Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Thursday 28 March 2019
Frog symphony and ancient trees in a verdant Louisiana swamp

By BETH J. HARPAZ spot today.
MARRERO, La. (AP) — It Another sign showcas-
was 93 degrees and humid es the "Monarch of the
when I set out on a 4-mile Swamp," a massive old-
stroll through a Louisiana growth bald cypress tree
swamp. estimated to be 700 years
Crazy, you say? But let me old. These trees were prized
tell you what I found there, in the South because they
in the Barataria Preserve of were resistant to termites,
Jean Lafitte National Histor- so many of them were cut
ical Park and Preserve. down.
A symphony of frogs. A "We always wonder why
700-year-old tree. And a that one survived," Wal-
verdant landscape of drip- lisch said of the Monarch,
ping moss and neon green adding that the joke goes
that seemed to melt with that loggers must have en-
the heat into the woods countered it on a Friday
and wetlands. afternoon when they were
Fan-shaped palmettos ready to knock off work
waved hello along the and said, "We're not start-
trails. Strange formations ing on that tree today!"
of cypress trees known as Hikers might also see liz-
knees pushed up through ards and snakes — but if
the swampland. Moss cas- you do, don't panic: "For
caded from branches the most part, they are not
overhead. I half-expected interested in us at all. They
to spot a mythical crea- This June 3, 2018 photo shows sign marking Bayou Coquille on trail in the Barataria Preserve, Jean just want to go about their
ture like the rougarou — Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Marrero, Louisiana, just outside of New Orleans. snaky business," Wallisch
half-wolf, half-man in Ca- Associated Press said. And if you see a white-
jun folklore — lurking in the tailed deer, you might no-
forest. But no werewolves on my cellphone, showing low season because it's him a pirate — who sup- tice that it appears smaller
or fairies crossed my path, the wet, green world I'd en- very hot," Wallisch said. But plied Jackson with soldiers, than deer in other regions
though I was startled by the countered, along with its while locals head to Gulf guns and more. Had Lafitte but with bigger feet. "They
creepy sight of a couple of natural soundtrack. A short Coast beaches this time of shown up at the docks in adapted," Wallisch said.
alligators floating motion- time later, the park's official year to escape the heat New Orleans with his con- "They evolved with those
less and half-submerged in Twitter feed, @JeanLafit- and humidity, the park traband, he would have feet because it's easier to
dark waters. teNPS, retweeted it with this does get out-of-towners had to pay taxes on it. In- walk on wet ground."
I was also enchanted by message: "That's the way to — like me. "Kids are out of stead, he used the water- The preserve is a great spot
the continuous sound- stand up to a south Louisi- school, people are trav- ways as back roads. Some for birding too, especially in
scape of creatures bay- ana summer — pack a bot- eling, and they're saying, of his operations were fall and spring as millions of
ing, chirping and croak- tle of water & stroll thru the 'OK, it's going to be hot and based where the Barataria birds head south to Central
ing, from bronze frogs that swamp." humid, but we're also going Preserve is now. or South America for the
sound like bicycle horns to I had to find out who was to see and hear amazing My visit included a walk on winter, then return.
narrowmouth toads that behind this empowering things we're never going the Palmetto Trail and the For tourists taking a side
sound like sheep. never-mind-the-weather to see and hear anywhere Bayou Coquille Trail. Co- trip to the park from New
That night, back in my air- message, and a couple of else,'" she said, adding: quille is the French word for Orleans, it's interesting to
conditioned hotel room phone calls led me to Kristy "You'll forget the heat and shell, named for an enor- consider that the preserve
a half-hour drive from Wallisch, a park ranger humidity three days later. mous mound of shells dis- "is pretty much what New
the park in New Orleans, who handles Jean Lafitte's But you'll always remember carded by Native Ameri- Orleans looked like" when
I tweeted out a few sec- public information. what a wonderful time you cans who once inhabited European settlers arrived
onds of a video I'd taken "Traditionally summer is our had." the area. A sign marks that 300 years ago. q
The Barataria Preserve is
one of six distinct sites that
make up Jean Lafitte Na-
tional Historical Park and
Preserve. The other sites in-
clude a visitor center in New
Orleans' famous French
Quarter and the Chalmette
Battlefield, where the Battle
of New Orleans was fought
in 1815. It was the final great
battle of the War of 1812, in
which Andrew Jackson led
the Americans to a David-
versus-Goliath triumph over
British forces.
Jackson owed his victory in
This June 3, 2018 photo shows a verdant landscape in the Bara- part to the man for whom This June 3, 2018 photo shows a walkway in the Barataria Pre-
taria Preserve, part of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and the park is named: Jean serve, part of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
Preserve in Marrero, Louisiana, just outside of New Orleans. Lafitte. Lafitte was a pri- in Marrero, Louisiana, just outside of New Orleans.
Associated Press vateer — OK, let's just call Associated Press