BTNEP

We’ve been busy in #OurEstuary! We went to Coastal Day at the Capitol, sharing our mission & connecting with legislators & partners. We also joined the LUMCON Open House, engaging ~300 attendees with our "dead petting zoo," & more! Thanks to @LouisianaCPRA & @LUMCONscience!

Help BTNEP celebrate 15 years of bayou cleanin’! Since 2012, volunteers have removed 215 tons of trash from Bayou Lafourche! Join us on April 18 & sign up by April 15. Plus, join a free afterparty in Downtown Thib! Register biw: bit.ly/3Za4aJu bit.ly/4cd4PA2

Say hi to one of BTNEP’s Critter Krewe - Pascal the Purple Martin! These birds are small but mighty! Purple Martins migrate from Brazil, where they winter, and fly 4,806 miles over the Gulf without EVER stopping! Needless to say, Louisiana’s coast is a welcomed sight!

Check out BTNEP Volunteer & Engagement Coordinator Emily Braud and Education & Engagement Coordinator Nicki Boudreaux on HTV’s Local Lafourche! Head to Facebook at mark 7:43 to hear more about our BTNEP's Bayou Cleanup on Saturday, April 18th. 🚣‍♂️ facebook.com/share/v/1AhLnV…

Come hang out! - Farm Friday @ BTNEP Native Plant Nursery, 104 Thoroughbred Park Dr, register @ 985-447-0868 - Help clean Bayous Lafourche, Terrebonne, Grand & Petit Caillou - Free Afterparty in Downtown Thibodaux w/ live music! More info on our social & btnep.org

April is National Native Plant Month, and we’re celebrating by spotlighting native plants & pollinators of #OurEstuary! First up: Coral Honeysuckle — an easy-care vine loved by birds, butterflies & hummingbirds (like the Ruby-throated!). Stay tuned for more! 📸 Mike Glaspell

Bayou Cleanup is just under 3 weeks away! 🤩 To ENSURE an event t-shirt, please register by this Wednesday, April 1st! Registration is open until Wednesday, April 15th, but all registrations after this Friday will not be guaranteed a t-shirt. More info: bit.ly/47JgXHF

While in D.C., they attended the Association of National Estuary Programs board meeting and visited LA’s Congressional and Senate offices to highlight BTNEP’s critical work. We’re grateful for the continued support in protecting our coast, waters, wildlife, culture, and economy.

BTNEP Deputy Director Michelle Felterman and Director Bren Haase were recently in Washington, D.C. for the annual National Estuary Program meeting with EPA leadership, and NEP partners from across the country, sharing insights and collaborating with all 28 programs.

Species like Small Carpenter Bees, Mason Bees, and Leafcutter Bees (like the one in this video!) use stems from plants like raspberry, hydrangea, or sunflower as nesting sites. Don’t worry about the “dead” look — your new Spring growth will naturally hide the old stems! 🌼

Have you been gardening? While it’s tempting to clear out last year’s dried stalks, those dead stems are actually high-end real estate for our local pollinators! ~30% of our native bees are stem-nesters, meaning they rely on hollow/pithy stems to build their homes and lay eggs.

Additionally, our sponsorships also close this Friday, the 27th. If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor or would like more information, please contact Emily Braud at emilyb@btnep.org or register online at docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAI….

Our Bayou Cleanup is just over 3 weeks away! 🤩 To ENSURE an event t-shirt, please register by this Friday, March 27th! Registration is open until Wednesday, April 15th, but all registrations after this Friday will not be guaranteed a t-shirt. More info: bit.ly/47JgXHF

Spring is in the air, & so are the birds! 🐦‍⬛ Recently, @nichollsstate Biology faculty & students joined BTNEP & other volunteers to collect and band sparrows at the Nicholls Farm. Using mist nets, the group walked through fields, clapping to flush birds toward the nets.

We're still thinking about the fun at the Terrebonne Aquatic Clinic, sponsored by @LDWF! Over 3 days, we led hands-on lessons for Terrebonne Parish 5th graders on water quality, estuaries, & saltwater intrusion. We reached ~250 students & teachers! Thanks to LDWF for having us!

The event is free & all ages are welcome, but don’t be a couyon, cher…volunteers must register by April 15th! ☝️ Want to show your bayou pride? Become a sponsor by March 27th! Learn more + register at btnep.org/btnep-bayou-cl…. We hope to see you there, beb!

Mais, tell ya momma and them! 🗣️BTNEP’s Bayou Cleanup is ONE MONTH away! Grab your maw maws and pee paws, mamas and daddies, aunties and uncles, nannies and parrains, your babies, and your podnas, and join us Saturday, April 18th!

Our Native Plant Giveaway was a huge success. Thanks to our community’s support, we gave away 1,384 trees! It was great to see old and new faces while sharing plant care tips and why we grow these species. Thanks to everyone who came out, and #OurEstuary wildlife thanks you too!

Does your team, school, church group, club, etc. want a fulfilling way to give back? Join us in 5 weeks for our BTNEP’s Bayou Cleanup! Part of a large group and would like assistance registering? Contact emilyb@btnep.org. For more information, visit bit.ly/4tbGDFU

Spring is almost here! 🌼🌸 Wildlife Coordinator Natalie Waters prepped nest boxes at Brownell Memorial Park for returning Prothonotary Warblers, which love wet forests. Since 2016, thousands of chicks have hatched here! Fun: Green Treefrogs use the boxes off-season.