Environmental Education

School and Summer Program Destination

Black Bayou Lake NWR is a popular destination for school and summer camp field trips. Refuge ranger and volunteers conduct fun, educational activities that can help meet state and national curriculum standards.  

The Conservation Learning Center Discovery Room features six learning centers, five computer stations, lab sinks, microscopes and state of the art audio/visual equipment.  The Aquarium Room has live exhibits of Louisiana reptiles, amphibians and fishes.  The Visitor Center has interactive exhibits on refuge wildlife and their habitats. The refuge offers a variety of wildlife habitats for hands -on environmental investigations using scientific equipment available on site.

Black Bayou Lake NWR offers teacher workshops to familiarize teachers with the refuge facilities and to equip them to facilitate the variety of educational activities which can be offered. Workshop participants get a handbook that offer background information, a variety of wildlife related lessons, and pre and post visit activities to enhance the educational value of the refuge fieldtrips.

Through a partnership with Monroe city Schools Technology Department, many programs are now integrating technology into cross-curricular activities that focus on the refuge and its wildlife resources. Students use Proscopes, GPS units, Probeware, data loggers, digital cameras and computers to enhance the environmental education program at the refuge. Visit Monroe City Schools at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge to learn more.