Outside the Lines Original: Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge

In the summer of 1997, volunteers got together to turn an old 1880’s planter’s home into a visitor’s center for what was to become the Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge. After four years, lots of fundraising, and a tremendous amount of help from the community, the project reached its goal. The old home was renovated, and the land was turned into a wildlife conservation center with trails, piers, and boardwalks to explore.

Over the past 26 years, the refuge has not only served as a wildlife conservatory, but also as an educational and recreational opportunity for members of the community. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service manages the wildlife and habitat. The Friends of Black Bayou, a volunteer group at the refuge, engage with visitors, school groups, and the community through nature programs and recreational activities.

We’re really proud of the place because over the years we’ve continued to fundraise and continued to get the community involved. We love to host programs like the full moon walks, kayak guided tours, and nature hikes.
Ann Smith, Friends of Black Bayou Board Member

The Visitor’s Center uses static displays and replicas to educate visitors on the local wildlife and plant life at the refuge. They also display the annual winners of the nature photo contest here for all to see. In 2005, they opened the Conservation Learning Center to make room for more classroom-style and group educational programs. The Learning Center was designed to look like the original barn that went with the planter’s home. It includes live animal displays with native fish, baby alligators, turtles, and snakes.

One of the projects included in the restoration of the refuge was the improvement to the pier. What started out as a 400-foot-long straight pier, was extended to triple the length, and joined into the nature trail. When the refuge experienced a flood in 2016, all the walking trails and boardwalks were completely underwater and when the water finally went down, the pier was left in a rough shape. With funding from the Louisiana Highway Department, Friends of Black Bayou was able to restore the pier with better features than before.

It turned out wonderful. I love it because of the things like the railings that are now good for toddlers. People can let their toddlers just run down the pier and not worry.
Ann Smith, Friends of Black Bayou Board Member

There are many ways that kids and adults can experience the refuge. The Friends of Black Bayou volunteers along with other experts from programs such as the Northeast Louisiana Master Naturalists, host tours and education programs. Some of these include birding tours, kayaking tours, nighttime hikes, and daytime nature walks. The water is also open to the public through several boat launches as well as kayak and canoe launches.

One of our favorite activities is called First Saturday Kids. It’s for all ages of kids and their families, and we have a different activity every month. Every one of those has a take-home activity so even little kids can get into it and have something to bring home with them.
Ann Smith, Friends of Black Bayou Board Member

Visitors can support the reserve by coming out to attend events and activities, checking out the visitor’s center and maybe purchasing a cool nature item, or donating to the programs. The best way to keep up with the events is to join the Friends of Black Bayou Facebook group to see all that’s going on at the Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

Hanna Singh

Author

Hanna Singh

Graphic Design Assistant

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