Nature’s Year-long Exhibit
photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN
photo courtesy: NORTHLAKE NATURE CENTER
Traces
by Hilary Creamer
Save the date! The Great Louisiana Bird Fest on April 8. 74
COVERING 400 ACRES and nestled to the east of Bayou Castine, the Northlake Nature Center continues to grow and change, much like the natural habitat it preserves. This hidden gem offers a variety of intertwining trails showcasing nature’s splendor from dawn to dusk, 365 days a year. It’s a great place to visit with friends. Even when you hike here alone for tranquility and solitude, you can’t help but feel a sense of community in this place. That is because the beautification, event programs and maintenance of the center is completely volunteer driven. Nature enthusiasts and volunteers spruce up and clear the trails of obstructions during the reoccurring event “Nature Walk and Titivation.” Structures and amenities, such as the gazebo, canoe launch, educational signs, special gardens, outlooks and benches, have all been lovingly added by volunteers and groups like the Boy and Girl Scouts. Even the beautiful irises, which will be in bloom beginning in late March, were planted by the Iris Society of New Orleans and are continually cultivated by volunteers of the Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative. With more than 3,000
Inside Northside
photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN
Northlake Nature Center
irises of at least five different varieties planted around ponds and swampy areas, you won’t want to miss this springtime spectacle. With such a large variety of programs and events throughout the year, the Northlake Nature Center has something for everyone to get involved. There’s canoeing on the bayou, biking the back trails, moonlight hikes and marshmallow melts, a book club, “Storywalk” with the St. Tammany Parish Library, line dancing and yoga in the pavilion. Another spring event that is returning for 2022 is a mini-version of The Great Louisiana Bird Fest on April 8. One could easily plan a hiking visit for each season using a different path each time. And nature
