Louisiana
4 young, endangered whooping cranes are ready for the Louisiana wild. See their journey.
A rare bird species that once vanished from Louisiana is making a steady comeback as four more whooping cranes were released into the wild last month.
The release of the young birds, which were raised at a facility on the Westbank, is part of a years-long effort to bring the endangered species back to Louisiana.
The whooping crane is one of the rarest bird species in the world, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. They are large-bodied birds that can grow up to five feet tall with wingspans of up to eight feet, and can live up to 30 years in the wild.
Over the past seven years, the Audubon Nature Institute and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has released over 50 cranes into the White Lake Westland Conservation Area in Vermillion Parish. Many of the birds, including the four released last month, were hatched and raised at Audubon’s facility.
“We’re making great strides,” said Richard Dunn, the facility’s assistant curator, “and we’re starting to see the results of what we’re doing.”
Every year, staffers name the baby cranes according to a theme, Dunn added. This year’s theme was pasta shapes, so the four released cranes were named Gigli, Vermicelli, Fiori and Gemelli.
Lafayette-based professional photographer Kelly Morvant spotted a family of whooping cranes in a field in rural Acadia Parish — note the juvenile crane visible in the grass.
Whooping cranes, which are white with distinctive red heads and black facial markings, once roamed the state as both non-migratory and migratory species. But their numbers began to dwindle as humans converted their habitat into farmland and hunted the birds, whose feathers became popular clothing accessories.
By 1950, the last living whooping crane in Louisiana was transported to a wildlife refuge on the Texas coast.
But in 2011, the state started an effort to reintroduce the birds into the wild. That first year, ten young cranes entered the conservation area in Vermillion Parish.
Since 2017, when Audubon joined the effort, the environmental organization has released 55 cranes, 31 of which were hatched at the Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center. With the addition of the four new birds, there are now 77 whooping cranes across the state and over 700 nationwide, Dunn said.
Skylar McMillan with the Audubon Nature Institute boards a boat with the four juvenile Whooping Cranes after they were tagged Tuesday, Nov. 7, at White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area. The birds were taken to a holding pen pending their release into the wild.
“The addition of these young cranes is another important step in restoring a once-thriving species to the Louisiana landscape,” Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Madison Sheahan said in a statement.
Staff from the Audubon Institute and the state wildlife department raised the baby birds at the Westbank facility. This year, most of the young cranes, called “colts,” were hatched from eggs that came from a migratory flock in Wisconsin, but one chick came from an egg laid by Louisiana cranes. Two unreleased birds were kept at the facility for future breeding.
The goal of the program is to create a self-sustaining population of non-migratory whooping cranes in the state, part of a national push to move the birds from endangered to threatened. In Louisiana, a self-sustaining population of whooping cranes would require about 120 birds with 30 reproducing pairs to survive in the wild for a decade.
“This is the point of what we do,” Dunn said, “see the birds increase in the wild.”
ST. MARTIN PARISH — As the Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $604 million, excitement is growing in St. Martinville, where a quick stop at a convenience store has many imagining what they would do if they won.
The jackpot, the largest Mega Millions prize offered so far this year, drew plenty of attention at Simmis Mart. Some customers were ready to buy tickets, while others simply enjoyed thinking about the possibilities.
Charlotte Wilson said she has noticed that major lottery jackpots often seem to be won outside Louisiana, but that has not stopped her from hoping.
“When they do hit it’s always out of state. It’s never in Louisiana in a little small town, but if you do hit and I win!” Wilson said.
The excitement extended beyond customers. Store employee Vicky Williams admitted she would not mind seeing some of the jackpot come her way.
“I need to get some of that. I could use some of that money,” Williams said.
Among those purchasing a ticket was Shakina Hart, who said playing the lottery is something she has done before, “I’ve played it in the past, but never won the Mega Millions, so yes, I’m hoping I’m winning on this,” Hart said.
For Wilson, hitting the jackpot would be about more than the money. She already knows exactly how she’d put it to use.
“First of all, I’ll buy me a house and a nice car, and I’ll take care of the homeless people because they have a lot of those that need somewhere to live who are hungry and homeless,” Wilson said.
Hart said her priorities would center on her family, especially her children’s education.
“I have one that wants to be a lawyer and one that wants to be a doctor, so the money would definitely help with their school funding and basic care needs,” Hart said.
The next Mega Millions drawing is scheduled for Friday July 10th. While the odds of winning remain long, the growing jackpot has many people holding onto the same thought: What if their numbers are the ones called?
Louisiana
Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows Welcomes Inaugural Class – Leaders for a Better Louisiana
Nearly 40 years after launching Louisiana’s premier statewide leadership development program, Leaders for a Better Louisiana is proud to announce the inaugural class of Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows, marking an important new chapter in the organization’s longstanding commitment to developing informed, connected leaders equipped to address the state’s most pressing challenges.
Building on the proven model and legacy of Leadership Louisiana, the Health Fellows program brings together leaders from across healthcare, business, public policy, higher education, philanthropy, and community organizations to gain a deeper understanding of the systems, opportunities, and challenges shaping health outcomes across Louisiana. Throughout the year, fellows will participate in immersive sessions across the state, engaging directly with healthcare providers, researchers, policymakers, workforce leaders, and innovators while exploring the issues that influence the health and well-being of Louisiana’s people and communities.
“The strength of Leadership Louisiana has always been its ability to bring together accomplished leaders from different sectors and regions to learn from one another while developing a broader understanding of our state,” said Sheree Blanchard, Director of Leadership Louisiana. “The Health Fellows program extends that tradition by focusing on one of Louisiana’s most significant opportunities for improvement. We are excited to welcome this outstanding inaugural class.”
The inaugural class represents a broad cross-section of Louisiana’s healthcare and civic leadership, with participants serving in hospitals, health systems, higher education, business, nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and community-based organizations throughout the state. Together, they bring diverse expertise and perspectives that will strengthen dialogue and collaboration around Louisiana’s health challenges and opportunities.
“From the beginning, our vision was to create a program that mirrors the excellence and impact of Leadership Louisiana while taking a comprehensive look at the many factors that influence health outcomes,” said Blanchard. “This first class reflects the caliber of leadership we hoped to attract, and we look forward to watching these fellows build lasting relationships and develop new ideas that will benefit communities across Louisiana.”
Leadership Louisiana has graduated more than 1,600 leaders over nearly four decades, creating one of the state’s strongest cross-sector leadership networks. Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows builds on that foundation by providing participants with a focused exploration of Louisiana’s healthcare landscape while reinforcing the program’s longstanding commitment to collaboration, informed leadership, and service to the state.
The 2027 Health Fellows class will begin its yearlong experience this summer with sessions held in multiple regions of Louisiana.
View the complete roster of the Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows inaugural class.
NEW ORLEANS, La (WVUE) – A new education center in the town of Jean Lafitte is giving visitors a chance to learn about south Louisiana’s coast.
Dave McNamara explores how the center combines history, culture, science, and a walk through a cypress swamp in the heart of Louisiana.
For more, visit the Heart of Louisiana archive here.
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