Louisiana Conservationist

Photographs and text explore the history of cowboys in Louisiana, discussing cattle ranching, trail drives, the Acadians, and the landscape; and including interviews and anecdotes.

Helpful maps direct readers to every azalea, camellia, and magnolia from Afton Villa Gardens in St. Francisville to Zemurray Gardens in Loranger.

Tracings: 94.52.30.

The hunt for red crawfish is the thing, the raison d'etre, of Acadian spring. Introduced to Louisiana by the swamp dwellers of the Atchafalaya Basin, the crawfish is a regional favorite that has spurred a $210 million industry. Whole families work at the same fisheries, and annual crawfish festivals dominate the social calendar. More importantly, no matter the occasion, folks take their boils seriously: they'll endure line cutters, heat and humidity, mosquitoes and high gas prices to procure crawfish for their families' annual backyard boils or their corporate picnics. Join author Sam Irwin as he tells the story--complete with recipes and tall tales--of Louisiana's favorite crustacean: the crawfish.