April 24-27, 2026

Here are some great to events to attend in between your nature walks! See below for the details for these events:

Gettin’ ready - events before the City Nature Challenge…
April 11: Great Native Grasses presentation
April 14: Beetle Mania! presentation
April 17-18: BREC BioBlitz
April TBA: Hang Out with the Purple Martins

Events during the City Nature Challenge, April 24-27!
April 24: BREC Night Hike & Campfire
April 25: Aquatic Life Activity
April 25: Litter Clean Up & Nature Walk
April 26: Wildlife After Hours at Hilltop
April 24-26: Northshore Naturalist Weekend Workshop (full)

After the City Nature Challenge
April 28-May 10: City Nature Challenge Identification Period

April 11, 2026
Garden Discoveries: Great Native Grasses

Hosted by Baton Rouge Botanic Garden Foundation & EBRPL
10:00 a.m. at the Main Library, 7711 Goodwood Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70806
Free

The presentation will cover the unique features of grasses, how to photograph and post grasses for identification in iNaturalist, and favorite species of native prairie grasses that will look great in your Louisiana landscape and provide ecological benefits. Plus, get the scoop on the City Nature Challenge!

April 14, 2026
Beetle Mania!

Hosted by EBR Parish Library
6:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the Main Library, 7711 Goodwood Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70806
Free

Beetle Mania! Sadly, beetles don’t receive as much adoration and attention as mammals, birds, and “cute” critters. Let’s change that! Dive into the fascinating world of beetles with Louisiana Master Naturalist Amber King for a presentation about beetle basics, the unique roles beetles have in nature, and their mind-blowing diversity. In addition, we will learn where to look for beetles and how to photograph them for the big City Nature Challenge coming up in April. 

The City Nature Challenge is a global community science event taking place at the end of April.  Amber will share easy ways you can participate by observing and documenting nature right where you live. Whether you’re a budding naturalist or just beetle-curious, this talk is for you! 

Grab your field guides and boots and join BREC naturalists and local scientists as we explore and document the diversity of life, or “biodiversity”, of Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center. You can participate by attending a scheduled hike, helping to document species with local scientists around the park, meet local groups and organization that work to protect the natural spaces of Louisiana, practice hands on sampling, participate in live animal encounters, and more!

Registration is open! It is recommended that you register for the guided hikes because they are limited in size and fill up fast!

More BioBlitz information. This is a wonderful event for all ages, and an excellent opportunity to practice using iNaturalist with enthusiasts before the City Nature Challenge.

TBA April 2026
Hang out with the purple martins

Hosted by the Purple Martin Conservation Initiative
PARDS North Park, Denham Springs, LA

More details coming soon.

Celebrate the 10th anniversary of the very successful Purple Martin colony at North Park with PMCI! Bring a folding chair to North Park and enjoy watching and hearing the nesting Purple Martin colony as they busily feed their babies and get ready for their evening roost. Help keep an eye out for banded birds that have returned from wintering in South America. PMCI will happily show you a nest and answer any and all Purple Martin, iNaturalist, and City Nature Challenge questions. This is also a lovely opportunity for a stroll around the park on the scenic walking paths.

April 24, 2026
Nature Night Hike & Campfire

Hosted by BREC Conservation
7-9 p.m. at BREC Frenchtown Conservation Area
$5

Ever wonder what goes on in Conservation Areas after the sun goes down? Join Conservation staff and learn about local nighttime ecology and nocturnal animals while you creep through the woods on a blacked-out night hike. And no Night Hike would we complete without time around the campfire and a S’more! Come enjoy this great way to get the family out after the daytime heat. Preregistration is required and spaces are limited. Ages 6+. Register: https://www.brec.org/calendar/detail/nature-night-hike-campfire/21827

Please post observations of the night critters you spot during the hike in iNaturalist!

April 25, 2026
Aquatic Life Activity

Hosted by LMNGBR & BREC Conservation
11:30a.m. -1:00 p.m. at BREC Frenchtown Conservation Area

Please join Dr. Amanda Marshall at the pond next to the education building at Frenchtown to find and document aquatic species in iNaturalist for the City Nature Challenge! Amanda will give a brief training at 11:00 and then we can start scooping! At the end, we will try to identify what is found. Don't forget to document the dragonflies that are flying around the pond too! We are told there are newts and otters!!!!!

This is a "walk up" activity - no registration required. Free.

This event is immediately following BREC’s Nature Journaling Workshop, so you can easily attend both in one day!

April 25, 2026
Library Nature Walk & “Love the Boot” Litter Cleanup

Hosted by EBRPL
12:30 - 2:00 p.m. at the Main Library, 7711 Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70806
All Ages
Free

Join your favorite librarians in the plaza and gardens around the library for a hands-on day of caring for our local environment. As part of Louisiana’s Love the Boot Week, we’ll start with a litter cleanup, then head out on a City Nature Challenge walk using iNaturalist to document local plants and wildlife and support citizen science. More information

April 25, 2026

Plants with a Purpose: Wild plants, wisdom-inspired, knowledge for everyone

1:00 - 4:00pm
Fontainebleau State Park, 62883 Hwy. 1089, Mandeville, LA 70448

Discover the edible and medicinal plants of Fontainebleau! Join the Interpretive Ranger for a short lecture in our Conference Room, followed by a guided walk (weather permitting) exploring the hidden pantry and pharmacy of the forest and marshes. Along the way, you'll learn how people once identified, used, and respected the edible and medicinal plants of this region. Make iNaturalist observations for the City Nature Challenge on the walk!

April 25, 2026

Port Hudson State Historic Site “Park Day” & “Love the Boot” Litter Cleanup

*Park Day 9:00am - 12:00pm
*Litter 2:00pm - 4:00 pm
236 Hwy. 61, Jackson, LA 70748

Park Day is an excellent opportunity to bring history enthusiasts together to help keep our nation's heritage preserved and pristine. Volunteers will assist park staff to clear and clean a section of original battlefield earthworks; this year we will focus on "Fort Desperate". It is recommended that volunteers bring gloves and their preferred hand tools such as pruners, loppers, rakes, etc. for clearing debris although a limited number will be available to borrow.

To help the site celebrate "Love the Boot Week," volunteers are encouraged to join park staff in picking up trash outside of the park's main entrance on U.S. Hwy. 61. We will meet at 2:00 PM at the park's entrance station and pick up trash along the side of the highway. High visibility/reflective vests and trash grabbers will be issued to participants. For more information or to register, please call the site at (225) 654-3775 locally or (888) 677-3400 toll free or e-mail the site at porthudson@crt.la.gov.

*Arrive early and take a nature walk and make iNaturalist observations for the City Nature Challenge! This site is gorgeous!!!

April 24-26, 2026
Northshore Naturalist Weekend Workshop

Sorry, registration is full!
Hosted by Pelican Park Nature Club & Fontainebleau State Park
Fontainebleau State Park, Mandeville, LA

The Northshore Naturalist Weekend Workshop is an overnight quick study of the natural world. This program includes a mix of classroom instruction and guided field instruction from subject matter experts. This program takes place at Fontainebleau State Park and includes optional tent camping at a large group camp site. You may opt out of camping; you will be able to leave the park at night and return for the morning activities. Lots of time to find and document wildlife and plantlife for the City Nature Challenge!

April 28-May 10, 2026

CITY NATURE CHALLENGE IDENTIFICATION WEEK

Phew! We documented a lot of nature. You have this time period to finish uploading all of those photos you took April 24-27 into iNaturalist. But the sooner, the better, so we can get them identified and increase our research grade performance metric. This is also the time to get the observations our participants made identified. Please help by making identifications for any species you know well! The global results will be announced on May 13.

Identification party, anyone?

Your event here!

Our partners hold public and private events to promote participation in the City Nature Challenge.
Join us by hosting an event or attending one!

Baton Rouge City Nature Challenge EVENT Partners:

It’s a contest, so get a group together for the City Nature Challenge! If you would like to promote your nature event here, please e-mail the details to citynaturechallenge@lmngbr.org.

Are you are already hosting a nature-related event that weekend? Have it listed here and encourage your event participants to post observations in the City Nature Challenge.