Louisiana’s Heroes and Heritage Trail will feature ULM as a place to visit

The ULM Natural History Museum was added to Louisiana’s “Heroes and Heritage Trail” Thursday in a dedication ceremony held in the museum, located on the third floor of Sandel Hall.

The goal of adding the museum to the list of other prestigious state museums is to bring awareness to what Secretary of State Tom Schedler called “an absolute jewel.”

Schedler visited the museum for the first time in April and said he was “flabbergasted” by not only the quality of the museum but also by how few people knew of its existence.

Mary Durusau, director of museums for the secretary of state’s office, echoed Shedler’s praise of the museum.

“It’s phenomenal what you have here, and anything we can do to shine a bright light on that, we will,” Durusau said.

The Heroes and Heritage Trail is featured on the state department’s web site. It provides visitors with key museum stops in all regions of the diverse state so that travelers can make the most of their time. So called “staycationers” can also benefit from the trail by knowing where they can go in their home areas for unique experiences.

For example, people travelling the I-20 corridor visiting museums like the Oil and Gas Museum in Shreveport or the Chennault Aviation Museum here in Monroe will now know there is a natural history museum that can add to their experience

Gary Stringer, a curator for the museum, said, “It’s a natural fit. We tie into almost every other museum because we show the natural history of Louisiana.”

Stinger said being a part of the trail will allow the museum to reach a new level of exposure never before experienced by the museum. When people Google “Louisiana Museums,” the Heritage trail for the secretary of state’s office will be among the first listed in results. Therefore, ULM’s natural history museum will also be a part of that premier exposure.

“The problem is people come and have wonderful things to say, but so many will tell me ‘we didn’t even know this was here,’” Stringer said.

President Nick Bruno attended the dedication and said being added to the trail was very important to the museum.

“It’s huge they’re getting this recognition,” Bruno said. “The more visitors that come to ULM, the more people can be impressed by what we’re doing. It’s another case of people discovering ULM.”