Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
invasive species have taken the place of native species such as wild iris and
duckweed. Nutria, large rodents that call the preserve home, are also invas-
ive species. They were brought to Louisiana in the 1930s for fur farming, re-
placing the native muskrats. The National Park Service has a program that
aims to limit the growth of nonnative plant and animal species, but park
rangers say it's impossible to eliminate them completely.
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Walk to Stop 5, where you'll learn the important story of Louisiana's wet-
lands. Look across the canal to open marsh. Park officials say that if you re-
turn here in a few years, some of the marshland may be gone. Surges from
tropical storms and hurricanes destroy vegetation, and rebuilding land or at
least slowing the rate of the land's disappearance is a massive project.
•
Walk to Stop 6. One of the thrills of the Barataria Preserve trails is spotting
alligators in the swamps. There's a healthy population of gators here, though
some may be harder to spot than others. Although they can grow to up to 16
feet long, the longest alligators here are about 13 feet long. Alligators, along
with the swamp's other animals and plants, are protected by law.
