Pelican Nature Club

Pelican nature club

Welcome to the

Pelican Park Nature Club!

Our mission is to foster a community of like-minded, nature-minded folks through outdoor hikes, educational programs, and social events in Recreation District #1 and throughout Southeast Louisiana. The only requirement for membership is respect for the natural world and a love for nature observation! We hold adults-only programs as well as family-friendly and kid-focused programs.

Do you want to get involved? Feel free to email Alex Landry, our Naturalist and Environmental Education Programs Coordinator, with program ideas, suggestions, or just to chat! alexlandry@pelicanpark.com

Information and registration for Pelican Nature Club events can be found on RecDesk. Related events throughout the area can be found below:

Pelican Park Nature Club Events can also be found at this QR code below:

Fontainebleau Early Birds Monthly Bird Walks Dates

July 26th @ 8 am-

August 9th @ 8 am-

September 13th @ 8 am-

October 11th @ 8 am-

November 8th @ 8 am-

You can sign up for any of these dates at this link:

https://pelicanpark.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=2958

Urban Nature Walk with the Wednesday Run Club

JULY 9TH @ Mandeville Trailhead, 6PM

The Wednesday Run Club is a fun, active social club of runners and walkers of all levels and abilities who meet every Wednesday at the Mandeville Trailhead. On the second Wednesday of every month, The Pelican Park Nature Club will host an Urban Nature Walk for all of the walkers!

LSU Raptor Rehab Demonstration

JULY 12th @ Pelican Park White Gym, 10 am

LSU Raptor Rehabilitation Program Soars into Pelican Park!

Get ready for an incredible opportunity at Pelican Park as we host the LSU Raptor Rehabilitation Program! This is your chance to see magnificent raptors up close and learn about the vital work LSU does in conservation, research, and education. Discover how they provide expert veterinary care to injured native wildlife, aiming for their successful return to the wild. Don't miss this engaging and educational experience for all ages, promoting awareness and appreciation for Louisiana's incredible raptor species!

This program is in White Pelican Gym, Court #3

https://www.facebook.com/events/4001298553492092

https://pelicanpark.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=2962

Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station Field Trip

JULY 15th @ Turtle Cove Research Station

Registration is required and limited! Register here: https://pelicanpark.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=2961

The Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station is a field research and educational/outreach facility of Southeastern Louisiana University located in the Lake Pontchartrain estuarine ecosystem.

Because of its location at the upper end of this major estuary, Turtle Cove is within one hour by boat of various wetland environments and their aquatic counterparts. These environments range from entirely fresh to moderately saline environments and include bottomland hardwood forests, bald cypress swamps, and fresh and intermediate marshes.

Moreover, each of these habitat types exists in relatively undisturbed, degraded, and restored states, thus facilitating comparative research. Because of its unique location and characteristics, this facility complements other field stations in the state and across the nation.

Turtle Cove is pleased to offer exciting and educational field experiences for 3rd – 12th grade students, university classes, and other community groups interested in wetland and aquatic sciences, as well as the environmental history and issues related to coastal wetland loss in Louisiana.

What’s included in a field trip?
1. An orientation lecture on wetlands ecosystems, environmental issues, coastal wetland loss, and the history of Turtle Cove
2. A pontoon boat ride down Pass Manchac to Lake Pontchartrain and the Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station
3. Guided boardwalk tour at Turtle Cove including plant identification, dip netting, and water quality sampling activities

Various aspects of wetlands ecology and environmental science are discussed during field trips, including baldcypress swamp and marsh restoration, plant and animal adaptations to the wetland environment, and the many environmental problems (and their solutions) of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin.

Students may expect to see a variety of wildlife, including alligators, birds, nutria, snakes, and fish as well as the various wetland plants that support these animals.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1040162548180644/

https://pelicanpark.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=2961

Environmental education workshops and events at pelican park

Thank you to the Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative (LICI) and local volunteers that came and spent Saturday, January 15th with us and planted 200 beautiful Irises that we can watch grow and prosper at Pelican Park!!

Pelican Park, Recreation District #1 through its Environmental Education Program, partnered with Dr. Logan Wiedenfeld, Gulf States Mycelium Society and Matthew Herron, Environmental Education School of Coastal Plains, who conducted a workshop on Saturday, December 4, 2021. The workshop was held at the Pelicans Landing Pavilion and consisted of a mini-lecture to get oriented on the world of mycelium followed by a field walk to identify and collect mushrooms.

Thank you to the knowledgeable presenters that volunteered their time and the students that came out to learn with us. They all took a beautiful field walk together, where they enjoyed finding a variety of mushrooms. When the class came back to the Pelicans Landing pavilion, they were able to look at their findings through a microscope a discuss and identify each one! 

The fourth generation of monarchs will soon begin their journey south on their annual migration to overwintering sanctuaries in Mexico and Michoacán, Mexico. Watch the Journey North’s interactive maps to find out when the first monarchs arrive in the sanctuary region (typically around November 1st).

Click the link below to see the interactive migration of monarchs and you can also mark your sightings of monarchs, bald eagles humming birds etc...

https://journeynorth.org/

Pelican Nature Club