A National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana Feeds the Soul
Bonnie Allen lives in Louisiana and enjoys hiking on public lands.
There are several reasons why I love places like Red River National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana. Walking the refuge’s trails helps to clear my mind and allows my soul the opportunity to escape the stress of daily life by exercise and leaving the outside world behind. It allows my mind to see and enjoy the precious moments of nature from a butterfly fluttering by in front of me to a deer crossing my path further up the road.
The refuge reminds me of childhood memories…the times when my family went to my grandparents’ camp in the Adirondack mountains. Nature (the forest and flowing streams) is what helped to calm me down when I was mad at the world as a teenager. It gave me that time alone so I could calm down with the sound and sight of flowing water soothing the hurt away. It is that spiritual connection that really sticks with me.
Today the refuge gives me the opportunity to see animals living in their natural habitat and to learn more about them. On my walks, I enjoy coming across animal tracks which sparks my interest in trying to figure out what animal walked there before me and how long it had been there before I arrived at that spot.
There are certain times of the year when I get to see the beautiful sight of pelicans flying through the area…making Lake Caroline look almost completely white because of the number of birds on it. Through the refuge I have gained more friendships with people who have similar interests as mine. It would be great if they had more staffing and volunteers to make it an even better place to go and learn. The people they have there are awesome but with more people to help, it could be even greater!
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We’d love to hear about the public lands you love! If you’re interested in writing a love note, please email us at OurPublicLands@nwf.org for guidelines.
