NEWS

BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo Again Earns Prestigious National Accreditation

After an extensive year-long process, the Baton Rouge Zoo has once again achieved AZA accreditation.

From Vision to Reality: BREC to Unveil Impactful Initiatives in 2024

Unleashing Your Creativity with Canine Costumes for BREC's Trick and Treat

Growing Up with BREC: Homeschool Opportunities for All Ages

Your PAW-some Guide to Fur Friendly Events with BREC

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!

Drag: A Theatrical Tradition

Did you know that the birth of theatre started in Ancient Greece? And with that, the creation of the performance art known as Drag.

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

Prescribed Burn Taking Place at Howell Community Park

BREC will be completing a prescribed burn at Howell Community Park tentatively the week of Jan 15, 2023, starting Tuesday, Jan 17, 2023

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 Announces New Zoo Director

BREC is proud to announce that after a five-month national search, Jim Fleshman has been named the fourth Zoo Director in BREC’s history. Fleshman has worked alongside Phil Frost for the past three years, playing an integral role in the development of the Zoo’s master plan, strategic plan and business plan which is guiding the largest construction project in BREC’s history to reimagine the 51-year-old facility.

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.

BREC Gives Notice Regarding Public Hearing

BREC will hold a public hearing on Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. at its administrative building in the board room of the BREC Commission located at 6201 Florida Boulevard, Baton Rouge, Louisiana as shown in the notice below. The public hearing will be held to consider adopting an ordinance rolling forward millage rates to ensure BREC can continue to collect property taxes at the rate approved by voters. BREC’s current maximum millage, as approved by the voters at the ballot, is 14.463.?If BREC rolls forward its millages in September, it will result in an additional $3,594,820 for the park system.

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!