Bayou Teche Black Bear and Birding Festival

Compiled by Mary Downer

The Bayou Teche Black Bear and Birding Festival will hold its annual celebration April 16-18, 2010 in downtown
Franklin, Louisiana. Franklin is located in the heart of St. Mary Parish on historic Bayou Teche. It is noted for its beautiful antebellum homes, quaint bed and breakfasts, and majestic live oaks. The city is surrounded by expansive cypress tupelo swamps, the unique and expansive Atchafalaya Basin, and in the heart of the nation’s “energy coast,” where the infrastructure for the production and transport of much of the oil and gas that is distributed to the rest of the United States can be found. The area has a rich natural heritage, with a bountiful list of species readily available for the wildlife fancier. Among those is the Louisiana black bear, a species listed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as “threatened” under the guidelines of the Endangered Species Act.

The Louisiana black bear lived in St. Mary Parish before the first Chitimacha navigated the waterways throughout the region. For many years, bears were utilized by the native peoples for their fur, meat, and fat (used for cooking oils and lubricants) and were the focus of many
of their cultural and religious beliefs. There was
a delicate balance between man and bears for many decades. The modern firearm upset that balance and with increased hunting pressure and unregulated harvest, bears became less abundant until they were only found in the most remote, inaccessible parts of St. Mary and Iberia Parishes. With the federal listing and the support of landowners, civic leaders,
corporate partners, state and federal agencies, and concerned individuals, the bear population has rebounded and is rapidly approaching a healthy status. Festival organizers hope to use the festival as a mechanism to keep the citizens of St. Mary, Iberia, and other coastal parishes, up to date with the status of the bear and to help educate them about ways to coexist with bears.

The Black Bear Conservation Committee (B.B.C.C.), a diverse coalition formed to lead the effort to restore bear populations, is the primary force behind the festival. In the past, endangered species have been perceived as a liability to landowners, economic development and rural communities. This festival is an effort to create an environment where the bear can serve as a tool for economic development by stimulating a healthy nature based tourism industry. The recent establishment of the Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge should help build a foundation for this type of economic development.

The focus of the festival is educating the public about the Louisiana black bear and birding opportunities on the Cajun Coast, along with all the components of a traditional south Louisiana festival:  great music and food, arts and crafts, and educational activities for both adults and children. Seminar topics will focus on bears, birds, and local habitats like coastal Louisiana and the Atchafalaya Basin.

The third week of April is the peak of the migration of neotropical songbirds, birds that fly south for the winter and return each spring to breed and nest in North America.  After the lengthy flight across the Gulf of Mexico to its northern shores, the trees along the coastal parishes offer the first resting places for birds before they continue their flight northward. It is a time when birds that are not considered residents of Louisiana can be seen along their migratory path. Birding on the St. Mary Loop, which is part of the America’s Wetland Birding Trail, has been incorporated this year into the Festival. The Atchafalaya Basin is the largest river-swamp in North America. The St. Mary Loop will take bird watchers into the swamps along a never-ending waterway. Bird watching is a year round event in South Louisiana and will be celebrated with tours during the festival.

Traditional events, like the Running of the Bears 5K Run/Walk, a bike race, the Bear-y-Patch Educational Area and the Cub Club children’s area will be the backbone of the festival.  Other attractions include a 20 plus mile bike tour through Franklin and the Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge, a Black Bear Obstacle Course, a Teddy Bear repair clinic, and fireworks over beautiful Bayou Teche.  This year’s Teen Zone will feature Games 2 U, a video gaming van with some of the hottest games on Nintendo Wii and X-box 360.  Games 2 U will also have lazer tag and giant hamster balls for teens to enjoy. Live entertainment will feature Time Peace, Crossroads, Lil’ Nat and the Zydeco Big Timers, Louisiana Kids, Hunter Hayes, Chubby Carrier and Bayou Swamp Band, Sweet Spot, Tommy G. and Stormy Weather, Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie, and Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Cha.