Do you enjoy being outside, getting a little dirty, and leaving a space better than you found it? Then Conservation Club may be the perfect place for you! See the information below (also attached) to find out more about the club and view the 2024 schedule of projects.
FAQ
What is this club about?
- The Conservation Club provides an outlet for environmental enthusiasts to lend an extra set of hands in preserving Moncus Park’s natural assets.
- Club members will learn from and work alongside key team members and community experts, building lasting relationships and increasing knowledge about park ecosystems and operations.
- By hosting monthly volunteer sessions, we aim to increase knowledge and passion for our environment at Moncus Park and throughout the Acadiana Region.
What do volunteers do on club days?
- Work on fun, informative, and meaningful park improvement projects.
- Learn from subject matter experts and explore the processes behind specific natural systems.
- Experience the park’s natural assets and the operations behind them.
- Participate in hands-on planting, removal, improvement, and repair projects throughout the park.
Who should apply?
- People of all ages and abilities who are interested in the outdoors.
- Small groups, families, or individuals 16 years or older.
(Individuals younger than 16 are welcome but must have adult supervision to join).
- Individuals pursuing experience in outdoor and/or park-related professions.
- Anyone who cares about protecting and enhancing our natural resources.
What kind of commitment does the club entail?
- 2024 Club Days: Third Saturday of the Month, start time listed per month due to seasonal changes (see schedule below).
- All interested volunteers must apply online before joining and sign a park waiver.
Note: If necessary, this club will cap the number of participants at 15-25 to create an impactful experience between members and guides. Therefore, if you are interested in participating, please ensure that you can attend the workdays you sign up for.
- Monthly workdays consist of 3-4 hours with an educational speaker and an active park project. We ask that participants prioritize their arrival time to be sure to make the most of our team and community expert’s expertise.
If you are interested in the program, but cannot attend the current schedule, please let us know and we will put you on an invite list for the following year!
- Club participants will receive a pass for unpaid parking upon arrival at each session and attendees of multiple workdays will also receive a Moncus Park “VOLUNTEER” t-shirt as a thank you for their commitment to the park.
| 2024 SCHEDULE | |
| Arbor Day Tree Planting Saturday, January 20 @ 12p | Grab a shovel and get ready to plant! We will be planting 100 new trees in the park, thanks to a generous donation by Parish Proud and the Apache Corporation. Check out the park’s “arboretum” – a special plot of diverse trees that acts as its own tree museum for those who love all things trees. |
| Native Landscape Planting Saturday, February 17 @ 2p | Join us for the installation of our newly designed “Native Plant Bed” at the entrance of the park! Thanks to the help of Acadiana Native Plant Project and a generous donation from Keep Louisiana Beautiful, we will be beautifying the Johnston Street corridor and creating awareness about the benefits of landscaping with natives. |
| Heritage Iris Planting Saturday, March 16 @ 2p | Embrace your Louisiana heritage and help us plant 75 native Louisiana Irises along our pond drainage bed. Learn about the park’s role in stormwater management and how you can make small changes in your own yard to practice WaterWise principles. |
| Spring Event Week! Saturday, April 20 @ 10a | Come celebrate the park at the most beautiful time of the year! We will be hosting a series of environmental programs leading up to Earth Day on Saturday, April 20th. A gardening series, iris tours, tree tours, and more will frame this month’s Conservation Club project and give us a chance to show off what we do in the park. |
| Invasive Plant Hunt Saturday, May 18 @ 12p | Channel your inner woodsman and get ready to take down some invasives in the Lake Reaux woods this month. The Acadiana Native Plant Project will be leading the charge invasive clearance, explaining how they came to be and why they are detrimental to our natural areas. |
| Lake Reaux Plant Cleanup
Saturday, June 15 @ 10a |
Get ready to go for a swim! Not really, but to beat the heat of the summer, we will be cooling off in Lake Reaux – thinning out aquatic plants, pulling invasive species, and repairing habitat zones along the edges of the pond. Prepare to get wet! |
| Louisiana Iris Seed Day Saturday, July 20 @ 10a | Help us clean up the LA Iris beds after a season of beautiful spring blooms. We will be removing flower stalks, collecting seeds, and pulling weeds in preparation for the dormant season when we fertilize, divide, and put those babies to bed for the winter. Seeds collected will be available for volunteers to take home. |
| Trail Marking/Clean-up Saturday, August 17 @ 10a | Find some shade with a trail project this month! We’ll be marking trails in the Moncus Park woods, picking up litter, and perhaps practicing our invasive plant identification + removal skills along the way. Take part in marking routes in the existing trail system and denote pathways for trail bikers, joggers, and pup walkers. |
| Phenology Trail Demo Saturday, September 21 @ 12p | Walk our Phenology Trail at the park and hear about the national effort to collect plant life stage changes from our New Orleans community partner Time to Restore. Get inspired to take part in the trail tracking effort or jump start your own phenology tracking project at home. |
| Prairie Seed Collection Saturday, October 19 @12p | Try to catch ‘em all them all as we collect annual seeds from our Cajun Prairie to spread for next year. You’ll learn about the history of the Cajun Prairie ecosystem and its importance to local pollinators, as well as get an inside peak at our plans to expand the native prairie landscape into the back of the park. |
| Bird Habitat Winter Prep Saturday, November 16 @ 2p | Freshen up with a deep clean of our bird habitats in the park while the birds are on winter vacay. Get a close up look at habitat improvements at the park, including purple martin gourds, chimney swift towers, barred owl nests and more thanks to generous donations by the LA Audubon Society and the Coypu Foundation. |
| Christmas Recycling Saturday, December 21 @ 2p | Help us close out the year with a waste reduction project at the park. We’ll be sorting recyclables from our Christmas event, reducing contamination in our waste streams. Test your knowledge on what is and isn’t recyclable in our local curbside service, and maybe learn a few things that you didn’t already know. |