When: Saturday, February 22, 2025 from 9 AM - 1 PM
Where: Bayou Lacombe Centre at 61389 Hwy 434 Lacombe, LA.
- Free Family Activities
- Free Arts & Crafts
- Free Guided Nature Hikes
- Free accessible cart tours of historic gardens
- Free Workshops on camellias, bees and more!
- Free Nature Journaling Activities w/local artists
- Free Entry
- Free Parking
Friends of Louisiana Wildlife Refuges, Inc. will be there to support this great event and to raise funds for future events. The Friends will be hosting -
- Native plant & tree sale
- Camellia & Azalea sale
- Food concessions
- …and don’t forget about the Nature Store!
The Centre includes the former Bayou Gardens, which contains hundreds of varieties of camellias along with other flowering trees and shrubs. Special garden tours will be offered, beginning at 9:30 AM, with the last tour at 1 PM. In addition to admiring the blooms, tour-goers will learn about the interesting history of the site. Visitors may also explore on their own throughout the day. Sturdy shoes are recommended for the paths and trails.
The event is co-hosted by the Friends of Louisiana Wildlife Refuges, Inc. a non-profit group that supports projects on area National Wildlife Refuges and has worked to restore Bayou Gardens. Members of the Friends group will be demonstrating a waxing technique for camellia flowers – a fun way to preserve the beauty of these spectacular blooms. Visitors have the opportunity to wax their own camellias from 11 AM - 1 PM.
Bayou Gardens was created beginning in the 1940’s by former Louisiana Governor Richard Leche on grounds surrounding his home on Bayou Lacombe. By 1950 the gardens were being operated as a commercial tourist attraction and as a nursery for camellias, azaleas, and other plants. The gardens were later maintained by the Redemptorist order, which established the Holy Redeemer seminary school on the site in 1960.
Bayou Gardens is today part of the Bayou Lacombe Centre, an administrative headquarters for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Southeast Louisiana Refuges office.
Marsh restoration project at Big Branch Marsh NWR has temporarily closed some refuge sections to public use in the Fritchie Marsh Unit - REMINDER
Steps taken to protect visitors, hunters, and outdoor enthusiasts
A temporary closure is in effect at Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, specifically within the Fritchie Marsh Unit. This closure began at sunset on December 13, 2024, and will continue through Spring 2026.The closure is necessary to ensure the safety of crews working on a marsh restoration project aimed at addressing the extensive damage caused by tropical systems to marshes on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain.Law Enforcement officers will be actively patrolling the closed area to ensure the safety of both the public and the workers. Violators observed in the closed area may be subject to citations.
The restoration will involve the use of sediment pumped from Lake Pontchartrain to create over 290 acres of low salinity brackish marsh in areas currently consisting of open water ponds. This project is intended to improve shoreline stability for St. Tammany Parish residents, as well as enhance habitat for waterfowl and estuarine fish, benefiting future generations.
The closure is part of the refuge's regulations designed to protect visitors, and the refuge will remain open for hunting, fishing, and other recreational activities, except in the closed area. The project is expected to be completed by Spring 2026, after which all access will be restored. For further details, refer to the attached map showing the specific area of closure within the Fritchie Marsh Unit. Thank you for your patience as these important restoration efforts are carried out.
For more information, please contact the refuge office at 985/882-2000.
USFWS Photo of Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge’s Fritchie Marsh Unit with closed area boundary markers and project area details.
Visit Us
The refuge's piney woods, bayous, and marshes are a haven for wildlife and a great place to enjoy the outdoors. Hunting, fishing, hiking, paddling, bird watching, nature photography, guided tours, and educational programs are ways you can enjoy the refuge. The Bayou Lacombe Visitor Center in Lacombe is a gateway to exploring the Southeast Louisiana Refuges, with exhibits, maps and a nature store. The Visitor Center is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.