Bluebonnet Swamp is an interconnected cypress-tupelo swamp and magnolia-beech forest composed of the swamp and the surrounding higher land of the Pleistocene terrace. It helps alleviate floods and filters sediment and pollutants from surrounding areas. The area drains south into Bayou Fountain, which flows along Highland Road between the natural levee of the Mississippi River to the west and the Pleistocene terrace to the east, then continues southeast into Bayou Manchac, the Rigolets, and the Gulf of Mexico. Bluebonnet Swamp serves as the major drainage basin for the watershed along Bluebonnet Boulevard and surrounding neighborhoods in Baton Rouge. Increasing urbanization has harmed the swamp’s health through progressively higher flood events caused in part by increased runoff from additional paving and development in the watershed. The Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center works to conserve the area while offering education and recreation at its 103-acre facility, where visitors learn about local flora and fauna and can view a variety of wildlife, including hundreds of bird species during peak migrations, from gravel trails and boardwalks.