Swamp Tour

by Ray Swaney Water, still and calm Makes everything grow downward From cypress to me Gator in tableau Remains inconspicuous- Kayakers glide by Birdsong travels light Through reeds and grass and my ear… A swamp symphony

by Emma Reid On kayak tours in Manchac and Honey Island you may spy a shiny dark lizard with red stripes and possibly a blue tail crawling up a Cypress tree. These are actually called five-lined skinks and they are not very common. Males develop a widened head and reddish-orange coloration of the snout and…

by Josh Jack Man has historically maintained a difficult relationship with rodents: those loathsome pests whose teeth forever grow and grow and must be worn away in ceaseless gnawing lest they spiral backwards towards their source and penetrate their bearers brain (an existential problem, dentally expressed.) Mice poach our food from the pantry, and rats…

I couldn’t tell you exactly why I think AJ IS or closely related to the mosquito, maybe its because sometimes he sucks the life out of me when he calls me about nothing important at 4am after I work a double back to back. Perhaps its because I think he might be giving me a…

Wikipedia describes the Honey Island Swamp Monster as follows: The creature is described as bipedal, 7 feet (2 m) tall, with gray hair and yellow or red eyes, and accompanied by a disgusting smell. Check. Check. Check and Check. I have spent 13 minutes gathering the information to alleviate ALL doubt. Bipedal https://photos.google.com/u/1/photo/AF1QipM5kvXR-vqTK0owZJjmlQlEihXE0SYvdJrjgZdV (Tall, obviously.) Yellow or…

Few words can describe my new boss A J. (Off the top of my head I’d use Incredible, bossy and FUN.) The first time I remember hanging with A J on a professional level he changed my life by introducing me to a highly addictive taco truck while simultaneously teaching me our booking program. That’s…

The sun was setting as the full moon rose over the horizon to guide my first night tour on the Manchac. Fifteen of the most unique misfits blindly kayaking, in nothing but moonlight and gumption is the best boat experience one could ever have. Sounds of all the creatures enveloped every corner of our eardrums…

Its not easy being green, especially during frogging season. After spending the weekend seeing big frogs, tiny frogs, screaming frogs and finally bullfrogs I went straight to my favorite source for watching nature (or just crazy and/or informational things in  general) YOUTUBE. This is an interesting one posted from Audubon Nature Institute: http://www.wwltv.com/entertainment/television/programming/morning-show/learning-more-about-the-american-bullfrog-/27 While browsing it links you to SO many videos including how and where to hunt Bullfrogs this time of year. There is a HUGE culture in Manchac that goes night hunting for these big beautiful hop masters, and though I’m not the biggest fan of hunting, it is a very old and interesting tradition that I find fascinating. Here is another video I found (warning: a bit intense)

The TEN POUNDS of rain didn’t stop thousands of people from going out last night. Frenchman was swarming with wet tshirts and hair whipping. Highlights include Jake Gold with Hyperphlyy. See Below low low….   lower       keep going     Here: https://goo.gl/photos/U1CYH3di3BWSDwv17

by Josh Jack Silt is a substance that has rarely stirred much enthusiasm in the public. Perhaps you associate it with rivers. Perhaps your interest ends there. A single grain of silt isn’t much to look at (literally, you might not be able to even see it with the naked eye, though a speck might…