The 250th Anniversary of naturalist's William Bartram's exploration of the Lake Pontchartrain area was commemorated with the installation of a historical marker at Pelican Park October 25th, 2025.
The famed artist, explorer and naturalist passed through St. Tammany Parish in 1775 as he explored southern Louisiana and particularly the Mississippi River delta.
William Bartram
The Bartram marker was placed in the "The Groves" section of Pelican Park, and a program was held at the Castine Center to provide several knowledgeable speakers the opportunity to share information about Bartram's many contributions to the identification and preservation of area vegetation. The programs discussed many aspects of the area environment, particularly the Longleaf Pine Range.
Speakers included John Broderick of the William Bartram Celebrations Committee, Dr. Tammany Greer with the University of Southern Mississippi, and Charles Fryling with the LSU School of Landscape Architecture.
The event was held in cooperation with the Bartram Trail Conference. The Bartram Trail traces the route that Bartram took across the southern United States in the mid-1770's.
Among the organizations taking part in the Bartram Celebration were a number of exhibitors, among them the Abita Nature Center, the Baton Rouge Audubon Society, Homegrown National Park, the Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative, Louisiana Master Naturalists, the Louisiana Native Plant Society, the Mississippi Native Plant Society, Orleans Audubon Society, Pelican Park Nature Club, the Crosby Arboretum, the Delta Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Pontchartrain Basic Chapter of Wild Ones, and the Xerces Society.
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