It's the time for year to get out of the house and go look at what nature is doing. There's perhaps no better place to do that than the Northlake Nature Center, a 400 acre wildlife park and observatory, the original home of the Great Louisiana Birdfest, and just a cool place for kids and parents to educate each other on nature's showcase in St. Tammany.
The entrance to the center is just east of Mandeville on U.S. 190, before one gets to the entrances to Pelican Park and Fontainebleau State Park.
The following information was found on the Nature Center's website.
"The Northlake Museum and Nature Center, Inc. was established in 1982 by as a project of the Greater Covington Junior Service League as an independent non-profit corporation directed to preserve, study, and publicly exhibit the natural and cultural resources of the Florida Parishes in southeastern Louisiana.
A tranquil scene
"In 1985, the Northlake Nature Center, Inc. entered into a 50-year lease with the State of Louisiana for a 52 acre tract of land situated along Bayou Castine on Highway 190 east of Mandeville across from Fontainebleau State Park, subsequently expanded to 400 ac, just 45 minutes from New Orleans. Situated in the heart of St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, it is also adjacent to Pelican Park Sports Complex and the 31-mile Tammany Trace Rails-to-Trails path.
"The Center offers visitors the opportunity to experience three different ecosystems: hardwood forest, pine-hardwood forest and pond-swamp. The ponds in the cypress swamp area are the result of beaver dams and a beaver lodge is visible from one of the centers raised boardwalks. Interpretive signs and outdoor classrooms enhance the visitors experience.
"In addition to the outstanding natural features of the site, areas of cultural interest include the site of an archaeological survey yielding evidence of a 700-year-old Acolapissa Native American population and the ruins of a clubhouse for the never-finished golf course of Louisiana Governor Richard W. Leche, who went to prison in the sensational scandals of 1939."
Robert W. Hastings, in his 2009 book "The Lakes of Pontchartrain (Their History and Environments)," said the following:
"In 1938 the former Marigny estate between Bayous Castine and Cane was bought by the state to create the 1000-acre (405-ha) Tchefuncte State Park (eventually named Fontainebleau ). The project also was to include a 50-acre (2o-ha) golf course. The land was cleared and landscaped and a club house constructed, but the course was never completed. Its key supporters, including Governor Richard W. Leche, went to jail as a result of the political scandals of 1939-1940. The now reforested site, with a crumbling clubhouse ruin, is the location of the Northlake Nature Center. "
The center's website continues on by saying, "The site is used for environmental education programs, hiking, and other nature activities by members and the public. Completed in April 1998 is a 20' X 30' open-air pavilion overlooking the Beaver Pond. The pavilion is available for group activities, picnics and individual relaxation.
Bird Fest
The Great Louisiana BirdFest is an annual event organized by the Northlake Nature Center. It is held each year in the spring when many species are migrating north through Louisiana from Mexico and South America. The CovID pandemic curtailed BirdFest activities in the past two years, but according to the St. Tammany Tourist and Convention Commission, a scaled back event was held in 2022. An all-outdoor Mini-Birdfest was planned, showcasing the bayous and canals of the Manchac Swamp.
Other areas in St. Tammany of interest to Birdfest participants who strike out on their own are the more than 80,000 acres of wildlife preserve in St. Tammany Parish, namely the Pearl River Wildlife Management Area, the Big Branch National Wildlife Reserve and the Nature Conservancy’s Abita Flatwood Preserve.
Birds To Watch For
Tourism and Nature Center officials say that during these events, birders can be on the lookout for seasonal visitors like the scarlet tanager, indigo bunting, ruby-throated hummingbirds, raptors, orioles, and a host of waterfowl species. Resident birds, besides the red-cockaded woodpecker (there are eight species of woodpecker found in St. Tammany’s refuges!) include great blue herons, great and snowy herons, white ibis, numerous hawk species and many others.
Here is a map of the Nature Center, showing its large area and trails...
The Nature Center is always looking for volunteers, so for more information, visit https://northlakenature.org/
In 1987, the St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce magazine featured an article telling about the new Northlake Museum and Nature Center and its plans for the future. Click on the image below to read the article:
