Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program

November is near! Pencil us in? ✏️ First, join us for #FarmFriday this Friday, November 1st, from 9 am to 12 pm at the BTNEP Native Plant Nursery (located at the Nicholls Farm, 104 Thoroughbred Park Drive, Thibodaux) to help with general chores around the nursery, like weeding, separating plants, up-potting, and more! All ages are welcome, and no registration is required. Next up, our Quarter 4 Management Conference will be held on Thursday, November 14, 2024, at 9:30 am. We will meet at the LUMCON's Blue Works facility at the Houma Maritime Campus. To register now, please send us an email to nicole@btnep.org or call us at 985.447.0868.

Earlier this month, the BTNEP staff spent three days in the field with Dr. Charles M. Allen for a Plant ID class. Dr. Allen is a botanist, plant taxonomist, retired professor, and accomplished author. Over the course of the trip, we visited several sites throughout the estuary, including the Nicholls Farm, the Lafitte Woods Nature Preserve (Sureway Woods) on Grand Isle, Elmer's Island Wildlife Refuge, and Lake Boeuf. Under Dr. Allen's guidance, our team identified and documented native and non-native terrestrial and aquatic plants. Thank you, Dr. Allen, for sharing your knowledge and expertise with us!

Last weekend, we had the honor of receiving the 2024 Coastal Champion Award at this year's Rougarou Fest, presented by the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center (SLWDC)! The award recognizes an entity for its efforts to protect and preserve coastal Louisiana. In keeping the spirit of Halloween, BTNEP participated in the festival to share our dead petting zoo! The festival celebrates the rich folklore along the bayous of Southeast Louisiana. It showcases live music, cultural activities, children's activities, Cajun food, the Krewe Ga Rou parade, and more. (Plus, check out BTNEP's Biological Research Coordinator, Delaina LeBlanc's Limpkin costume!)

We had a fantastic turnout for our Native Plant Giveaway last month! We were joined by more than 100 visitors and distributed over 1,200 plants (with 357 trees given away)! If you missed the chance to tour our nursery, join us next Friday, November 1st, for Farm Friday, from 9 am - 12 pm at 104 Thoroughbred Park Drive in Thibodaux (Nicholls Farm). Volunteers will be tasked with general farm chores like weeding, separating plants, up-potting, etc. No registration is required. Questions about Farm Friday and how you or your business/organization can get involved? Shoot us an email at info@btnep.org!

Thank you to all who participated in another successful Paddle Bayou Lafourche! We had a safe and wonderful trip with great weather, food and music enjoyed by over 75 of our friends and neighbors throughout the day. We’d again like to thank our partners, the Bayou Lafourche Fresh Water District, Friends of Bayou Lafourche, and Nicholls State University, for helping make the trip possible. We’d also like to recognize our sponsors and donors who generously supported our paddle: CF Industries, GIS Engineering, LLC, Sealevel Construction Inc, Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office, Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, City of Thibodaux, Geaux Paddle, Rouses Markets, Bayou Signs Outdoor, Off the Hook, Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, Raising Cane’s, Grady V’s, and Clean Solutions 365.

Please mark your calendars for our 109th Management Conference to be held on Thursday, November 14, 2024, at 9:30 am. Our conference is on the move! We will meet at the LUMCON's Blue Works facility at the Houma Maritime Campus. We will be hearing from several speakers, who will be announced in the upcoming weeks, and the meeting will be followed by lunch. To register now, please send us an email to nicole@btnep.org or call us at 985.447.0868.

Tomorrow is the big day!!! Registered paddlers, please check your email for detailed instructions. If you have any questions, please shoot us a message at info@btnep.org or give us a call at 985.447.0868.

International Coastal Cleanup was a great success! We were joined by 86 volunteers and collected 682 pounds of trash from the beach! Following the cleanup, the types of litter found were documented; among the worst offenders were plastic bottles and caps, “tiny” (less than 2.5cm) plastic/foam pieces, and fishing gear (line, nets, traps). Thank you to all who participated, as well as our partners, Nicholls State University and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Mark your calendars for next year’s cleanup on September 20, 2025.

PADDLE BAYOU LAFOURCHE IS THIS SATURDAY!!! Join us this Saturday, October 12th, for our annual Paddle Bayou Lafourche — a 15 or 9.5-mile paddle down the bayou from Napoleonville/Labadieville to Thibodaux, where we'll top off the day with a celebration at the Nicholls State bayou side pavilion! Registration is $50 for adults, and $20 for children 12 and under. We're also offering $20 OFF to any university students, faculty, and staff with a valid ID. All paddlers are responsible for providing their own kayak/canoe/pirogue. What does your registration get you? 🤔 - Shuttle transportation from the pavilion in Thibodaux to your chosen paddle launch site - Breakfast and snacks before the paddle begins - Cajun food, music, and refreshments following the paddle - An event shirt (long sleeve sport-material) - Custom 17oz aluminum BTNEP water bottle with carabiner clip - Custom 12x18.5" Wet-Dry bag with outer mesh pocket Ready to register? Sign up here: https://bit.ly/3Nj6pEF

White Boot Gala was a great success! We had a record-breaking attendance and sold out over a month ahead. We can't thank you all enough for your incredible support! We enjoyed an evening of fellowship, live music by the Cajun Music Preservation Society, delicious appetizers and a 4-course off-menu dinner by Spahr's Seafood, and a silent auction and raffle. It was so wonderful to visit with everyone who attended! The evening wouldn't have been possible without the support of our many sponsors and donors. We have many thanks to give, but we'd like to kick it off by recognizing our Platinum Sponsor. Our Platinum Sponsor chose to remain anonymous, but we can reveal how thankful we are! This donor has been a dedicated advocate and champion of our estuary for many years. She has a rich history with our program, and her dedication to our mission is evident and so appreciated. Thank you! We'd also like to thank our friends at Spahr's Seafood for their commitment and support of BTNEP! For many years, Spahr's Seafood in Des Allemands has shut down business for an evening to open its doors to our White Boot Gala. And in addition to hosting our Gala, they go above and beyond as donors and supporters year-round. On behalf of our foundation and program, we'd like to thank Donald Spahr, Brent Roger, Chef Ryan Gaudet, Anh Trahan, and the entire Spahr's Seafood crew/staff for their incredible contributions to this event — from the moment we start setting up, and until the restaurant is completely clear, the Spahr's team is there every step of the way. We are so grateful! 👏👏👏 Photo credit: Gabrielle Chaisson, Spahr's Social Media Manager