SELANWR

We are volunteering for Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex.  It is made up of 8 refuges.  Looking on a map, you can see where these refuges make a big circle around New Orleans.  These 8 refuges are:

Atchafalaya NWR...15,220 acres
Bayou Savage NWR...25,000 acres
Bayou Teche NWR...9,028 acres
Big Branch NWR...over 18,000 acres
Bogue Chitto NWR...36,000 acres
Breton NWR...the second oldest refuge in the system...an island.
Delta NWR...49,000 acres
Mandalay NWR...4,212 acres

We live in a gated community now. 

This is the entrance to Bayou Lacomb Center. It is a property of 110 acres.

It is where the headquarters facility and the Visitor Center is located.

The gate is open daily from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm.

We feel very safe and private.

The resident volunteers are parked in our own campground on this beautiful property.

There are 5 pads for volunteers and there are only 3 of us here right now with more coming later.

This is the laundry facility with 2 washers and 2 dryers.  There are three more sheds where tools are kept, etc.




Bayou Lacombe property was purchased in 1990 by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to be the headquarters complex for SELANWR.

The property was privately owned in the 1930's and developed and opened to the public as "Bayou Gardens" where a wide variety of camellias, azaleas and other flowering trees and shrubs brought many visitors in the past.  The property was sold to the Redemptorist order and became Holy Redeemer High School, then later operated as a seminary retreat center for the church.

These were the classrooms/dormitory and now serve as the offices for staff.  Behind and to the right side is the cafeteria, another big building.

This was the church and is now the Visitor Center where there are dioramas and displays showing the 8 refuges.

There is also a small gift shop inside.

We are parked a good distance left of the vc.

There are many trails leading to areas like these where you can find peace and serenity.

We will be taking a tour of some of the other refuges in this complex on Monday.

Until next time...