Nature Based Education Center & Sculpture Park Expanding In St Martin Parish
Dec 20, 2019 05:44PM ● By Flint Zerangue, Sr.(Arnaudville, LA) Atelier de la Nature, Acadiana's nature-based education and sculpture park is expanding. On Wednesday, the organization acquired an additional 16 acres of land adjacent to its current location. According to the organization, the expansion will further the Atelier de la Nature's mission of having a nature reserve that will facilitate the creation of a Nature Art Sculpture Park that will include family-friendly nature trails. Future plans are to invite artists to create outdoor sculptures and installations out of mostly natural materials.
Atelier de la Nature currently organizes two family-friendly festivals per year to celebrate Louisiana's special natural surroundings, through art, music, food, and science-- Fête de la Nature, which is held in April and Halloween Art & Nature Festival held in October.
While Sculpture Parks have been around for centuries, their popularity in the US has been on the rise as artists, educators, and those concerned about preserving local nature habitats have come together to form eco-campuses that include nature reserves, ephemeral sculpture parks, and outdoor education centers.
About Atelier de la Nature:
Atelier de la Nature is an Acadiana area eco-campus that is a nature reserve, ephemeral sculpture park and outdoor education center. There aim to inspire people to creatively steward local nature while learning to collectively protect these natural gifts for future generations.
The project began in 2016 by Dr. Brandon Ballengée (Artist and Biologist), Aurore Ballengée (Sustainable food Educator), their children Victor and Lily we offer dual language (French- English) cooking workshops, guided nature walks, eco-workshops, art and science educational programming, and more! Within the nature reserve, restorations have begun to bring back native ‘Cajun’ prairie, hardwood and wetland habitats, as well as family-friendly nature trails.
Andrew Gautreaux Rd, Arnaudville, LA
Location: Atelier de la Nature, 1050 Andrew Gautreaux Road, Arnaudville, LA 70512 (off Coteau Rodaire Hwy, north of I-10 Exit 115 Cecilia/Henderson)
To learn more, visit www.atelierdelanature.org OR www.facebook.com/atelierdelanature.
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