Woodlands Conservancy

Woodlands Conservancy Woodlands Conservancy is a nonprofit land trust organized in 2001 to preserve and restore ecologically significant lands in Louisiana.

Woodlands Conservancy preserves and restores critical forested wetlands that protect our community and provide habitat for wildlife and migratory birds. The 630-acre Woodlands Trail contains over 10 miles of natural trails for hiking, birdwatching, photography and other non-motorized activities. The trail system meanders along a spill-bank that provides scenic views of wetland areas and leads to a grouping of World War II Ammunition Magazines.

On Saturday, November 21st, in collaboration with Plaquemines Parish Tourism, we will be hosting the first annual Plaque...
09/01/2026

On Saturday, November 21st, in collaboration with Plaquemines Parish Tourism, we will be hosting the first annual Plaquemines Parish Birding Festival!

This inaugural festival will bring together birders and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages to celebrate the unique bird communities that truly make Louisiana special.

Stay tuned for more details! And if you are interested in being a sponsor or involved in some other way, please send us an email at [email protected].

Happy birding!

Last week’s rainy weather made an extra muddy habitat, perfect for this red-eared slider turtle to lay some eggs at Wood...
07/13/2026

Last week’s rainy weather made an extra muddy habitat, perfect for this red-eared slider turtle to lay some eggs at Woodlands Preserve! These eggs will incubate for 60-90 days before 6-20 hatchling turtles will emerge fully-formed and ready to navigate the wild on their own.

These gorgeous creatures are 1 of 3 subspecies of the pond slider (Trachemys scripta) found in specific regions in the US and Mexico. The red-eared slider is native to much of the central and southern US (including Louisiana) and Mexico. However, largely because of pet releases, they have become established in other regions where they are considered highly invasive as they out-compete other native turtle species for resources.

Luckily, this mother turtle is perfectly at-home in her native habitat!

Celebrate National Moth Week by joining us for a night of marvelous mothing at Woodlands Preserve!From 8 to 10 PM, we’ll...
07/07/2026

Celebrate National Moth Week by joining us for a night of marvelous mothing at Woodlands Preserve!

From 8 to 10 PM, we’ll be light-trapping for moths & other fascinating nocturnal insects. This event invites curious minds to mingle, learn about & get a unique look at the diversity of insects that call Woodlands Preserve home. We will also be raffling off a special moth-related art piece!

Please bring your own flashlight or headlamp.

To register, please visit tinyurl.com/moth071826

These native mustang grapes spotted at Woodlands Preserve are well on their way to bearing their dark-purple fruit! Must...
07/03/2026

These native mustang grapes spotted at Woodlands Preserve are well on their way to bearing their dark-purple fruit!

Mustang grape (Vitis mustangenisis) is a food source for birds, bees and any mammals that can reach them. Native to the southern and south-central United States, this hearty, quickly growing, woody vine is capable of growing in a variety of soil types and climbing to heights of up to 50 feet! The mustang grape is “dioecious”, meaning it has separate male and female plants— only female mustang grapes bear fruit. Their fruit ripens usually in August or September and, while technically edible for humans, can be quite bitter from the tannins contained in the plant. However, it is used and often favored by makers of homemade wine. 🍇

This particular mustang grape was spotted with a common insect companion nearby, the grapevine beetle (Pelidnota punctata). These large, native beetles are named for their primary food source and are most active at night. This grapevine beetle was taking a little snooze on the underside of a grape leaf!

Have you come across any ripe mustang grapes at Woodlands Preserve?

Walk…. Run…. Hike… to Protect Louisiana Wetlands! 🐊🌾This September and October, you can get out to give back to our gorg...
06/29/2026

Walk…. Run…. Hike… to Protect Louisiana Wetlands! 🐊🌾

This September and October, you can get out to give back to our gorgeous wetlands.

Join us on September 26th for a 5K trail run at Woodlands Preserve or sign up to take part in our Hike-A-Thon for the month of October! (You can also totally do both 😍)

Learn more at: woodlandsconservancy.org/2026-woodlands-5k-and-hike-a-thon/

You may be worried about this gorgeous and stately bald cypress (Taxodium dictum) on our Upland Trail after last week’s ...
06/24/2026

You may be worried about this gorgeous and stately bald cypress (Taxodium dictum) on our Upland Trail after last week’s storm, but trust that these trees were born to weather a storm!

Roughly one million years of evolution has adapted these amazing trees to survive in wetland environments that regularly experience hurricanes and other large storms. One way the bald cypress is able to do this is with root systems that have evolved to be extensive (spanning 20-30ft.) and interlocking together, acting to anchor the tree into muddy soil. For this reason, it isn’t uncommon to see a Bald cypress that has lost its top or “crown”.

Thanks to this and other resilient adaptations, a bald cypress tree can lose its crown many times and still survive as its roots remain firmly in the ground.

Take a hike at Woodlands Preserve this weekend and tell this tree it’s doing a great job! 🌲

Join us for June bird banding!Saturday, June 20thWoodlands Preserve5:40AM-11:40AMPlease email < feralbiologist @ gmail d...
06/16/2026

Join us for June bird banding!

Saturday, June 20th
Woodlands Preserve
5:40AM-11:40AM

Please email < feralbiologist @ gmail dot com > to RSVP.

Join us for a marvelous night of moths at Woodlands Preserve. We’ll begin at 7:30PM with a presentation from botanist & ...
06/05/2026

Join us for a marvelous night of moths at Woodlands Preserve. We’ll begin at 7:30PM with a presentation from botanist & conservationist Dr. Charles Allen on Gardening for Moths & Butterflies. After that, we’ll be light-trapping for moths & other fascinating nocturnal insects until 10PM.

Please bring your own flashlight or headlamp!

To register, please visit: tinyurl.com/junemothmingle

During this month’s bird banding at Woodlands Preserve, we were visited by the most colorful songbird in North America, ...
06/03/2026

During this month’s bird banding at Woodlands Preserve, we were visited by the most colorful songbird in North America, the painted bunting! We were lucky enough to get to band three, gorgeous adult males, along with a few Northern cardinals and Carolina wrens.

This brightly colored songbird (this includes females and juveniles— who are bright green!), is fairly common in the coastal Southeast and south-central US where they breed. They spend their winters in the Caribbean, Mexico and central America. Their diet consists largely of seeds, particularly once breeding season is over. For this reason, painted buntings can be seen visiting backyard bird feeders, especially if there is low, dense vegetation nearby. The males’ song is a sweet, rambling call that, once learned, is easily identified.

Have you seen or heard painted buntings at Woodlands Preserve?

It's time for another FROG HIKE! 🐸Join us on June 10th from 8PM to 10PM for an evening of frogs at Woodlands Preserve wi...
06/03/2026

It's time for another FROG HIKE! 🐸

Join us on June 10th from 8PM to 10PM for an evening of frogs at Woodlands Preserve with Dr. Timothy Clay! Dr. Clay is a Professor of Biology & run the Nicholls Herpetology Lab at Nicholls State University. At this event, visitors with learn about the reptile and amphibian communities that call Woodlands Preserve home.

Please bring your own flashlight or headlamp!

This event is free and open to all ages, but donations are appreciated!

To register, please visit: tinyurl.com/junefrog26

Registration necessary. Space is limited so once all spots fill up, we cannot add more.

Address

449 F Edward Hebert Boulevard
Belle Chasse, LA
70037

Opening Hours

Monday 6am - 6pm
Tuesday 6am - 6pm
Wednesday 6am - 6pm
Thursday 6am - 6pm
Friday 6am - 6pm
Saturday 6am - 6pm
Sunday 6am - 6pm

Telephone

+15044334000

Website

,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Woodlands Conservancy posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Woodlands Conservancy:

Shortcuts

Share

Category