Our 2023 Mascots & Greenspace of the Year

Our good luck mascots for the 2023 Baton Rouge Region City Nature Challenge are two yellow fellows, the Io Moth and the Prothonotary Warbler. The greenspace of the year is Joyce WMA. Go explore this area and observe these beautiful creatures native to our region!

Come see us at a Baton Rouge City Nature Challenge event between November and April to get your limited edition 2023 sticker. The stickers are thick and durable water-resistant vinyl — perfect for your water bottle! A great way to remind yourself about the City Nature Challenge dates.

The artwork is reminiscent of vintage National Park stickers, featuring an illustration by Arif who drew a fun and colorful interpretation of a Prothonotary Warbler and the Joyce WMA boardwalk. Collect them all!

2023 Baton Rouge City Nature Challenge sticker

Joyce WMA

Joyce Wildlife Management Area is a Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries WMA located in Tangipahoa Parish near Ponchatoula, and features a wonderful swamp boardwalk that is perfect for a family bird walk in the beautiful cypress/tupelo swamp. Be sure to look for the resident Barred Owls, and the beautiful native Iris and Buttonbush. Limpkins have been sighted in Joyce WMA, a new bird species that is expanding their range to our region.

Prothonotary Warbler

Prothonotary Warblers are songbirds and are sometimes given the nickname, “Swamp Canary” or “Cajun Canary.” They eat insects and live in hardwood habitats near water. These birds nest in tree cavities or old woodpecker holes in the summer and migrate to South America for the winter. The word Prothonotary comes from the court notaries of the Byzantine era that wore golden yellow robes.

Io Moth

Io Moths have a wingspan of about 3 inches, with big fake eye spots to scare off predators. The males are yellow, and the females are brownish. The spiky, green Io moth caterpillars eat the leaves of a variety of trees, like Ash, Beech, Hackberry, Redbud, and Sweetgum. Io is a name from Greek mythology.