May at Louisiana State Parks

Each month the good folks at Louisiana State Parks send us a listing of information for all the programs taking place at park properties during the month to come. The May calendar contains upwards of seventy-five programs, ranging from dutch oven-cooking demonstrations to guided birdwatching hikes, to primitive woodworking, canoe tours, and living-history sessions. So don't spend this time of year indoors; visit the wide open spaces cared for by the State Parks system. Here is a small sampling of adventures on offer.

• May 4, Guided Garden Tours: Tour the recreated 19th century herb and vegetable gardens at Maison Olivier and the Acadian Cabin, including a traiteur's garden. Learn about native medicinal plants used by both the Acadians and Creoles in the mid to late 1800s. Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site, St. Martinville. All day long. (337) 394-3754. 
• May 4–5: A Night at the Plantation: Bring your tents and camp out on the Oakley Plantation grounds for this annual program. Visit the slave cabins under the stars and hear stories of life for the enslaved on a plantation. Pre-registration required. Audubon State Historic Site, St. Francisville. (225) 635-3739. 
• May 11, Bird Calls and Songs: Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day while learning some of the calls and songs of the birds living in Louisiana's Arboretum. Binoculars provided. (337) 363-6289. 
• May 18, Kids to Park Day—Hunter-Gatherer for a Day: Take a ranger-led hike (9:45 am), learn to use an atlatl (11:30 am), and then to cook your day's earnings in an earth oven (1:30 pm). Poverty Point World Heritage Site, Epps.  (318) 926-5492. 

And much more! Visit crt.state.la.us/louisiana-state-parks for a full list.