As I was walking the halls of the Whitney Plantation the other week, I came across an old map hanging over a water fountain in the back corner. It was a map showing a section of the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge to New Orleans circa 1860. Slivered and smooshed along the rivers banks were…
by Kelley Kirkpatrick The eastern lubber grasshopper’s march finally comes to an end, after an impressively long-last lasting death march across the highway. Suitably named, the flightless insects appear to stumble along their way. It’s large size makes it both a poor leaper and unable to fly, so the lubber grasshopper walks where it…
Guardians of the Swamp How to join the fight for healthy ecosystems in Louisiana By Ross Baringer During my tours, usually toward the end, I mention to the group that there are several environmentalist organizations working hard to protect the natural beauty and health of Louisiana’s wilderness. Later, as we paddle back toward the boat…
by Kelley Kirkpatrick Inversions aboard! Swamp tours by Kelley are now inclusive of balance tricks! I have come to enjoy balancing in crow pose at the nose of the kayak. It is an exciting and entertaining pose, as I hang over the front of the vessel and can look into the water, with a possibility…
The Cajun Clams of Louisiana Can you eat clams from Lake Pontchartrain? This is the question my friend and I were asking each other as we dug up dozens of small Rangia clams while swimming at a North Shore beach. A quick internet search revealed that they are edible, with caveats. Although Native Americans relied on the Rangia as a principle food source, discarding the shells in numerous middens, more recent efforts to commercialize these ‘Cajun Clams’ for food never really caught on. You probably know Louisiana for it’s famous oysters. The truth is that Rangia clams are even more plentiful in many of our waterways. The hardy Rangia is the only species of clam that thrives in lower salinity water environments such as the brackish zones common throughout coastal Louisiana. Ideal conditions for the clam are soft,…
Stranger to the swamp by Jake Beale I’m no stranger to the outdoors, however, the most amazing wildlife viewing of my life has occurred the last few weeks while guiding with Nola Swamp Tours. Some notable moments that touched my soul include seeing a hummingbird feeding on a Louisiana iris, Earth Day. Paddling behind…