Acadiana Master Naturalists

- New Application Process:
Applying is quick and easy! Answer a few short questions, pay the program fee and you're in.

- New Workshops:
Last year we introduced a workshop on mammalogy, which is included in the curriculum again. This year, we are adding two new workshops! One field workshop will focus on paleontology and geology, and the other session will be with the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana where we will learn about gardening and conservation. We may have some other special opportunities while visiting the tribe, but details are still in the works.

- New Certification Requirements:
An exam is now part of the requirements for certification, but don't sweat it! You will have two opportunities to take this test — a pre-test during orientation and at the end of the program.

Apply Here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/b5f1c562-0725-493c-8443-a781586bd049

If you're interested in more details about each workshop for 2025, we recommend going to our program FAQ. The FAQ is a good place to start before going through the application process. All of your questions will likely be answered there.

FAQ - Acadiana Master Naturalists Curious to find out more about the Master Naturalist Program? Check out some of our most frequently asked questions!

Early bird enrollment has ended and there are FIVE spots left in the 2025 Master Naturalists Program. Don't walk — run to apply!

https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/b5f1c562-0725-493c-8443-a781586bd049

Can't wait to see all the creepy crawlers! 🕷️

Here’s a secret hack you need to know right now!

Use a rubber band to keep your clever centipede from escaping and wreaking havoc.”

FYI these little creepy crawlers are FAST! Thanks for having fun with us last night. See more bugs and spiders at Atelier de la Nature for the Halloween Art & Nature Festival on October 26th.

The creep-show starts tomorrow!🕷️

Doors open at 5:30 and we begin at 6pm.

Remember, that seating is reserved for the first 30 people to register. You can use the link below to check the registration list for your name. All other guests are invited to stand in the back or grab a seat if additional seating becomes available.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-CGc5yFoR9lV9jNets8gxn-4rqEqG2L2cZHIavvGg-I/edit?usp=sharing

If you loved the rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium) shirt we shared, check out Susan David's other designs! She has shirts and totes available. You can learn more on by visiting our website.

Every sale supports AMN and helps us further our mission of life long learning and cultivating good stewardship in Acadiana.

https://acadianamasternaturalists.org/merch/

Hope to see you all this Saturday!
"Where the Buffalo Roamed"
Join us for an indigenous perspective on bison in Southwest Louisiana, followed by a bison chili cooking demo and tasting.

https://bit.ly/Prarie-Buffalo_24.

Yes, there were bison in Louisiana!

Come learn about bison in this area and the Indigenous Atakapa-Ishak People who have lived here from time immemorial. We will learn about the relationship between Indigenous Peoples and the local environment from an Indigenous perspective with Jeffery U. Darensbourg, followed by a bison chili cooking demo and tasting with our very own Aurore Ballengée.

This event is free but registration is required.

About Jeffery U. Darensbourg:

Jeffery U. Darensbourg grew up in Itta Homma (of which “Baton Rouge” is a translation) and currently resides in Bulbancha, the only name he uses to refer to what others call “New Orleans.” He works with words, crafting essays, poetry, academic articles, and public talks intertwining traditional academic research with autoethnography and memoir. He is a Louisiana Creole and an enrolled member of the Atakapa-Ishak Nation of Indians. He holds a Ph.D. in cognitive science.

About AAurore BallengéeAurore Ballengée, a French native, took a major shift in 2012 when she left a career as a project manager in investment banking to become a culinary educator focused on sustainable food and food sovereignty. Together, Brandon and Aurore have run numerous K-12 art & science educational programs and summer camps nationally and internationally, as far as Australia! Aurore serves on the boards of the Acadiana Food Alliance and Creole Soul CARES, and is the President of the Cecilia French Immersion Association. Aurore is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Atelier de la Nature. Under her direction, Atelier de la Nature has received grants from the State of Louisiana Division for the Arts, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the Louisiana Office of Tourism, the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area and the National Endowment for the Arts, among others.

Spooky season is almost here. We'll be celebrating creepy crawlers with our cohost, Atelier de la Nature, in prep for the Halloween Art & Nature Festival! 🕷

This is just a teaser. More details to come soon!

Thanks, 008 Magazine for featuring AMN in the new August/September issue.

Turn to page 80 if you find a copy, or check out the article in their digital version online!

https://008magazine.com/issues/2024/aug-sep/ =80

I will be announcing the riddle for the SATURDAY, August 3rd, Briarwood Bio Bash ticket giveaway in the morning at 9:30am. I want to make sure as many people as possible have a chance to see it.

Set your alarm!

Good news: We have an awesome presentation for you tonight with an even "awesomer" presenter — Christina Calcaterra. 😎

Other news: We won't have snacks because we're in the auditorium 😭

Snacks or no snacks, we expect to have a great time tonight at the AMN Membership Meeting. You do not need to be a member to attend. In fact, we welcome you to join us and meet other tree-hugging, snake loving nature nerds.

Mike’s been one of us for a while now, but now he’s “official.” Visit Canoe Mike at Pack & Paddle for kayaking adventures or advice on where to explore in Louisiana.

In the next coming weeks we’ll be sharing more about our 2024 cohort that graduated this weekend. 🎉🍾🥳

Congratulations to Pack and Paddle Guide Mike on becoming an Acadiana Master Naturalist!

We all knew Mike was an expert plant and wildlife identifier — if you’ve been on a hike or paddle with him you’ve probably heard him teaching about the local flora and fauna — but now he’s got the certificate to prove it!

Congratulations Mike! 🥳

Calling all insect, arthropod, and creepy crawler educators! Come share your creative beetlejuices in this year’s Halloween Art and Nature Festival. We are inviting entomologists and arthropod experts from all over the country to join us and share their knowledge.

Atelier de la Nature, a twenty-five-acre nature reserve and eco-educational campus, 2024 Halloween Art & Nature Festival will be a one-day free event to celebrate Halloween, Louisiana's special natural surroundings, Arthropods, and planet Earth, through art, music, food and science.

This year's theme will be “Creepy Crawlers” inspired by the 1960’s activity game that taught children to cast plastic insects and other ‘creepy’ organisms out of molds. Our focus will be on BUGS! Insects and other arthropods play a vital role in ecosystems and our food chain but are often misunderstood and underappreciated.

There will be live insects, giant spiders, pickled sea roaches and much more!

Our 2024 festival mascot is “Franken-Mantis” by artist and biologist Cheyanne Eagles.

The festival will be on Saturday, October 26, 2024, from 10-4, with film screenings starting at 6 and camping after.
Please contact the Atelier de la Nature Team for more information [email protected]

Link to an art exhibit about Ivory-billed Woodpeckers:

Canceled Edition: Ivory-Billed Woodpecker — Pippin Frisbie-Calder Canceled Edition: Ivory-Billed WoodpeckerSite-specific installation, individually cut, woodcut, hand painted prints of dead Ivory Billed Woodpeckers.Viewers are encouraged to participate in the installation by removing a bird from the wall and taking it home.CANCELED EDITION: IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER...

There’s still time to partipete in SOLA Giving Day!

Visit our page to support our campaign, “Canoes for Kids.”

https://www.solagivingday.org/organizations/acadiana-master-naturalists?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3RCJJtxzBdcD7UbSqbywfrYP8lBED0DepKV9hYMqovcIn3cXWOOVtCOYQ_aem_Ab0JvdF2RyrHmT9elJwE6camMi9ipwwHR8XxS6uKAiU1NQqNMyg745Vpy-cAcBIXNZDqtQRSsIz3IYRQPQi-ppKd&mc_cid=3710481f58&mc_eid=92221f5452

SOLA Giving Day is here! Visit our page if feel called to support our “Canoes for Kids” campaign.

https://www.solagivingday.org/organizations/acadiana-master-naturalists?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3RCJJtxzBdcD7UbSqbywfrYP8lBED0DepKV9hYMqovcIn3cXWOOVtCOYQ_aem_Ab0JvdF2RyrHmT9elJwE6camMi9ipwwHR8XxS6uKAiU1NQqNMyg745Vpy-cAcBIXNZDqtQRSsIz3IYRQPQi-ppKd&mc_cid=3710481f58&mc_eid=92221f5452

We are 2 canoes closer to reaching our goals! You can support us on or before May 2nd during SOLA Giving Day. Our campaign benefits our "little naturalists" program, Outdoor Adventure Kids.

https://www.solagivingday.org/organizations/acadiana-master-naturalists