AUDUBON NATURE CENTER

 

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

Eustis Engineering provided geotechnical design recommendations for a reopened center that will help bring the wetlands and other features of the Louisiana landscape to life for a new generation of New Orleans residents.

PHOTO: AUDUBON NATURE INSTITUTE

After a $10 million restoration, the sprawling, 86-acre Audubon Louisiana Nature Center reopened on 6 October on Read Boulevard in eastern New Orleans.

The Nature Center opened its doors in 1980. It soon became a popular destination for families eager to experience the Louisiana ecosystem. According to the Audubon Nature Institute, the center welcomed about 85,000 annual visitors, including 45,000 students who were served by outreach programs.

The facility was shuttered in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina left the center under 6 feet of water for more than a month.

The restored center includes a planetarium, an 8,500-square-foot Exhibit Pavilion, classrooms, interactive educational exhibits, a network of trails and boardwalks, restrooms, animal care space, extensive landscaping, and parking.

Eustis Engineering performed soil borings and cone penetration testing at the heavily vegetated site to develop shallow and deep foundation recommendations, settlement estimates, roadway and parking lot pavement recommendations, and to provide best practices with respect to geotechnical aspects of construction at the site.

Audubon Louisiana Nature Center operating schedule:

Walking Trails – daily, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Front gates and restrooms – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Exhibit Hall - Wednesday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Planetarium – open for scheduled programming only

Classrooms – daily, by reservation. (Evening programs and overnights available by reservation)

To learn more about reserving spots for family, group, and school programming at the nature center, click here.