Avery Island is in southwest Louisiana. The home of the McIhenny family best known for their spicy seasoning, Tabasco Sauce, the island is the tip of a salt dome that extends 8 miles underground.
The photos here are from the 200-acre Jungle Gardens. Edmund McIhenny, a noted naturalist, cultivated these gardens in the late 19th Century and helped save the Snowy Egret -- then hunted for it's plumage -- from extinction. Beginning with eight egrets he took from the wild, he bred them, then freed them. They've returned to the island every since to nest in the spring. Today, "Bird City" is home to more than 20,000 egrets nesting on special-built platforms in a pond.
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When you begin your drive next to the lagoon, these signs serve as fair warning. |
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More ...
| Avery Island live oaks | Arched Drive | The Pagoda | The Palm Garden | "Bird City" |
| The Sunken Garden | Pond Surprise | The Tabasco Factory | AF/IG Home Page |
