Welcome to the Southeast Louisiana Refuges Complex
© Tom Carlisle
There are eight National Wildlife Refuges in the Southeast Louisiana (SELA) Refuges Complex. The mission of these refuges and the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management and where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans. These refuges are representative of the rich and varied habitat and wildlife resources of the coastal region of the state. They are part of a network of over 540 refuges throughout the country that are administered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS).
This is the SELA Refuges Complex web site. You are invited to take a virtual tour of these refuges by viewing the pages within this web site. Hopefully the tour will entice you to visit the refuges in the near future.
© Tom Carlisle
This page is the SELA Refuges Complex Home Page. It is accessible from all the pages in the SELA Refuges Complex web site in the menu on the left or near the bottom of the page.
Each of the eight refuges in the complex has a home page. Each refuge home page is accessible from all the pages in the SELA Refuges Complex web site in the menu on the left.
Each of the programs in the SELA Refuges Complex also has a page. Each of the programs is accessible from all the pages in the SELA Refuges Complex web site in a menu on the left or at the bottom of the page.
The "finder" menu to the upper left on each page provides links to web sites that have more information about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Southeast Region. The links can be used to find specific offices, programs and contacts in the FWS.
At the very bottom of each page are links to other federal government web sites.
SELA Refuges Complex Headquarters Location - The Southeast Louisiana Refuges' headquarters is located on a beautiful property in Lacombe, LA on Hwy 434 two miles south of I-12 (Exit 74). Watch for the Big Branch Marsh Refuge sign. Office Hours are 7 AM to 4 PM Monday through Friday. Our phone number is (985) 882-2000. The headquarters property is known as "Bayou Lacombe Centre."
Refuge Visitor Center - The refuge complex has opened it's visitor center located at the complex headquarters address above. The center displays exhibits about all eight refuges managed by the Southeast Louisiana Refuges Complex. Staffed by volunteers, the visitor center is open Thursdays-Saturdays from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Volunteers are needed to help run the visitor center. Please contact the volunteer coordinator at 985-882-2024.
Friends of Louisiana Wildlife Refuges - The Friends of Louisiana Wildlife Refuges is a non-profit, membership organization that supports and advocates for the SELA Refuges. They sponsor several of the refuge annual events, obtain grants to support refuge projects, conduct fund-raising activities to support environmental education programs and help us operate and maintain the refuge facilities and programs by conducting weekend "work-play" days. We appreciate their support and encourage others to become members of the "Friends" organization.
Announcements
Wild Things 2009 A Whopping Success - A sparkling fall day greeted visitors to the 12th annual Wild Things festival October 17th at Southeast Louisiana Refuges Complex in Lacombe, LA. A record crowd of over 3,200 was attracted by the promise of exciting exhibits, live animals, canoe and pontoon boat tours, and much, much more. And it was all free! Food and drink sales benefitted the Friends of Louisiana Wildlife Refuges, who covered promotional costs to get the word out about this celebration of National Wildlife Refuge Week. Events and attractions were spread around the 110-acre Complex headquarters site, so the hayride shuttle provided a fun way to get around and see the sights, with stops at the main parking area, the new SE LA Refuges Visitor Center, the boat launch, and the casting pond, where dozens of youngsters aimed for floating buoys and prizes. Four bands kept the scene humming, with a second stage at the bayou added this year to entertain those waiting for pontoon and canoe tours. New carpeted display panels secured through a Friends/NFWF grant made for a snazzily-mounted Youth Wildlife Art Show - it was jammed with over 325 entries, and whole families came to see their youngster’s art. A record 34 guest exhibitors were on hand representing many local and national conservation and wildlife organizations, and over 75 volunteers helped to make the big day a success. Quote of the day, from a visitor: “I’ve been here all day, and I’ve only seen one kid texting on a cell phone!”
Public Canoe Tours on Big Branch Marsh Refuge - In addition to the three tours this fall, we will offer two trips a month from January through May. Information on how to register for those will be posted here as soon as dates are set. Please check back soon.
Delta National Wildlife Refuge CD - "Discovering the Delta - An Interactive Exploration of Delta National Wildlife Refuge." This educational CD-ROM is now available free of charge. Click here for more information.
© Tom Carlisle
Last Updated on
October 30, 2009