Bill Gates to make a difference.

Everything we do every day, in some small way, has an impact—and often even in big ways.” h

Learn about Ballangée’s work at brandonballangee. com and about his nature reserve Atelier de la Nature at atelierdelanature.org.

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Dive Right In with East Baton Rouge Parish Library’s 2022 Summer Reading Program

Wednesday, June 1 through Monday, August 15

Enjoy an entire summer of FREE programs, workshops, storytimes, concerts and performances for all ages, scheduled throughout the library system. Find all the program listings on the Library’s website, www.ebrpl.com/calendar.

Track your reading and earn rewards! It’s easy! First, sign up at your local Library location or online at ebrpl.beanstack.org starting June 1. Then, read books and log them into your Beanstack account to earn virtual badges, as well as entries for weekly prize drawings!

There are reading challenges and incentives for kids, teens, and even adults! The rules, requirements, badges and incentives vary based on the age group. In addition to online Summer Reading Challenges for all ages, there are tons of online programming for family fun with the Virtual Programming Challenge!

Just keep swimming toward fun events and reading rewards this summer!

Join us for “Oceans of Possibilities!”

It’s going to be splash-tastic!

Open 24/7 online at www.ebrpl.com/DigitalLibrary • All you need is your Library card!

14 LOCATIONS OPEN 7 DAYS PER WEEK | EREF@EBRPL.COM | EBRPL.COM | (225) 231-3750