Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge

The Refuge consists mostly of back-swamp land located off of the natural levees of the bayou. Habitats on the refuge include bottomland hardwood forests, cypress-tupelo swamps, bayous, and freshwater marshes. The Refuge's primary objective is to restore and manage bottomland hardwood forests, cypress-tupelo swamps, and marshes in order to provide high quality and diverse habitat to support the Louisiana black bear.

Many other plants and animals benefit from conservation of these habitats. The Refuge's location close to the Gulf of Mexico makes it an important environment for neotropical songbirds during their migrations between the northern and southern hemispheres.

Spanish moss draped cypress trees, the graceful flight of a white egret against the blue sky, the sound of cicadas...this is the backdrop to a paddling adventure on Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge.