Good news about good news

LSU AgCenter is on the ball:

Ecotourism makes splash

Credit: The News Star

The good news is that there is good news in the paper. This helps link people to local resources and helps them understand the initiatives underway, so that they can support them. For example, I learned about Paddling the Trail through this article:

Credit: LSU AgCenter

I'm looking forward to taking advantage of some of these new resources. Check out their Environment and Natural Resources portal here.  They are doing a lot of interesting things under the umbrella of agritourism. I also learned about the Mississippi River Trail.

The environment is in the news a lot, lately, in the U.S and in Louisiana. I like to think that a new era in community spaces is upon us. It's important that people around the state understand the value in eco- and agritourism, not just because it brings our state money but because it is part of our educational repertoire, informing people about the various cultural and ecological assets we have. And believe me, you can be an ecotourist in your own state. You can be more than a tourist. You can be a naturalist. And not just any naturalist, a naturalist educator.

Showing up to these workshops will be important to the data that the AgCenter is looking for. They are trying understand the demand for outdoor activities and build resources and infrastructure accordingly. SO: If you like getting outdoors and paddling (I know I do!), then look for their workshops! These two are happening in my neck of the woods. I've added them to the Southern Naturalist's Almanac below.

Poverty Point Reservoir State Park: 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sept. 29 for those 18 and older; registration, 878-7536.
Black Bayou National Wildlife Refuge: 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Oct. 5-6 for those 18 and older; registration, 387-1114.

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I worry about the educational resources available for self-educated young adults in Louisiana. I don't think that Louisiana necessarily lacks in resources. I do feel that information is spread out among many diverse groups with varying degrees of detail and reliability.  This fragmentation of the resources among so many different organizations and departments. (Yay bureaucracy! See this interesting government document on Duplication, Overlap and Fragmentation) is a big topic that I hope to delve into soon. I'd be excited to hear of any ideas you have on the issue of community fragmentation in Louisiana.

And here's the BIG THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Remember the wildlife department website post on August 1, 2012? Would it be possible to write a grant and work with the DCRT, DEQ, DNR, LDAF, LSU and BTNEP to help build a new, more user-friendly wildlife website that bridges the ecological information? (Whoa!) How challenging and amazing would that be? Think BIG people. Think big.