A monthly newsletter from Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation.

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Wild Times October 2024

During the centennial anniversary of Texas State Parks, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF) is raising $2 million to fund much-needed projects at all state parks. A generous group of Centennial Champions has joined with TPWF to match all gifts dollar-for-dollar, and we are elated to add the James A. “Buddy” Davidson Charitable Foundation to our list of champions.

The James A. “Buddy” Davidson Charitable Foundation has been a generous supporter of TPWF initiatives throughout Texas’ Trans-Pecos region, including pronghorn restoration in 2013 and 2017, and research into the natural recolonization of black bears in 2021. Now as our newest Centennial Champion, the James A. “Buddy” Davidson Charitable Foundation has amplified its support to reach every corner of our state, and the many wild places in between.

“We’re very pleased to provide this gift to TPWF that will support the 100 Years of Texas State Parks Celebration,” said the Foundation's Director of Animals, Wildlife, Environmental Elaine Greenhaw. “Throughout his life, Buddy Davidson supported wildlife, education, conservation, and the environment. This is a fitting tribute to the memory of his generous spirit. The Foundation will continue to support soil and water conservation, erosion, and wildlife habitats within the state of Texas."

Together our Centennial Champions have provided $1 million in matching funds, but we still need your help! We are just $300,000 away from crossing the finish line. Will you give back to the park closest to your heart?

Donate $100 or more, and we will send you our exclusive limited edition EXPLORE bumper sticker for you to proudly display as a second century supporter of Texas State Parks.

 
  Explore Sticker  
 

Give back to the state park closest to your heart today!

Give to State Parks

P.S. Can’t decide on your favorite park? Give to all to support all state parks, and your gift will go where it’s needed most!

 
 
 
  Story #2: Mason Mountain WMA Adds Acreage for Wildlife Habitat  
 

Thanks to a philanthropic donation from TPWF and its partners, more than 200 additional acres have been added to the Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Central Texas.

Mason Mountain WMA is located in the Llano Uplift of Mason County and now encompasses more than 5,500 acres of pristine wildlife habitat in one of the fastest growing regions of the state. As one of only two WMAs in the Hill Country region, Mason Mountain plays a critical role in safeguarding vanishing habitat for native and migratory species.

“We’re thrilled at this addition to Mason Mountain WMA, which will provide habitat for species ranging from white-tailed deer to grassland birds,” said Mason Mountain WMA Manager Mark Mitchell. “Besides providing public hunting opportunities, Mason Mountain is a research and demonstration site, providing access to wildlife researchers while providing Texas landowners with valuable information about how to best manage their land to benefit fish and wildlife species."

TPWF worked with Horizon Foundation and the Knobloch Family Foundation to provide more than $380,000 in private dollars to match a federal Pittman-Robertson grant, making the acquisition possible.

Read More

 
 
 
  Story #3: Bidders Bet Big on Best Gear Up Auction Yet  
 

Here’s sending a Texas-sized thank you to all our donors, brand partners and supporters for making TPWF’s 3rd Annual Gear Up for Game Wardens Online Auction a record-breaking success! Together we raised an astonishing $225,000 to support the Gear Up for Game Wardens program and ensure TPWF can continue its work to get much-needed equipment in the hands of your Texas Game Wardens.

On behalf of the best-trained corps of conservation officers in the nation—and the many wild things and wild places they are sworn to protect—thank you!

 
 
 
  Story #4: Meet WWNBT Ambassador John Dunaway  
 

John Dunaway remembers his very first dove hunt like it was yesterday.

“When I was 13, my dad took me to meet up with his friends in South Texas, who got together every year at a farm near Brownsville for the opening of dove season,” said John. “Everyone was just relaxing and enjoying being with each other. There were dogs, coolers, grills, and it was just a big outdoors party. I will never forget that."

Flash forward to several years ago, John found himself dove hunting with friends and family at the same South Texas farm he first hunted as a boy. After the hunt, they threw their dinner on a grill and enjoyed Paloma cocktails. A mariachi band serenaded them from a distance, and John had an epiphany.

"We decided right then and there to make it an annual tradition, mariachi band and all,” John recalled. “So, the next year there were like 12 guys. And then there were 25. The last few years has grown to about 70. It’s about hunting and relaxing and camaraderie."

John does all the heavy lifting to make the event happen, and several brand partners have jumped on board to provide product and other extras to make the event shine. It’s an invitation-only event, but John is pleased to include a member from TPWF each year. As a TPWF We Will Not Be Tamed ambassador, he appreciates what TPWF is doing for the wild things and wild places of Texas. We Will Not Be Tamed calls us to appreciate the wildness of Texas, the vastness of our Texas spirit and why we should be inspired to conserve it.

Read More

Join John and countless other Texans who are keeping Texas conservation efforts afloat by becoming a member of TPWF today. And check out the exclusive We Will Not Be Tamed gear you will receive when you join with $100 or more!

 
  WWNBT Membership Gear  
 

Become a member of TPWF today… because our wild things and wild places need your help now more than ever!

Join Now

 
 
 
  Story #5: $1 Billion Parks Endowment Up for a Vote in November  
 

On Nov. 7, Texans will have the opportunity to vote on Proposition 14, a constitutional amendment to create the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund. If approved, the $1 billion fund would provide stable, long-term funding for new park land purchases and development of new parks. The fund does not create a new tax. Rather, a portion of the state government surplus would be used to create this fund. If Proposition 14 passes, the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund would constitute the largest investment in parks in Texas history.

In a state with 30 million people and growing, less than 5% of Texas is public land available for public enjoyment. Nearly 10 million people visit state parks each year, and as more Texans seek outdoor experiences, it is going to be increasingly important to ensure that lands and waters are set aside and managed for fish, wildlife and recreation.

Texans are encouraged to vote on Proposition 14 as well as thirteen other constitutional amendments on Nov 7.

Learn More

 
 
 
  Story #6: Time’s Ticking on Our Toyota Giveaway to Get Away!  
 

Don’t miss out on your chance to take home a Toyota Tundra TRD Pro!

To celebrate 100 years of Texas State Parks, Toyota and Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation have teamed up to offer a giveaway to help you get away—and we are less than two weeks away from drawing our winner! 

One lucky sweepstakes winner will take home a Toyota Tundra prize package that includes everything you need for a Texas outdoor adventure, including a Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, plus extras from YETI, Solo Stove, PAKMULE, Tecovas, SWAROVSKI OPTIK, Turtlebox, PECOS Outdoor and more.

Make a $25 donation here to support 100 years of Texas State Parks by October 22, 2023, and you will be automatically entered. Visit LetsGo100.org for complete details and sweepstakes rules.

Donate to Win

 
 
 
  Story #7: Stewards of the Wild Hosts 10th Annual Dove Hunt  
 

Stewards of the Wild’s 10th Annual All-Stewards Dove Hunt presented by SITKA Gear was recently held on Sept. 8 – 9, and even record-setting temperatures topping 108˚ didn’t stop 200+ hunters from taking to the field in Albany, Texas, with many hunters limiting on both days.

This year’s event raised $75,000 for TPWF’s Stewards of the Wild program—a resounding success thanks in large part to our sponsors and the efforts of our many volunteers. The support we receive from our many Stewards of the Wild members, sponsors and supporters is paramount to the program’s ongoing success and goal to grow Texas’ field of future conservation leaders.

Become a member today and join local and statewide events like West Texas camping, coastal kayaking, mentored hunting and fishing trips, conservation service projects and more, all aimed at providing a new generation of conservation leaders with unique insight and experiences to engage in solving Texas’ conservation challenges.

Find your chapter and join today!

Join Now

 
 
 
 

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