Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge Introduction to Bayou Sauvage
GPS Coordinates: 30° 5′ 0″ N, 89° 51′ 0″ W
At 9am Saturday, January 26, 2019 the temperature at Bayou Sauvage was 48 degrees Fahrenheit, and sunny. Located just northeast of New Orleans, Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge is a marsh and wetland habitat rich in wildlife and recreation opportunities. Most of the refuge is located inside hurricane protection levees built to protect New Orleans from storm surge and flooding. Because the levees interrupt the natural water flow, a network of pumps and flap gates regulate seasonal water levels. This, in turn, encourages the summer growth of emergent grasses and provides waterfowl with winter food supplies. Established in 1990, Bayou Sauvage offers stretches of fresh and brackish (a combination of fresh and salt water) marshes and coastal hardwood forests as far as the eye can see. During the warm months of the year it teems with wildlife and plant life, offering up some of the most exotic flora and fauna you’ll ever get to see up close.
The entire national wildlife refuge is within the city limits of New Orleans, approximately 25,000 acres, only 25 minutes from the French Quarter and downtown, making it the nation’s second largest urban national wildlife refuge (after the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge [1]). The refuge was severely impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina was an extremely destructive and deadly Category 5 hurricane that made landfall in Florida and Louisiana, particularly the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas, in August 2005, causing catastrophic damage from central Florida to eastern Texas.
Bayou Sauvage is part of the Refuge Association Urban Refuge Program. The National Wildlife Refuge Association is a non-profit exclusively focused on protecting and promoting the 850 million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, the world’s largest network of lands and waters set aside for wildlife conservation. [2]
The Refuge Association’s Urban Refuge Program strives to reach beyond refuge boundaries and into local communities throughout our nation to connect all Americans to nature and our wildlife heritage in a thoughtful and authentic way. Of the more than 560 refuges that make up the system, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has identified 101 national wildlife refuges as urban. Of those, 14 are designated regional urban refuges, two per region (except Alaska). Bayou Sauvage falls in Region 4.
REGION 4:
- Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge
- Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge [3]
[1] https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Don_Edwards_San_Francisco_Bay/about.html
[2] https://www.refugeassociation.org/about/about-nwra/
[3] https://www.refugeassociation.org/where-we-work/urban-refuge-program-conserving-our-conservation-future/
Topics for Discussion
I was immediately struck by the presence of trees and plants that a local resident would instantly recognize. Plants that occur in and around neighborhoods in New Orleans, in our back yards and open spaces around town. And, the fact the trees and plants were clearly marked and labelled at Bayou Sauvage, made this an exceptional educational experience… eliminating the need for the inevitable questions on every family outing: What tree is that? And that? What about that one?
By following the Gulf Coast Phenology Trail Site Map, 10 phonology stations are identified. But wait… what is Phenology?
According to the National Phenology Network, phenology is nature’s calendar—when cherry trees bloom, when a robin builds its nest and when leaves turn color in the fall. Phenology is a key component of life on earth. Many birds time their nesting so that eggs hatch when insects are available to feed nestlings. Likewise, insect emergence is often synchronized with leaf out in host plants. [1]
I observed four plant species that could be found in a home garden setting in New Orleans that is also plentiful at Bayou Sauvage:
- Live Oak – Quercus virginiana
- Cypress – Taxodium distichum
- Louisiana Iris – ‘The Louisianans’
- Persimmon – Diospyros virginiana
1. Live Oak – Quercus virginiana
Thread = Plant/animal intelligence/awareness
This is the granddaddy of New Orleans oak trees. If you live in Southeastern Louisiana, you’re familiar with Live Oaks. These trees, once established (establishments usually take 1-2 years), can withstand considerable draught (for our climate that translates 3 to 4 weeks without rainfall), and will tolerate longer periods of flooding (3-5 days), but will also grow in moist to average soils. [1] An interesting observation at Bayou Sauvage is that the oak tree at the bathroom and the ones near the beginning of the walkway did not appear to have excessing acorns on the ground, also known as ‘masting’. Oak trees in the Uptown and Metairie neighborhoods of New Orleans had large crops of acorns this season. Periodic production of large seed crops, or bumper crops, within a tree population is often called “masting”. Acorns are rich in protein, carbs, fats, and minerals such at calcium and potassium. That means animals use the fruit of oak trees as a natural food source. Pigs, deer, and squirrels eat a lot of acorns. Pigs and squirrels may be the reason for the lack of vast quantities of acorns on the ground. This could account for the observation that the trees in local neighborhoods had more acorns on the ground… not too many feral pigs (Sus scrofa) in Uptown New Orleans!
[1] Louisiana Yards and Neighborhoods, A Guide to Louisiana-Friendly Landscaping. LSU AgCenter Pub. 2993 (750) 08/17 Rev.
2. Cypress – Taxodium distichum
Thread = Habitats – how are they characterized
If you’ve been on a swamp tour… you’ve seen the mighty Cypress… knees and all. These trees, once established (establishments usually take 1-2 years), can withstand considerable draught (for our climate that translates – 3 to 4 weeks without rainfall), and will tolerate longer periods of flooding (3-5 days), but will also grow in moist to average soils. [1] The distinctive feature of these threes is a fluted base of tree with ‘knees’ protruding around the trunk. 
A cypress knee is a distinctive structure forming above the roots of a cypress tree of any of various species of the subfamily Taxodioideae. Their function is unknown, but they are generally seen on trees growing in swamps. Some current hypotheses state that they might help to aerate to the tree’s roots, create a barrier to catch sediment and reduce erosion, assist in anchoring the tree in the soft and muddy soil, or any combination thereof. [2]
So, what happens to the ‘knees’ in a garden setting? Let’s take a closer look:
This is what a ‘knees’ looks like once a lawnmower goes over it a few times. They are trimmed down to the level of the lawn. Next time you see a Cypress tree in someone’s garden or on the sidewalk, look closely and you’ll see the trimmed down knees.
Interesting factoid: The cypress family includes the world’s tallest tree, coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens); the world’s largest tree in volume giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron gigenteum); and some of the longest-lived trees.
[1] Louisiana Yards and Neighborhoods, A Guide to Louisiana-Friendly Landscaping. LSU AgCenter Pub. 2993 (750) 08/17 Rev.
3. Louisiana Iris – ‘The Louisianans’
Thread = Native vs. non-native species
Although a number of iris species are native to Louisiana, only five species are known as ‘The Louisianans’. They are Iris brevicaulis, Iris fulva, Iris giganticaerulea, Iris hexagona and Iris nelsonii. These Irises occur in the Mississippi valley from Louisiana to Ohio, and along the Gulf Coast from Mississippi to Texas. However, only in South Louisiana do all five species occur together. You typically see them growing in damp or wet areas at the edge of the swamp, in boggy areas and roadside ditches. [1] These plants will tolerate longer periods of flooding (3-5 days) but will also grow in moist to average soils. [2]
As the irises at Bayou Sauvage are not in bloom this time of the year, it’s hard to determine with species were observed. It also looked like something was eating the leaves and irises are susceptible to caterpillars chewing on new growth.
[1] Louisiana Iris, LSU AgCenter Pub. 1969 (5M) 2/07 Rev.
[2] Louisiana Yards and Neighborhoods, A Guide to Louisiana-Friendly Landscaping. LSU AgCenter Pub. 2993 (750) 08/17 Rev.
4. Persimmon – Diospyros virginiana
Thread = Native vs. non-native species
Most people are familiar with the Fuyu persimmon we see in the supermarket or farmers markets, but did you know there is a native variety growing right here in our back yard? This is a persimmon species is commonly called the American persimmon, the common persimmon, the eastern persimmon, possumwood, possum apples, or sugar plum. It ranges from southern Connecticut/Long Island to Florida, and west to Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Iowa. The tree grows wild but has been cultivated for its fruit and wood since prehistoric times by Native Americans.
Diospyros virginiana grows through 20 m (66 ft), in well-drained soil. In summer, this species produces fragrant flowers which are dioecious, so they need both male and female plants to obtain fruit. Most cultivars are parthenocarpic (setting seedless fruit without pollination). The flowers are pollinated by insects and the wind. Fruiting typically begins when the tree is about 6 years old. [1]
Interesting factoid: Oriental or Japanese persimmons (Diospyros kaki – commonly known as ‘Fuyu’) usually are grown on native persimmon (D. virginiana) rootstock that is adapted to a wide range of soil types. [2]
Grafting is a technique that vegetatively joins two plants into one. Most fruit trees today are grafted onto rootstock. Besides imparting specific characteristics to the resulting plant, it is a quick and reliable means of reproducing plants that do not grow true to type from seed.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diospyros_virginiana
[2] Louisiana Home Fruit and Nut Production. LSU AgCenter Pub. 3200 (2M) 11/13
Nature Journal Charcoal (first attempt)
Reflection
Louisiana is on the forefront of climate change and is at exceptional risk through the remainder of the 21st century, including the effects of between 1 and 4 feet of sea level rise, a greater number of intense rainfall days, increasingly warmer temperatures, stronger hurricanes and exposure to mosquito-borne diseases.
Environmental educators face a formidable challenge when they approach the topic of climate change due to the complexity of the science and of the political and cultural contexts to which people are exposed. There is a clear consensus among climate scientists that climate change awareness and growing levels of concern have not translated into meaningful action.
Environmental awareness is not reserved for academia only… I hope to play a small role in changing attitudes and perceptions. The underlying theme I will be following throughout my journey of becoming a naturalist, will focus on climate change education.
About the Author Eugene Brill
Eugene Brill does not hold a PhD in Environmental Science, Botany or another scientific field. He earned an MBA in business/marketing and is a mentor to startup entrepreneurs… but he’s a dedicated Wannabe Naturalist, an avid gardener and an amateur nature photographer. He does not ‘speak’ in taxonomic groupings, species and genera; but can communicate clearly with ‘Joe Public’ in language everyone understands. Eugene is constantly improving his ability to translate science into plain English. He loves to share knowledge, believe that Nature Deficit Disorder (NDD) is real, agrees that ‘forest bathing’ (fully clothed… ?) makes us happier, healthier and more creative, and he subscribes to the teachings of Edward O. Wilson and the Biophilia Hypothesis.