Protecting Live Oak Farm Forever There is a moment just before dawn on Live Oak Farm when the world holds its breath. A burnt-orange moon hangs low over the tree line. Then, as light breaks across the marsh, hundreds of birds lift all at once — waterfowl, waders, wings beyond counting — rising in a
There are places in Louisiana that stay with you long after you’ve left them. A quiet stretch of land at sunrise. The sound of birds moving through a longleaf pine forest. A piece of family property that holds generations of stories. These landscapes are more than scenery — they are part of our identity, woven
Let’s learn about conservation, starting with: What is an easement?
Have you ever wondered where Louisiana’s most treasured natural places, from old-growth forests to winding bayous, are being protected for future generations? Our interactive property map brings that conservation story to life in a way that’s both beautiful and meaningful. Discover Louisiana, Acre by AcreWith a click, you can explore the full range of conserved
A Childhood Rooted in Southeast Louisiana Marsha’s connection to land began in Franklinton, in Washington Parish, where her childhood unfolded among forests, dairy farms, and the nearby river. These landscapes were more than scenery—they were places to explore, to belong, and to develop a lifelong relationship with the natural world. Those early experiences left a
A Lifelong Love for Green Space For Penny Daigle, the value of nature has always been clear—even in the heart of the city. A lifelong New Orleanian and graduate of Ursuline Academy and Loyola University, Penny has long believed that every community needs room to breathe, observe, and belong within nature. Today, she calls Christwood
A Childhood Rooted in the Land For Bonnie Lewis, stewardship began long before she ever walked a conservation property with a clipboard in hand. She grew up on her grandfather’s farm in Hudson Lake, Indiana, where days were spent riding bikes down the barn ramp, wandering through spring woods in search of wildflowers, and gathering
When you talk with Johnny Armstrong, it becomes immediately clear that the natural world is not just an interest—it’s a calling. A retired medical doctor, Johnny lives with his wife, Karen, and their dog just outside Ruston, Louisiana, where the couple actively stewards a remarkable 500-acre property — land that includes rare old-growth forest and
Land Trust for Louisiana recently hosted a Longleaf Pine Workshop and Field Trip in Franklinton, Louisiana where we learned about one of our state’s most fascinating keystone species: the gopher tortoise. Guest expert Keri LeJuene with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries shared valuable insights into the ecology and conservation of the gopher tortoise, a species
Mr. Ellis’s Story — Ruston, Louisiana “I’m doing it for my grandson.” Mr. Ellis has spent the entirety of his 80-some years on the property his grandfather bought in north Louisiana generations ago. A lover of this land, he has grown crops, raised chickens, fished the pond, and watched small saplings grow into giants. He
When most people think of Louisiana’s natural landscapes, they picture cypress swamps, bayous, marshes, and bottomland forests. Yet one of the state’s most remarkable ecosystems is often overlooked: the Cajun prairie, or coastal prairie ecosystem. Once stretching across more than 2.5 million acres of southwestern Louisiana, the Cajun prairie was a vast expanse of native
A New Chapter for Lake Isabel Farm There’s something powerful about standing on a piece of land and knowing what it could be again. At Lake Isabel Farm, that vision is taking shape. What was once overgrown and disconnected from its natural state is now in the process of becoming something deeply rooted in Louisiana’s
If you own farmland, timberland, wetlands, or hunting property in Louisiana, a conservation servitude may be the most powerful financial and legacy tool you’ve never heard of. You worked hard for your land. You’ve hunted it, farmed it, maybe raised a family on it. The last thing you want is to see it sold off,
