| Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center | |
|---|---|
| BREC's Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center | |
 Boardwalk at BREC's Bluebonnet Nature Center | |
 Interactive map of Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center | |
| Location | Baton Rouge, Louisiana,United States |
| Nearest city | Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
| Coordinates | 30°22′28.59″N91°06′11.21″W / 30.3746083°N 91.1031139°W /30.3746083; -91.1031139 |
| Area | 103 acres (42 ha) |
| Created | 17 May 1997 |
| Governing body | Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge (aka "BREC") |
| www | |
Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center is a 103-acre nature conservation park administered by the Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge (also known as "BREC"), and located at 10503 N. Oak Hills Parkway,Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810.[1] It is open to the public Tuesday - Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. (except for some holidays) for a nominal fee.[2] The facility was opened as BREC's first nature conservation based park on 17 May 1997.[3]
The main exhibit building is a 9500-square-foot structure containing both live animal exhibits and photographic displays of the park's flora and fauna, as well as ecology and art exhibits. It houses the largest public display of vintage Louisianaduck decoys, donated by the late Charles W. Frank, Jr.[4] The education building (newly renovated in 2014) was added to the facility to serve as a separate space for educational programs.
There are programs and special events that run throughout the year, including monthly bird walks and bird talks, and periodic pet days, toddler sessions, day camps, art shows, and night hikes. Special events include the gem and mineral themed "Rockin' at the Swamp" every March, the antique waterfowl decoy themed "Duck Duck Goose Day" every August, and the child-friendly Halloween themed "Swamp Haunted Hikes" every October.
Gravel trails andboardwalks[5] run through over a mile ofbaldcypress-tupelo swamp,beech-magnolia andhardwood forests. Birds, squirrels, turtles, snakes, insects, and spiders are regularly seen inhabitants along with other common urban wildlife such as raccoons, armadillos, opossums, and swamp cottontails. Also known to visit the site are foxes, coyotes, deer, and otters.
Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center was the premiere research station for the Louisiana Bird Observatory (formerly known as the Bluebonnet Bird Monitoring Project). This project is designed to study year-round population trends andmoulting patterns in southern bird populations.[6] This project has conductedbird banding programs since March 2010. Since then, a protocol has been drafted based on recommendations from the North American Banding Council,[7] the Handbook of Bird Monitoring Techniques[8] and the Klamath Demographic Network.[9]
The publications produced from this project include an examination ofindigo bunting moulting patterns[10] andbarred owl foraging behavior.[11] Thousands of birds have been banded largely byLouisiana State University undergraduate and graduate students, as parts of research projects.[6]
Academic publications based on research conducted at Bluebonnet:
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