Louisiana Master Naturalists of Greater New Orleans

Coral Ardisia is an amazingly persistent and invasive species that has escaped into the wild and is growing like crazy in the sandier areas of our new sanctuary near the Amite River. It's extremely hard to eradicate due to the waxy characteristic of its leaves; It has to be both cut and hit with herbicide to remove it.

Sooo, we are going to have a 2-part eradication party. On March 6 , 1:00pm or so, will be Phase 1. We will meet at the sanctuary and cut down the plants and gather all the vegetation into trash bags (can't let the berries stay and grow new plants). Then a few weeks later on March 20, 1:00 pm we'll go back and apply herbicide to the cut plants to make sure they don't come back.

The address is 45141 Manny Guitreau Rd in Prairieville (near Fred's on the river, across the river from Port Vincent) but use the address 45138 in your GPS and look for the signs and temporary fencing with green T-posts and yellow rope.

Here's a link to our website with info I just added about the sanctuary:

http://braudubon.org/conservation/sanctuaries

(Scroll down past Peveto Woods info)

The page includes a *very* preliminary trail map. The trails are still very much a work in progress. They are primitive trails, marked by surveyor tape, and knee-high boots are recommended as there are muddy and wet spots that need to be crossed.

Hopefully we will have a sign and better trail markers before too long!

There are other volunteer opportunities for the sanctuary:
-- replacing the metal T-posts and rope with 3x3 or 4x4 posts with plastic chain. We can buy the materials; just need someone willing to do the work!
--If there's anyone who's particularly good at creating trails, they can help me out! I have walked much of the property but there are swales and ridges and I'd like to mark the trails on the higher ground, which means doing some more exploring to find the ridges.
-- Need some bog bridges built over low areas that tend to stay wet / muddy

If you're able to help, send a message to me (seejanebird@gmail.com) and let me know that you'll be there.

Thanks so much!

--Jane