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Welcoming Black Bears Back to Texas
Black bears are making their way back to the West Texas landscapes they once roamed.
Historically, they ranged across the Trans-Pecos, but by the 1950s they had mostly disappeared from Texas. In the 1990s, black bears were sighted once again in Big Bend, and more recently, they’ve begun to repopulate into Texas from Mexico.
Borderlands Research Institute (BRI), in partnership with Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF), is committed to tracking and researching the black bear to understand more about its population growth and habitat needs and how its presence affects the human population of the area. This research is vital to creating science-based management strategies as black bears naturally repopulate their historic range.
Researchers at BRI, with the help of private landowners, have begun to fit bears with tracking collars. These collars help researchers gather data on the bears’ movement and behavior. The collars also mean researchers can track their interactions with humans. As more bears move into Texas, understanding how humans and bears can coexist is an important part of the project, and BRI’s research will help shape and facilitate science-based management as the bears expand their range.
Watch the video to see how TPWF has partnered with BRI to study the return of black bears in far West Texas:
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TPWF is committed to supporting BRI’s ongoing research to ensure our wild things endure in the wild places of Texas, and we are grateful to the generous donors who make this vital research possible:
Horizon Foundation | The James A. "Buddy" Davidson Charitable Foundation | Coypu Foundation | H-E-B Our Texas, Our Future | Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation | Dallas Safari Club Foundation | Stewards of the Wild Austin Chapter | Houston Safari Club Foundation | Panhandle Chapter and East Texas Chapter of Dallas Safari Club | Fletcher Family Charitable Fund
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TPWF Ambassador Spotlight: Kimberly Ratcliff
Kimberly Ratcliff left a prosperous marketing career on Wall Street in 2007 to help transform the sprawling 2,500-acre Caney Creek Ranch near Oakwood into a bold family legacy. For the last 17 years, Kimberly and her father have worked hand-in-glove to manage and scale the ranch.
With Kimberly’s mind for marketing, she has helped turn the ranch into a diverse and profitable business with global possibilities through Ratcliff Premium Meats, which sells high quality ranch-direct beef from their ranch and local producers.
“We started with one little ice chest at the Frisco farmers market, and now we’re selling between 70,000 and 90,000 pounds of beef per month to families through our website and at the farmers market, as well as wholesale to restaurants, hotels and chefs nationwide,” said Kimberly.
As Kimberly builds a legacy for her family and her community, she knows that sustainable agricultural practices will ensure the longevity of that legacy. “Our family’s focus on sustainable farming practices doesn’t simply protect the earth; it allows us to keep this ranch going for future generations. Multigenerational ranch families like mine are the backbone to our food supply and vital to our future. My goal is to look down on this ranch in 100 years and see my family still running it."
Read more about Kimberly and how she is helping to keep Texas wild.
READ MORE ABOUT KIMBERLY RATCLIFF
Will you join Kimberly and the many dedicated Texans who are working to keep Texas wild by becoming a member of TPWF today? Your support of TPWF’s work is crucial to ensuring our wild things and wild places will be around for future generations to enjoy.
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And if you join TPWF at the $100 level or more, you can receive TPWF's exclusive NEW Keeping It Wild gear to show off your support of the outdoors.
Become a member today and help us keep Texas wild!
JOIN TPWF TODAY
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A Texas-sized Thank You!
We'd like to offer a Texas-sized thank you to all our donors, brand partners and supporters for making TPWF’s 4th Annual Gear Up for Game Wardens Online Auction a record-breaking success! Together we raised an astonishing $260,000 to support the S. Reed Morian 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!
Since 2017, generous supporters have helped Gear Up for Game Wardens procure over $6 million in lifesaving equipment ranging from thermal search and rescue drones to side-scan sonar units and more. Proceeds from the annual online auction provide essential program support to ensure Gear Up for Game Wardens can continue its work to get specialty 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!
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Stewards of the Wild Hosts 11th Annual Dove Hunt
Stewards of the Wild’s 11th Annual All-Stewards Dove Hunt presented by SITKA Gear took place on Sept. 6 – 7, with roughly 200 hunters taking to the field in Albany, Texas. Experienced and novice hunters alike got their limits, and many new hunters shot their first dove in what turned out to be a picture-perfect weekend of sportsmanship and celebration among Stewards from across the state.
This year’s event raised over $75,000 for TPWF’s Stewards of the Wild program, thanks in large part to our generous sponsors and the efforts of our many dedicated volunteers. The support we receive from our many Stewards of the Wild members, sponsors, and donors is paramount to the program’s ongoing success in growing 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 inspiring a new generation of conservation leaders to take an active role in solving Texas’ conservation challenges.
JOIN STEWARDS OF THE WILD
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Catch Chasing the Tide Docuseries on PBS
In October 2023, Chrissy and Jay Kleberg and a team of cinematographers embarked on an extraordinary journey, walking every inch of Texas’ coastline, from the Louisiana border to the Rio Grande.
Covering over 370 miles in just 21 days, they captured the rugged beauty and resilience of the Texas Coast.
“Texas’ coastal region embodies what the state is and aspires to be – breathtaking and gritty, storied and inspiring, expansive and eclectic – and it’s rapidly changing,” said Chrissy Kleberg, co-host, director, and producer.
The journey inspired the Chasing the Tide documentary series presented by Austin PBS, educational resources, and an upcoming book of the same name to share their adventure and insights into the vibrant ecosystems of the Texas coastline. TPWF is honored to partner with the filmmakers on this extraordinary project that brings the beauty and myriad complexities of the Texas Coast within reach of all Texans.
On October 5 all ten Texas PBS stations began airing the first episode of Chasing the Tide, with each of five additional episodes of the six-part docuseries to continue airing weekly. This marks the launch of Made in Texas, a new film series presented by Texas PBS. Starting October 7 all six 30-minute episodes of Chasing the Tide will be available for free on the PBS app, ensuring that viewers can watch the series on their mobile device, streaming service, or smart television.
“The Texas Coast is at the frontier of our energy and economic future, adaptation to changes in our climate, and the delicate balance between population growth and a healthy environment,” said Jay Kleberg, co-host, director, and producer of the film. “One thing we learned through this documentary series is that Texans are resilient. We hope that our wild things and wild places share the same trait."
PBS VIEWING SCHEDULE
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