NEWS

Managing the Heat this Summer? Here's How it's Done for Baton Rouge Zoo Residents!

As the summer heats up, we often get asked by visitors what the zoo staff does to keep our animal residents cool. Read more to learn how!

Explore the Southern Bluffs Art Walk at the Scotlandville Greenway

May is National Bike Month. At BREC Greenways, we thought why not end the month by riding and checking out our newly named Southern Bluffs Trail that is part of the Scotlandville Parkway Greenway?

5 (Budget-Friendly) Must Haves for Every Golf Beginner

BREC's Guide to Plant ID

BREC Wins Prestigious 2022 National Gold Medal Award

The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), announced this morning at its national conference in Phoenix that for the third time in its history, BREC has won the National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. Musco Lighting LLC has been a proud sponsor of the Gold Medal Awards program for more than 15 years.

BREC Seeks Public Input for Scotlandville Parkway Master Plan

BREC announces the master planning process of the Scotlandville Parkway, a tremendous recreational asset located in North Baton Rouge.?Community partners including Healthy BR, Community Against Drugs and Violence (CADAV), Scotland Saturdays, Front Yard Bikes, and Bike Baton Rouge are working collaboratively with BREC to gather public input with support from a Trust for Public Land grant.

Baton Rouge Boom Bash Celebrates Installation of Litter Catcher in Bayou Fountain

BREC, the Louisiana Stormwater Coalition (LSC), Paddle BR and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation (BRAF) have entered a partnership to install a boom to clean up litter that washes down the waterway every time it rains.

Survey Shows Majority of Residents Satisfied with BREC Services, Weren’t Consulted About Breakaway Bill

Before filing a bill to take resources from BREC and create additional park systems, the authors of Senate Bill 205 largely neglected to consult with voters who approved the property taxes that fund the parish-wide agency and its 10-year strategic plan to determine whether they support such a drastic change.

BREC Responds to Bill Filed for the 2021 Legislative Session

BREC is expressing deep disappointment in Senate Bill 205, which seeks to pull assets from award-winning and nationally recognized park parish-wide park and recreation system for the creation of three new parks and recreation districts, along with new paid staff and governing authorities.

BREC Mourns Death of Longest Serving Commissioner

The Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge (BREC) is mourning the death of Commission Davis Rhorer. Rhorer was appointed to the BREC Commission in 2013 by Mayor Kip Holden and reappointed by Mayor Sharon Weston-Broome in 2017

BREC Mourns the Death of the Longest Serving Superintendent in its History

For 42 years, the name Eugene A. Young was synonymous with BREC as he was the longest serving Superintendent in the agency’s history. Young retired in 2003 ending a 57-year career in the recreation and parks industry which began when he worked for recreation departments in Austin, Texas and Bloomington, Indiana while in college.

5 Spots to Start Your Birding Adventure

So you’ve decided to join the vast birder movement but don’t know where to begin with the 470 birds that traverse through Louisiana? We don’t blame you! From physical identification to call identification, each bird can have many variations of the two. With that, it can be a daunting task, but we’re here to help!

Celebrating American Wetlands Month In Louisiana

Did you know that May is American Wetlands Month? American Wetlands Month was created to help celebrate the importance and value of wetlands.

Witnessing the Magic of Creativity

Time and time again, I have seen the process of being creative change lives. Through teaching and organizing dozens, maybe even hundreds of art events, classes, camps and workshops I’ve noticed changes in almost every aspect of what makes us human. Curiosity, sudden realization, social and self-awareness, emotional investment, mindfulness, sensory development, vocabulary enrichment and a prideful sense of accomplishment. Being witness to such is my passion.

3 Hiking Spots for Beginners from a Beginner

Did you know BREC has a cornucopia of awesome hiking trails in our backyard? Seriously, I work for BREC and didn’t know this. Until recently, I’ve been saving my precious outdoor weekends for excursions to far off distant lands like Tunica Hills and the occasional Arkansas or Texas gem. But good news folks, we have some great places to visit that are not that far off the beaten path and you don’t even have to leave the state to find them.

5 Reasons You Should Visit North Sherwood Forest Community Park

So you’ve decided to join the vast birder movement but don’t know where to begin with the 470 birds that traverse through Louisiana? We don’t blame you! From physical identification to call identification, each bird can have many variations of the two. With that, it can be a daunting task, but we’re here to help!

Play & Grow Pros - The BREC Blog launches!

Welcome to 2020! As your parks and recreation system, we are always trying to make sure you know what we fun have to offer, what you can do at your parks, and how we are always working to improve what we do. But this year we wanted to take it a step further!

BREC Commission Approves Master Plans for the Baton Rouge Zoo and Greenwood Community Park

The BREC Commission approved master plans for the Baton Rouge Zoo and Greenwood Community Park.

Open House Set for BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo and Greenwood Community Park Master Plans

BREC is pleased to announce the launch of the master planning processes for the Baton Rouge Zoo and Greenwood Community Park. Two nationally-acclaimed design consultants have been selected through a competitive bid process and kickoff meetings were held in late November 2018, allowing the consultants to gain a better understanding of the sites and scope of the projects.

Draft of Audit Shows BREC is Making Progress Recovering from the Historic Flood of 2016

BREC’s external auditor, Postlethwaite & Netterville, has submitted a preliminary draft of BREC’s 2017 annual audited financial statements to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor (LLA) as required by state law. The draft audit report, which cannot be finalized and released publicly until it is reviewed and approved by the LLA, shows that revenues generated from BREC’s programs and services have returned to pre-flood levels – increasing from $9,839,713 in 2016 to $10,137,338 in 2017, or a total increase of 3%.

BREC Takes First Step in Reimagining the Zoo and Greenwood Community Park

In the first step toward the creation of a reimagined Zoo and Greenwood Community Park, BREC is soliciting proposals from highly qualified and innovative design teams to develop a master plan for the 660-acre park.