Tuesday, May 12, 2009

The Honey Island Swamp in Louisiana; Nature’s Paradise!


When people think of swamps they usually think of Louisiana as they go together like biscuits and butter. Southeast Louisiana is home to the two largest swamps in the state, the Atchafalaya the states largest is southwest of the city of New Orleans. The second, and in this writers opinion the best swamp to tour, is the Honey Island Swamp which is located on the East side of Slidell, running along the vast Pearl River.

Honey Island Swamp covers over 70 thousand acres of wetlands. Fed by the mighty Pearl River, Honey Island Swamp is sometimes flooded by the river running over it’s banks mostly occurring during spring. The Swamp is a State Wildlife Refuge protected by the State Wildlife Protection Agency, which provides a sanctuary for nature. Of course most do not think of a swamp without getting a vision of the prehistoric looking alligator, but the swamp is filled with so much wildlife that a true naturalist would love getting lost in this area.

Birders, too find the Honey Island a wonderful place to spend their mornings. Many students find this area an ideal place for school projects or thesis. One such student was studying the history of bird species and their territories. This student had studied intensely the history of birds in Illinois and found that many species that once made that area home hundreds of years ago, now reside in the Honey Island Swamp do to the ever changing climate. His visit to the swamp was to determine how many of those species he could encounter here.

Several reports have spiked world wide interest to the Honey Island Swamp. There is the legend of the Honey Island Swamp Monster that got SciFi fans rushing to the area to find him back in the 1970’s and the legend has resurfaced with the release of Mr. Ford's documentary put together by his granddaughter in 1999. Another stir was with the possible siting of the thought to be extinct Ivory Billed Woodpecker. To this day, birders flock here in hopes to find this large bird which can be easily confused with the popular large Pileated Woodpecker found throughout the area.

I have not even touched the surface of the vast tree and plant life, from the bald cypress, tupelo and river birch to the swamp grasses, Spanish Moss, and the wild Iris which lies on the water banks and much, much more. I never thought of a swamp as a place of beauty but it is. Come to Louisiana, Experience Nature, Explore the Honey Island Swamp.

Thank you for Shootin’ the breeze with me - Debbi

Woodridge Bed and Breakfast Inn Louisiana http://www.woodridgebb.com
Located just outside of the Honey Island Swamp and minutes to the tours and boat launches, Woodridge B&B is the perfect place to enjoy nature. Guests of Woodridge receive special discounts at some area tours, when booked through the B&B.

The best way to tour the Honey Island Swamp is by boat. If you bring your own boat or canoe, there are several public launch sites making it easy to experience the area at your leisure. For those not coming in tow, a tour may be more up your ally. There are several tour companies in the Slidell area that do tours year round. Most have covered boats to protect you from the sun when you are not under the vast tree canopy, and from the occasional afternoon showers.

Honey Island Swamp: - http://www.honeyislandswamp.com/
Pearl River Eco Tours: - http://www.pearlriverecotours.com/index.html
Cajun Encounters: - http://www.cajunencounters.com/Swamp_Tour.html

For those wanting to explore on foot, permits can be obtained to wonder through paths created near the northern end of the refuge off I-59 near the town of Pearl River and other areas. See the State Wildlife and Fisheries site: http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/hunting/wmas/wmas/list.cfm?wmaid=35