Louisiana Master Naturalists of Greater Baton Rouge

05/29/2026

Outdoor balloon releases will be illegal in Louisiana starting in August. Balloon releases are a way to mark occasions, but they are harmful to wildlife and result in a lot of litter. See article for a list of alternative ways to celebrate or remember a loved one:

LWF offers alternatives to balloon release for celebrations and memorials

05/05/2026

Sat. 5/16 7:30am-noon , Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is offering a FREE opportunity for beginners to build their birding, paddling, and outdoor safety skills! Currently 16 spots available.

INTRODUCTION TO BIRDING, PADDLING, AND OUTDOOR SAFETY

05/05/2026

Registration is now open for LDWF’s Bird the Boot Challenge - anyone can join, from the most casual backyard observer to the eagle-eyed expert! Join in! 🐥🦆🦅🦉🦩

🕊️🎒 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲!

LDWF’s Geaux Play Outdoors program is launching a brand-new statewide birding challenge–and you’re invited to take part.

This is your chance to explore Louisiana through a new lens, one bird at a time!

The challenge is open to everyone, whether you’re just learning to tell a heron from an egret or you already have a favorite warbler migration map saved on your phone.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀:
You’ll choose a category, head outdoors, and track your bird sightings as you go. It’s part exploration, part friendly competition, and part conservation-in-action!

𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀!
Winners will receive a 2026 embroidered patch, a certificate of accomplishment, website recognition, and some fun birding gear surprises.

📅 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀:
Registration opens Friday, May 1, 2026
Birding runs May 15 – June 1
Submission deadline is June 12

Ready to let your birding adventure take flight? 🐦✨ 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲:https://buff.ly/CY63VGB

A big thank you goes to our sponsor, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation, for helping bring this new statewide challenge to life and supporting conservation efforts across Louisiana 💚

04/23/2026

CNC 2026 starts at midnight! Who will get the first observation in for Baton Rouge?

04/21/2026

Thank you 225 Magazine for highlighting the and all the other excellent opportunities to celebrate Earth Week! We hope to see y’all out observing wildlife this Friday-Monday and helping us beat last year’s record in iNaturalist! For more info check out our other page - City Nature Challenge Baton Rouge Region

Earth Day may be on Wednesday, April 22, but in the Capital Region, there are activities to celebrate all week long.

04/16/2026

Tomorrow (Friday) evening and Saturday morning - there are still some openings for the free guided hikes, see post for registration links!

01/20/2026

The Spring 2026 certification class is full! You may still submit applications, but once received you will be given the option to be added to the list for Fall 2026 - workshop dates for fall will not be available until July/August.

Send a message to learn more

01/12/2026

Good news in the Advocate this morning announcing $1 mil funding granted to form a Mississippi River Invasive Species Consortium to coordinate and increase efforts to control invasive species in the Mississippi River Valley states.

From the hot pink apple snail eggs that cling to cypress trees to trampled sugarcane crops, signs of invasive species are everywhere in Louisiana.

12/18/2025

Update: We have 2 spots remaining for the Spring 2026 season that begins Feb. 7th!
Here is the workshop schedule:
​- Orientation - Sat., February 7
- River Dynamics - Sat., Feb. 28
​- Natural History - Sat., March 14
- Birds - Sun., March 22
- Herptiles - Sat., March 28
- Aquatic Ecology - Sat., April 4
- Nocturnal Naturalist - Sat., April 18
- Plant ID​ - Sun., April 26
- Arthropods - Sat., May 2
- Mammals - Sat., May 9
- Forest Ecology - Sat., May 16
​​​- Graduation - Sun., June 28

Become an expert in local ecology. Here's all the info you need to know about enrolling in the naturalist program.

08/01/2025

Congratulations to newly certified Louisiana Master Naturalist and EBRPL Reference Librarian Jessica McDaniel on her excellent presentation last night Horror in Nature! Jessica gave an amazing overview of the weird, wonderful, and complex ways we interact with nature using a horror lense.