Events, Volunteer Opportunities,
Continuing Education, & Deadlines
We've gathered some interesting events that naturalists of all ages may enjoy!
Blue text = LMNGBR event | Black text = Public event
Nature Events
November 20, 2021
Port Hudson Bird Walk
7:00am - 9:00am
@Port Hudson State Historic Site
Join the birdwatching ranger for a morning bird walk to learn some birdwatching basics or practice your birding field skills, while at the same time meet some great people. All skill levels are encouraged to join in and spend some quality time in the woods. All participants must be pre-registered. Bring your own binoculars and a journaling notebook. A birding scope will be available. Fee is $8.00 which includes park admission.
November 27, 2021
Birding at Burden
7:00am - 10:00am
@LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden
Grab your birding gear for a three-hour guided tour lead by different birding specialists through the birding loops at Burden. Admission is $5 per person. The capacity for each excursion is limited to 10 guests.
Registration
December 4, 2021
BREC Green Force Volunteer Training
8:00am - 4:00pm
BREC Conservation is looking to train a dedicated force of volunteers in resource management, education and programming. Learn how to help keep our habitats clean and healthy and earn rewards doing it! Only 20 volunteer
hours a year commitment! Whether you want to learn more about invasive species removal, trail clearing or how to be a program or event aid, this training is for you! Training includes a classroom component and hands-on field training that we knock out all in one day. Lunch is provided and we will be in a location that provides social distancing during the classroom component. The training counts towards your total hours for the year. Registration and background check required. Registration deadline: November 22. Ages 16 and up. More information
December 11, 2021
Trail Dayz
9:00am - 1:00pm
@BREC Comite River Park
Join the BREC Outdoors team for a morning of celebrating and enjoying all things trails! Learn more about BREC’s extensive wilderness trail systems for hiking and mountain biking. There will be mountain bikes available for rent, free snacks, music and more. Join a guided mountain bike ride or a guided hike to familiarize yourself with the trails for the first time, or meet with representatives from local mountain biking and hiking organizations to see about getting more involved in the active hobbies.
December 11, 2021
BREC Woods Walk
9:30am - 11:30am
@Frenchtown Conservation Area
Satisfy your curiosity about the trees you see at BREC Parks and your wonder about the animals that call BREC Conservation Areas home. Join a BREC Naturalist for our Woods Walk Hiking Series and pick their brain about a broad range of topics. Each hike in the series will dive into different topics connected to these unique sites in East Baton Rouge Parish. Come to one or multiple hikes in the series to indulge in the great outdoors. $5 Register
December 18, 2021
Birding at Burden
7:00am - 10:00am
@LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden
Grab your birding gear for a three-hour guided tour lead by different birding specialists through the birding loops at Burden. Admission is $5 per person. The capacity for each excursion is limited to 10 guests.
Registration
December 18, 2021
Special Saturdays: Where do all the herps go?
10:00am - 11:30am
via Zoom by the LSU Museum of Natural Science
For children ages 5-12. Ever wondered what happens to our cold-blooded herps in the winter? Find out where all the reptiles and amphibians go when it gets cold, with herpetologist and snake lover Jackson Roberts! Be sure to pick up a free activity kit for this event at one of these libraries: Delmont Gardens Branch Library Bluebonnet Regional Branch Library Greenwell Springs Branch Library Jones Creek Regional Branch Library. Registration
January 21, 2022
Arbor Day Celebration
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
@Louisiana State Arboretum State Preservation Area
What better place to celebrate Louisiana's Arbor Day than the Louisiana State Arboretum? The day will begin with an opening ceremony honoring the day and the role of trees in our lives. Visit the tree classroom and learn how to plant, prune and care for trees. Hard-to-find Louisiana native tree saplings will be available to participants throughout the day while supplies last.
January 22, 2022
Arbor Day
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
@LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden
Be an arborist for a day! Enjoy a scavenger hunt and more! Your family can learn about native trees; plant a tree and watch your tree grow for generations using your tree's GPS coordinates in the Burden Woods. All trees planted help to reforest our native trees lost during Hurricane Gustav. There will also be native trees for sale at Arbor Day for $15. The event is free and open to the public.
February 18 - 21, 2022
The Great Backyard Bird Count
Participating is easy, fun to do alone, or with others, and can be done anywhere you find birds. Simply watch birds for 15 minutes or more, at least once over the four days. More info: www.birdcount.org
March 12, 2022
Rockin' at the Swamp
9:00am - 4:00pm
@BREC Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center
Explore the exciting world of rocks, minerals, gemstones and fossils! Add to your rock collection at the Rockhound Market. Try your skill scaling the rock climbing wall. Learn to identify different rocks and minerals on the Treasure Trail. Experience the excitement of the gold rush in the Gold Mine. Explore ancient life forms at the Fossil Quarry. Paint your own Rock Animal in the craft corner. And so much more! This is one rockin’ day of fun highlighting geology and earth science that you don’t want to miss. No need to register. Admission is charged at the door.
April 1-3, 2022
Rendezvous 2022: Statewide Master Naturalist Conference
@Location TBA
Save the Date! The Louisiana Master Naturalist Association's annual conference is being planned for 2022. All certified and non-certified members are eligible to attend. If you registered for Rendezvous 2020, your registration will automatically roll over to 2022. See https://www.louisianamasternaturalist.org/rendezvous-2022.html for updated information.
April 29 - May 2, 2022
City Nature Challenge
The Baton Rouge region is competing in the 2022 City Nature Challenge! Let's beat the other cities!!!! Everyone can participate by posting photos of wildlife and plants in the iNaturalist app or at iNaturalist.org found in the 12 parish Baton Rouge region during the competition weekend. http://www.brnaturechallenge.org
May 7, 2022
Explore Nature
9:00am - 12:00pm
@PARDS North Park, Denham Springs
Explore Nature is an outdoor educational event hosted by the Purple Martin Conservation Initiative, and features nature and gardening groups who will be promoting the joy of activities centered around nature. Children’s activities and face painting will make this event fun for all ages. Upon arrival, children should stop at the Bookmobile to pick up a scavenger hunt paper because those that visit all the booths will receive a special surprise.
Port Hudson Bird Walk
7:00am - 9:00am
@Port Hudson State Historic Site
Join the birdwatching ranger for a morning bird walk to learn some birdwatching basics or practice your birding field skills, while at the same time meet some great people. All skill levels are encouraged to join in and spend some quality time in the woods. All participants must be pre-registered. Bring your own binoculars and a journaling notebook. A birding scope will be available. Fee is $8.00 which includes park admission.
November 27, 2021
Birding at Burden
7:00am - 10:00am
@LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden
Grab your birding gear for a three-hour guided tour lead by different birding specialists through the birding loops at Burden. Admission is $5 per person. The capacity for each excursion is limited to 10 guests.
Registration
December 4, 2021
BREC Green Force Volunteer Training
8:00am - 4:00pm
BREC Conservation is looking to train a dedicated force of volunteers in resource management, education and programming. Learn how to help keep our habitats clean and healthy and earn rewards doing it! Only 20 volunteer
hours a year commitment! Whether you want to learn more about invasive species removal, trail clearing or how to be a program or event aid, this training is for you! Training includes a classroom component and hands-on field training that we knock out all in one day. Lunch is provided and we will be in a location that provides social distancing during the classroom component. The training counts towards your total hours for the year. Registration and background check required. Registration deadline: November 22. Ages 16 and up. More information
December 11, 2021
Trail Dayz
9:00am - 1:00pm
@BREC Comite River Park
Join the BREC Outdoors team for a morning of celebrating and enjoying all things trails! Learn more about BREC’s extensive wilderness trail systems for hiking and mountain biking. There will be mountain bikes available for rent, free snacks, music and more. Join a guided mountain bike ride or a guided hike to familiarize yourself with the trails for the first time, or meet with representatives from local mountain biking and hiking organizations to see about getting more involved in the active hobbies.
December 11, 2021
BREC Woods Walk
9:30am - 11:30am
@Frenchtown Conservation Area
Satisfy your curiosity about the trees you see at BREC Parks and your wonder about the animals that call BREC Conservation Areas home. Join a BREC Naturalist for our Woods Walk Hiking Series and pick their brain about a broad range of topics. Each hike in the series will dive into different topics connected to these unique sites in East Baton Rouge Parish. Come to one or multiple hikes in the series to indulge in the great outdoors. $5 Register
December 18, 2021
Birding at Burden
7:00am - 10:00am
@LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden
Grab your birding gear for a three-hour guided tour lead by different birding specialists through the birding loops at Burden. Admission is $5 per person. The capacity for each excursion is limited to 10 guests.
Registration
December 18, 2021
Special Saturdays: Where do all the herps go?
10:00am - 11:30am
via Zoom by the LSU Museum of Natural Science
For children ages 5-12. Ever wondered what happens to our cold-blooded herps in the winter? Find out where all the reptiles and amphibians go when it gets cold, with herpetologist and snake lover Jackson Roberts! Be sure to pick up a free activity kit for this event at one of these libraries: Delmont Gardens Branch Library Bluebonnet Regional Branch Library Greenwell Springs Branch Library Jones Creek Regional Branch Library. Registration
January 21, 2022
Arbor Day Celebration
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
@Louisiana State Arboretum State Preservation Area
What better place to celebrate Louisiana's Arbor Day than the Louisiana State Arboretum? The day will begin with an opening ceremony honoring the day and the role of trees in our lives. Visit the tree classroom and learn how to plant, prune and care for trees. Hard-to-find Louisiana native tree saplings will be available to participants throughout the day while supplies last.
January 22, 2022
Arbor Day
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
@LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden
Be an arborist for a day! Enjoy a scavenger hunt and more! Your family can learn about native trees; plant a tree and watch your tree grow for generations using your tree's GPS coordinates in the Burden Woods. All trees planted help to reforest our native trees lost during Hurricane Gustav. There will also be native trees for sale at Arbor Day for $15. The event is free and open to the public.
February 18 - 21, 2022
The Great Backyard Bird Count
Participating is easy, fun to do alone, or with others, and can be done anywhere you find birds. Simply watch birds for 15 minutes or more, at least once over the four days. More info: www.birdcount.org
March 12, 2022
Rockin' at the Swamp
9:00am - 4:00pm
@BREC Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center
Explore the exciting world of rocks, minerals, gemstones and fossils! Add to your rock collection at the Rockhound Market. Try your skill scaling the rock climbing wall. Learn to identify different rocks and minerals on the Treasure Trail. Experience the excitement of the gold rush in the Gold Mine. Explore ancient life forms at the Fossil Quarry. Paint your own Rock Animal in the craft corner. And so much more! This is one rockin’ day of fun highlighting geology and earth science that you don’t want to miss. No need to register. Admission is charged at the door.
April 1-3, 2022
Rendezvous 2022: Statewide Master Naturalist Conference
@Location TBA
Save the Date! The Louisiana Master Naturalist Association's annual conference is being planned for 2022. All certified and non-certified members are eligible to attend. If you registered for Rendezvous 2020, your registration will automatically roll over to 2022. See https://www.louisianamasternaturalist.org/rendezvous-2022.html for updated information.
April 29 - May 2, 2022
City Nature Challenge
The Baton Rouge region is competing in the 2022 City Nature Challenge! Let's beat the other cities!!!! Everyone can participate by posting photos of wildlife and plants in the iNaturalist app or at iNaturalist.org found in the 12 parish Baton Rouge region during the competition weekend. http://www.brnaturechallenge.org
May 7, 2022
Explore Nature
9:00am - 12:00pm
@PARDS North Park, Denham Springs
Explore Nature is an outdoor educational event hosted by the Purple Martin Conservation Initiative, and features nature and gardening groups who will be promoting the joy of activities centered around nature. Children’s activities and face painting will make this event fun for all ages. Upon arrival, children should stop at the Bookmobile to pick up a scavenger hunt paper because those that visit all the booths will receive a special surprise.