From alligators to armadillos, the varied habitats of St. Landry Parish foster wildlife as diverse as its people. But of all the things to do in Louisiana, one of the most serene has to be the act of bird watching.

Prothonotary Warbler, Photo by Bonnie Barry

Pictured here is a Prothonotary Warbler. This bright, mustard-colored bird, known locally as the “Atchafalaya Canary”, flits along branches in swamps and bottomland forests. The bright yellow of this bird’s head contrasts with the stark black of its beak and eyes. The gradation of yellow to the steel blue of its wings and tail of the Prothonotary Warbler separates itself from the similar looking Blue-Winged Warbler by its lack of both white stripes across its wing and black streak across its eye.

You can catch a glimpse of an Atchafalaya Canary at the Thistlethwaite Wildlife Management Area. Located near the steamboat town of Washington, this secluded area brings you to 11,000 acres of mature bottomland hardwoods. Majestic oaks, tall mysterious cypress and tupelo trees, and stately hackberry trees greet you in this habitat. Encircled by bayous Courtableau and Wauksha, with ample swamps and sloughs dotting the quiet of this ethereal landscape, the conditions are right to see the warbler along shorelines and the holes of dead trees during the spring and summer months. It is important to note that these trails offer a challenging hike, and locals suggest the use of rubber boots for potentially flooded trails.

You can also find within St. Landry Parish, the Roseate Spoonbill. Distinguished by long knobby legs, their unmistakable rounded bills, and bright pink coloring, these medium-sized birds make themselves at home in the shallow waters of crawfish ponds and large ditches beside our scenic byways. Other birds found in the Threskiornithidae family in St. Landry Parish are the White, Glossy, and White-faced Ibises. Drive along the Zydeco Cajun Prairie Scenic Byway and birdwatch to local music stations like KBON 101.1 FM, KOGM 107.1 FM, and KEUN 105.5 FM while you check these birds off your list.

Another long-limbed bird found in St. Landry is the Wood Stork. Your best bet to catch one of these large birds is at the Indian Bayou or Sherburne Wildlife Management Areas, both of which are accessed through the port town of Krotz Springs. Sherburne takes up over 40,000 acres of the Atchafalaya Basin, spanning several parishes, while the Indian Bayou Area spans 28,500 acres along the west side of the Atchafalaya River. With so much ground to cover, you may want to fill up on boudin at one of the local shops before beginning your trek.

Wood Duck, Photo by Claire White

If you want to take a different spin on your next birding adventure, the T.E.C.H.E. Project has built duck houses along the Bayou Teche. Paddle along the twists and turns of this historic bayou and you’ll be able to see waterfowl like the colorful Wood Duck pictured here. While you scan the shores of the Teche’s lazy current, be sure to visit the informational kiosks at Port Barre, Leonville, and Arnaudville, to give you an idea of the stories of life along the Teche and its historical significance.

Whether you’re exploring the waterways of the Louisiana Atchafalaya Basin at the Sherburne Wildlife Management Area and Indian Bayou, paddling along languid bayous, or hiking alongside pecan trees and quiet trails at Thistlethwaite Wildlife Management Area, you can find a wide range of birds to enjoy.

Here is a list curated by Shreveport’s Bird Study Group for the Louisiana Parish Checklist Project undertaken by Rosemary Seidler. This list, pulling from resources like Shreveport’s Bird Study Group database, Louisiana Bird Records Committee (LBRC) Reports, Dan Purrington’s “The Birds of Southeastern Louisiana”, Lowrey’s “Louisiana Birds”, eBird, and reports from birders throughout the state, can give you an idea of what you can find within St. Landry Parish. Some of the sightings might surprise you, and the list itself includes over 271 species of birds. Entries in all caps should be reported to the LBRC. This list is not all-inclusive so you might find a bird no one has seen yet in this area.

In St. Landry Parish, you can hike trails and take your time exploring hidden paths in between enjoying good food and tons of live music. It’s time to begin your adventure, today.

Mary Hawkins is the communications manager for the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. Contact her at hawkins@cajuntravel.com.

As the spring comes hesitant to St. Landry Parish, mild days interspersed with cold shocks and hints of rain, it might be nice to put names to plants commonly seen across the landscape of this peaceful countryside.

St. Landry Parish has a diverse selection of the various ecosystems found in Louisiana. The St. Landry Parish Visitor Center exhibits a portion of these ecosystems including coastal prairie, upland hardwood, bottomland hardwood habitats, along with the iconic wetlands. This is not a comprehensive list of the flora found around the Visitor Center by any means. But the plants discussed here may give you an idea of what visual treats you can expect whether you are visiting the center, specifically, or stopping by on your way to some of the other attractions in the parish.

Sea Knight Louisiana Iris, SLPTC Visitor Center, Opelousas

Pictured here is the much-anticipated Sea Knight Iris, which is one of 8 Louisiana irises found at the Visitor Center. Its dark blue petals, purple stained by the light of early morning, open to reveal a strike of gold leading into its core. LSU fans may favor these with their colors so boldly represented.

The window of opportunity to witness the blooming of these flowers is small, the irises bloom from late March to early April. But it would be worth the trip to experience the colorful impact of these plants.

The other irises found on the center’s grounds include the Cathedral Blue Dormon with its blue petals and yellow crest; the Chacahoula Cha Cha, similar in hue to the Sea Knight, but with a yellow signal that flares just a bit; the Colorific, a white-petaled flower with flushed lavender tips, accentuated by dark purple veins and a yellow line crest; Dixie Deb Chowning 1950 and Laura Louise, with their stunning yellow petals; Ruth Holleyman, with its soft, graceful blue; and Trevor, with an orange flared signal and violet petals.

Muhly grass, SLPTC Visitor Center, Opelousas

Another distinctive aspect of the Visitor Center comes in the form of the rolling swaths of prairie grass that surrounds the building. This grass, normally a sharp blade with beige tendrils, erupts into color during the fall months. Feather-light puffs of color emerge from its tips, creating a wave of lavender with a light breeze. Commonly known as muhly grass, this plant is native to the coastal prairie.

The Cajun Prairie Habitat Preservation Society is committed to the survival of prairie flora, like those found at the center, and educating the public about the importance and the beauty of this rich cultural area. Part of the great tall-grass coastal prairie of Southwestern Louisiana, this restoration project began in 1988 as an effort to protect this fragile ecosystem. Visitors interested in furthering their knowledge of the prairie lands can visit the Cajun Prairie Habitat Restoration Site in Eunice.

An example of the Bottomland Hardwood Forest and Cypress-Tupleo Swamps, baldcypress trees are also found at the St. Landry Parish Visitor Center. These trees can grow 70-feet tall and live up to 600 years. The size of these trees makes them perfect nesting spots for eagles. While the cypress trees at the Visitor Center are not quite tall enough for the large birds, yet, bald eagles have been sighted in the vicinity. In fact, the area around the nearby town of Washington and the Thistlethwaite Wildlife Management Area is home to 187 species of birds.

Whether you want to see the eye-catching colors of Louisiana irises at the St. Landry Parish Visitor Center, bird-watch along Bayou Waxia and Courtableau in Washington and Thistlethwaite, or stroll through a 10-acre living exhibit of Louisiana native plants, flowers, and grasses in Eunice, St. Landry Parish has what you need.

Mary Hawkins is the communications manager for the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. Contact her at hawkins@cajuntravel.com.

We’re here to make your holiday holly, jolly, and bright with this list of gift giving ideas and holiday celebrations. Hopefully, this guide to giving handcrafted gifts will alleviate some of the shopping stress and instead inspire and generate some excitement.

This list is not only perfect for gift giving, but for tourists looking for a unique souvenir to take home. We promise to provide you with some ideas that will make any trip to St. Landry Parish, Louisiana unique and memorable.

Let’s get started with some shopping events to add to your calendar. Small Business Saturday is coming up on November 24, and it’s the perfect time to find good deals on gifts. Also, we have some special events planned that day that just might put you in the Christmas spirit.

We have two events taking place on Small Business Saturday, Grand Noel & The Lighting of the Oaks. Grand Noel is a special treat for those who’ve never been to Grand Coteau, Louisiana. The town welcomes guests with a stunning life-size nativity scene, carriage rides in the historic district, and lots of opportunities for shopping. The Kitchen Shop is a good place to start if you’re looking for Louisiana themed items such as tea towels, aprons, or cooking ware. Handmade accessories and more unique items can be discovered at Petite Rouge Antiques & Organics.

Later that day, the town of Opelousas will light the oaks at Courthouse Square for the Lighting of the Oaks. Downtown shops will be open with special discounts and area artisans will be selling handcrafted items. Stick around for kids crafts and Christmas carols from Our Lady Queen of Angels Church Choir.

If you’re doing some last-minute shopping visit the town of Sunset. While you’re there, stop at Boho for a very large collection of hand-crafted items. In fact, Boho carries Key of Z Rubboards, a fun instrument used to play zydeco music. These metal instruments are made by local craftsman, Tee Don Landry. Find hand-painted items next door at The Funky Flea. Just be sure to make time to visit Jerilyn’s Fused Glass Art Gallery. Jerilyn is inspired by nature depicting thm in glass.

Meet the makers at NUNU Arts & Culture Collective in Arnaudville, Louisiana. At this studio, you can often meet the craftsmen who are featured in the gallery. Find handcrafted canvases designed by local wood craftsman, Larry Bourque. Also, find metal sculptures, jewelry, and locally made skin care items. While you’re in Arnaudville, it’s the perfect time to visit Bayou Teche Brewing which just might have the best gift on this list—craft beer. That’s right; you can stock up on a variety of different ales and even keep some for yourself at this local micro-brewery.

Hopefully, this article gives you a good head start for the holidays. For more shopping ideas visit, our shopping page, and for more holiday events visit our list of Christmas festivities.

New SLP logo, designed by Megan Barra

If you’re a returning user, you may have noticed our new look. As a Tourist Commission we call ourselves a DMO, a fancy acronym for “destination marketing organization,” but really, we are in the business of storytelling. We wanted a logo that could tell our tale, a place with a long history of cultivators, music makers, and a “gumbo” of ethnicities and cultural identities. So, we hired the right woman for the job, local artist, Megan Barra.

Megan is an award-winning designer who’s also well known for her elegant silk compositions. You can find her work in a variety of mediums including album covers, books, catalogs, and company logos. We wanted to know more about Megan as an artist and her inspiration for the St. Landry Parish logo, so we invited her to participate in a brief interview. You can see Megan’s conversation with our communications manager at the time, Caitlin Bussey, below.

CB: Looking at your work, it’s clear that you that you are influenced by your culture and natural landscapes? Is there something about rural Louisiana that inspires you as an artist?

MB: Yes, music and the men and women who play it, along with the Louisiana landscape, provide rich material to draw from in my work. I collect images of accordions and fiddles along with crabs, snakes and coffee cups and fashion them into silk patchworks of Louisiana culture.

“Black Snake Blues”

CB: Can you explain the concept of the new St. Landry Parish logo for readers? Also, why was the accordion chosen to represent St. Landry Parish as a destination?

MB: As the birthplace of Créole and Zydeco music, the image of the accordion is a visual reference to St. Landry Parish’s musical heritage – and not just Créole, but Cajun too. I like to think of St. Landry Parish as a place where you can find ‘Cajun Spirit and Créole Soul.’ The bellows of the accordion are formed by les haricots (green beans) and the orange and brown colors reference the land and the sweet potato.

CB: We are very happy with our new logo, but we are also big fans of your quilted artwork. Could you briefly describe to our readers, the process involved in making your silk compositions?

MB: After sketching out a design, each piece is cut from silk, sometimes imprinted with original text and images, hand-sewn and then finished on a 1901 Singer treadle sewing machine.

CB: All of your silk compositions are beautiful, but one of our favorites features Amédé Ardoin. What inspired this piece, and could you briefly talk about the symbolism in the imagery?

“Les Blues d’Amédé Ardoin”

MB: “Les Blues d’Amédé Ardoin” is filled with references to the Créole musician (1898–1942) who lived and played in Eunice. Along with a reproduction of the only known photograph of him, the piece includes symbols of Ardoin’s life and work, including a lemon, which he carried to refresh his throat when he sang, and an image of a flour sack to represent the sack in which the musician carried his accordion. I printed on silk a map of St. Landry and Evangeline parishes where he performed and the lyrics to the song “Two Step de Eunice.” In the top right, a lone white square represents the handkerchief that was lent to him by a young woman to wipe his brow when he played at a house party.

Thank you for taking the time to get to know Megan Barra. You can see several of her silk compositions at the St. Landry Parish Visitor Center now, until October 29, 2018. In this exhibit, you will also find photography by Lucius Fontenot from the collection, Mémoire de la Boue. Lucius has captured several captivating moments for us in St. Landry Parish, which is why we’ve also invited him to participate.

To get to the center from Interstate 49, take Exit 23. Just look for the wind turbine; you can’t miss us! For more information call 337-948-8004 or email hawkins@cajuntravel.com.