Audubon Conservation Ranching
“There is an undeniable warmth surrounding private lands conservation in Texas—a welcomed boost of enthusiasm as we move into 2025…”
A passion for conservation is a true gift to the world. While stewarding the land brings immense beauty and fulfillment, it can sometimes be challenging to remain optimistic. Conservation often requires confronting difficult realities, such as habitat loss and species decline. However, by broadening our perspective, we can find many reasons for hope. One bright spot is the growing support for conservation from landowners, industry, and the public.Read More
Coastal Program Update
What a year it’s been for Audubon Texas’s Coastal Program in 2024! We kicked off the year with the exciting launch of the new Beach-Nesting Bird Stewardship Program in the Matagorda Bay region on the mid-Texas Coast. This initiative involves monitoring and surveying ten key nesting sites to protect species such as Black Skimmers, Least Terns, Snowy Plovers, and Wilson’s Plovers. Through this program Audubon Texas joins four conservation partners: Houston Audubon Society, American Bird Conservancy, Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, and Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program in a coastwide effort to ensure beach-nesting birds can nest and raise their young. Although this marks the first year of the program for our coalition, several other groups bring over a decade of experience to the table. Thanks to the dedication of our staff, volunteers, and partners, we were able to establish a strong foundation for the program on the mid-Texas coast. This collaborative effort sets the stage for future success in beach-nesting bird conservation.
Audubon’s Rookery Island Conservation Program protected around 43,000 pairs of nesting waterbirds across Texas’s vital rookery islands. From pelicans to terns, we have safeguarded critical habitats through seasonal closures, restoration efforts, and continued collaboration with state and federal partners. These efforts protect birds when they are most vulnerable and bolster populations across the coast, marking a major milestone in our conservation work.
As we reflect on this year’s accomplishments, we are grateful for the growing community of supporters who have joined us in making this year a success. Their dedication continues to inspire us as we look ahead to 2025, with even more exciting initiatives in the works. Here’s to another year of protecting birds, restoring habitats, and celebrating the natural beauty of Texas’s coast!
Community Building: Bringing Chapters and Partners Together to Make a Difference
Audubon Texas Chapter and Partner Roundup 2024
For many years, Audubon Texas has hosted a biennial event that brings together chapters and partners from across the state. This year, we were excited to gather at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, where 10 chapters and a dozen partner organizations came together. The event felt like a unique combination of a conference and a family reunion, fostering collaboration, connection, and shared enthusiasm for birds and conservation efforts across Texas.
Our goal was straightforward: to bring together individuals who are deeply passionate about birds and conservation, leaving everyone inspired to continue working toward a future where birds thrive and people flourish. The energy and excitement at the end of the day confirmed that we achieved that goal.
Throughout the event, chapters and partners shared their successes and highlights from the impressive work happening across Texas. From youth programming and habitat restoration to building accessible trails, reducing bird collisions, and forming innovative partnerships, the wide range of projects demonstrated the dedication of so many individuals working to protect birds, people, and the planet.
It was a day filled with meaningful conversations, learning, and new connections—exactly the kind of gathering that fuels our shared mission. We’re already looking forward to the next Roundup!
Lights Out, Texas: A Year-Round Effort to Protect Birds
We are pleased to partner with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in their production of, “Lights Out Texas!”, a documentary film that explores bird migration and the issues caused by light pollution in Texas. The film examines how city lights interfere with birds' natural navigation, leading to confusion and a higher risk of building collisions. The film highlights the efforts of scientists, conservationists, and educators working together to reduce these negative effects. The film underscores the importance of reducing light pollution through the combined efforts of conservation groups, government agencies, and the private sector. Please email us at audubontexas@audubon.org.
In early November, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's BirdCast application issued a High Migration Alert for Brownsville, indicating that while the peak of fall migration has passed, late-season storm fronts are still moving migrant birds through the region. As winter approaches, it's an important reminder to encourage friends and neighbors to turn off non-essential lights, particularly at night, to help reduce light pollution and support migrating birds.
While fall migration may be slowing down, turning off unnecessary lights and following DarkSky lighting guidelines is a year-round practice that helps protect birds. This simple action reduces the risk of collisions during migration, lowers energy consumption, and cuts carbon emissions—critical steps in combating climate change, a major threat to bird populations. This aligns with Audubon’s Flight Plan, which emphasizes the importance of addressing climate change to safeguard bird species. By making these efforts part of our daily routines, we can all contribute to the well-being of birds and the health of our planet.
As the holiday season approaches, consider setting your holiday lights on a timer. And when you are participating in a Christmas Bird Count or enjoying some peaceful winter birdwatching, remember the simple gift you're giving to birds: safer skies and a healthier planet.
Texas Leaders in Conservation
by Yvette Stewart, Community Outreach Manager
In 2024, Texas Leaders in Conservation (TLC) lived up to its acronym, offering tender loving care to the world around us and the participants of the program throughout the calendar year. In the first half of the year, we completed field trips supporting our 2023-2024 theme of Working Lands, learning about important prairie plants, seed collection, and soil health. While the field trips build connections within the groups and between participants and staff, the real wealth and impact of the program becomes clarion on signing day (the ceremonial day students announce which college they will be attending). It is an honor to attend and watch students who have participated in multiple years of programming get ready for their next life stage. In spring, we had 9 students who completed 3 to 4 years of programming within TLC graduate!
For the first time, Texas Leaders in Conservation was able to host two summer internships at Trinity River Audubon Center: our returning college freshman, Dylan Jordan (a 3-year participant), and our recent high school graduate, Blue Monreal (also a 3-year participant). Since Dylan returned before graduation, it meant Dylan and I could sit together in the Irma Rangel auditorium and watch 8 seniors announce their college choice. It was a special moment to watch these amazing people walk across the stage and announce to their friends and family where they are going off to school. Sitting with a recently reunited college student emphasized how TLC creates a lasting community. Truly, my favorite part of the program is continuing to connect with participants as they move into their college years. There is so much potential in the youth coming through the program. They give me hope when the state of the environment and the health of bird populations feels imperiled!
In June, we hosted camp at Welder Wildlife Foundation for the second year. There was so much good learning about pivoting and meeting the needs of the group when plans don’t roll out smoothly. We had unexpected twists and turns when both transportation and weather issues popped up, which emphasized the resiliency of Texas Leaders as their positive attitude never wavered.
July marked the end of the internships for both Dyland and Blue. The time passed too quickly for their internships, but their impacts way out lasted the length of it. Dylan created a beautiful history piece through in-depth interviews of some of the people who pushed to stop the illegal dumping on the southside of Dallas, now the site of Trinity River Audubon Center. Blue’s project and outreach with Trinity River Conservancy’s summer camp led directly to 2024-2025’s TLC cohort.
While 2024 is coming to an end, the TLC cohorts for the 2024-2025 school year are just beginning with field trips and engagement opportunities. In San Antonio, we have more seniors who are participating for their fourth and final years with TLC, bittersweet joy to be sure, and in Dallas we have an enthusiastic cohort of students, some returning and some who are participating for the first time because of working with Blue during the summer. I can not wait to see what this group of enthusiastic, compassionate, and fast thinkers will achieve this year with TLC! |
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