U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Big Branch Marsh

U.S. Fish & Wildlife ServiceBig Branch MarshNational Wildlife RefugeBoy Scout Road, Boardwalkand Nature Trail

Big Branch MarshNational WildlifeRefuge was establishedin 1994 and comprisesover 18,000 acres on thenorth shore of LakePontchartrain. Habitatsat the Refuge include pineflatwoods, cypress brakes,hardwood ridges and freshand intermediate marsh. Tom Carlisle

Tom CarlisleThis blue goose,designed by J.N.“Ding” Darling,has become asymbol of theRefuge System.Welcome to Big Branch MarshNational Wildlife Refuge!Big Branch Marsh Refuge ismanaged by the Southeast LouisianaRefuges Complex in Lacombe,Louisiana. It is part of the NationalWildlife Refuge System, whichincludes at least one National WildlifeRefuge in every state. The Refugeis comprised of pine flatwoods,oak ridges and fresh, brackish andsaltwater marshes. This diversehabitat is a wonderful exampleof the natural coastline of LakePontchartrain.Many speciesof birds,mammals,reptiles andamphibianscall theRefuge home.You can enjoythe sightsand sounds ofthis wildlifeas you walkalong the Boy Scout Road boardwalkand nature trail. Follow along inthis brochure to learn more of whatmakes Big Branch Marsh Refuge sounique.The Boy Scout Road trail starts witha ½ mile, self guided boardwalk.At the end of the boardwalk, youcan choose to turn left toward theparking area or take the adventuroustwo-mile (one-way) gravel road toBayou Lacombe. Along the wayyou’ll find numbered posts whichcorrespond to information in thebrochure about the animals, habitatsand management practices of theRefuge.Boardwalk Tour(1/2 mile-long, round trip)You are entering the pine flatwoods,a habitat that was historically burnedby naturally occurring fires. Frequent1

Tom Carlislefires tend to inhibit the growth ofshrubs and woody plants, whilepromoting the growth of grasses. Theforest here is dominated by pine treeswith a grassy understory, due in partto an active burning program. Eventhough the ground may not appear tobe wet today, this forest is a wetland.Many of the plants and animals inthe forest are unique to southeastLouisiana.Big Branch MarshNational WildlifeRefuge is a part of theNational Wildlife RefugeSystem. The Refugesystem encompassesover 93 million acres andincludes more than 545national wildlife refuges,ranging from north of theArctic Circle in Alaska,to the subtropical watersof the Florida Keys andbeyond to the Caribbeanand South Pacific. Mostrefuges were set asideas resting areas formigratory waterfowl.Today, nature-basedrecreation is another toppriority.2

The live oaktree you seehere is an oddityin the pine forest.A natural rise inthe undulatingtopography allowedthis non-wetland plantto grow in a wetlandecosystem. Thetree may be severalhundred years old.One way to find outthe age would be tocore the tree, taking asmall cross section ofits trunk and countingthe growth rings. Askilled forester is ableto do this withoutkilling the tree. Tom Carlisle3The large wooden boxes areartificial nesting sites forwood ducks. Wood ducks wouldtypically use natural cavities intupelo or baldcypress trees asnesting locations, but a lack of oldgrowth trees has limited the numberof natural cavities. Refuge staffinstalled these boxes in an effortto maintain a healthy wood duckpopulation. The metal cone at thebottom of the box is called a predatorshield which keeps raccoons andsnakes from harming the nest.4The dead pine trees on theedge of this fresh marsh are anindicator of subsidence. Subsidenceis caused when the ground sinks.The former slash pine forest is nowoccupied with saw grass and openwater. Tom Carlisle5This concludes the Boardwalk Tour.You may continue to the end of theboardwalk and turn left and walkdown the limestone trail to yourvehicle, or turn right to travel theBoy Scout Road Tour beginning withStation #6.

Boy Scout Road Tour(2.0 miles-long, one-way)The road in front of you is called“Boy Scout Road” because it washistorically used as a popular spotfor Boy Scout troops to camp. As youwalk down the road, at certain timesof the year, you will notice the varietyof blooming wildflowers. Be on thelookout for turtles, snakes and birds,such as red-cockaded woodpeckersand bald eagles. Try listening for therising, whistled call of the northernbobwhite quail. bob-white!6The ditches along either sideof the roadway were dug tocreate the road. The ditches areusually filled with rainwater. At drytimes of the year, this may be someof the only water in the forest. Smallfish, tadpoles, frogs and snakes residein the ditches. Carefully look into theditches; do you see any signs of life?7Louisiana irisThe plant that covers most ofthis area is called bulltongue. Itis in the arrowhead family andis closely related to a plant knownas “duck potato.” Ducks and geesecommonly feed on the tubers (roots)of these plants. Bulltongue andother marsh grasses provide coverand nesting areas for many animalsincluding Virginia rails, mottledducks, muskrat and red-eared sliderturtles.8While walking through the forestof Big Branch Marsh Refugenote that in some areas the pinetrees are small (3-4 inch diameter) andgrow densely, while in other areas thetrees are larger and further apart. Redcockaded woodpeckers prefer the sitesthat have fewer, larger trees. Refugeforesters “thin” or cut the smaller treesto create preferred habitat for theseendangered woodpeckers and otherwildlife. Thinning allows the remainingtrees to grow bigger due to lesscompetition.9bulltongue

As you travel through the pineforest, look for scorch markson the trees. This forest is burnedby the Refuge fire crew every threeyears to mimic low intensity, naturalfires. Such fires were historicallystarted by lightning strikes. They arenow called prescribed or controlledburns because they are purposelyset. Before and during the prescribedfires, firefighters monitor winddirection, humidity and temperatureto make sure the fire is contained.Low intensity fires reduce midstory vegetation to benefit wildlifeand remove the buildup of fuel,decreasing the chance of intense,catastrophic wildfires. Tom Carlisle10 Tom Carlisle11Hurricane Katrina had amajor impact on this area. Thecombination of high winds, stormsurge and salt spray killed 90% ofthe trees. The dead trees, or snags,provide ideal habitat for nesting redheaded woodpeckers and foragingareas for all types of birds andmammals. Over time, the pine treesshould return.The grassyunderstoryvegetationin this portion offorest is calledsalt-meadowcordgrass(Spartinapatens). Thisgrass usuallygrows in saltmarshes, buthere it grows under pine trees,which are not salt-tolerant. Thisunique association arose due to hightides and storm events from LakePontchartrain that temporarily floodbrackish (or slightly salty) water intothis area. Tom Carlisle12

The endangered red-cockadedwoodpecker is the onlywoodpecker species in North Americato build its nest in live rather thandead trees. It builds its cavity inmature trees (usually over 75 yearsold). A common disease of maturetrees, called “red heart rot,” weakensthe core of the tree and makes iteasier for the birds to excavate theircavities. Tom Carlisle Tom Carlisle13Notice the waxy appearance ofthe white-banded cavity trees infront of you. This is sticky tree sap,or resin, that oozes out of holesdrilled by woodpeckers. The sapmay serve to deter predators suchas snakes, raccoons and ants fromclimbing into the cavity. These treeswould normally be too small for thewoodpeckers to utilize as nest androost sites, but have been modified byrefuge biologists who inserted woodenboxes with a round entrance hole intothe trees. These artificial cavitiesallow woodpeckers to nest withouthaving to drill a cavity, which can takefrom 6 months to 6 years.Here at the observationplatform, notice the sharptransition between the piney woodsbehind you and the marsh to thesouth. The piney woods habitat ispossible on the higher elevations,where ancient sediments weredeposited during the Ice Ages, butnot in the lower elevations found inthe marsh. Tom Carlisle14The slight rise in elevation withmany oak trees on it is knownas an oak ridge. It is formed whenthe bayou over-tops its banks andleaves behind deposits of sediments.Oak ridges provide food and habitatfor deer, squirrels and many otheranimals. The extreme high tides andstorm events that bring salt waterover this ridge limit the species livinghere to only the most salt tolerant.15

The curly,gray planthanging fromthe limbs ofthe oak trees iscalled Spanishmoss. Oddlyenough thisplant is relatedto the pineapple.Spanish moss isan “epiphyte,”meaning it isa plant thatderives all of itsnutrients fromthe air. It is sucha good indicatorof air quality thatit is hung outsideof some factoriesto determineif dangerouspollutantsare escaping.Historically, Spanish moss was usedto stuff pillows, mattresses and theseats of Model T’s. It is commonlyused by songbirds to line their nests.16The water body in front ofyou is called Bayou Lacombe.The area where you are standingwas once a loading dock for brickschooners. Bricks were made fromlocal clay, then fired and shipped intoNew Orleans. Much of the FrenchQuarter is made from these bricks.Many years later this area was apopular campingspot for BoyScout Troops.17This concludesthe Boy ScoutRoad Self GuidedTour.

Signs Protect Visitors and ResourcesMillions of people visit National Wildlife Refuges eachyear. The impact of human activity, if not regulated, candegrade these wildlands. Signs designate recreationalactivities while protecting natural resources on theRefuge. Please respect the following signs:

nPets must be on a leash and under control of theowner at all times.nLittering is prohibited. Take your litter with you.nThe use of motor vehicles is permitted only ondesignated roads. ATV’s are prohibited.nWeapons are prohibited except as authorized duringscheduled hunts.nCamping and open fires are prohibited on the Refuge.Camping facilities are located nearby. Consult themanager for details.

Big Branch MarshNational Wildlife Refuge61389 Highway 434Lacombe, LA 70445Phone: 985/882 2000Fax: 985/882 9133email: southeastlouisianarefuges@fws.govU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service1800/344 WILDwww.fws.gov/refuge/Big Branch MarshAugust 2017

for Boy Scout troops to camp. As you walk down the road, at certain times of the year, you will notice the variety of blooming wildflowers. Be on the lookout for turtles, snakes and birds, such as red-cockaded woodpeckers and bald eagles. Try listening for the rising, whistled call of the northern bobwhite quail. bob-white!