|
View this message on our website.
| |
|
|
|
Honoring our 2025 Lone Star Land Stewards
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) held its annual Lone Star Land Steward Awards in Austin on May 21 to honor the very best of private land stewardship across Texas.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
The Boggy Slough Conservation Area (BSCA), located along the Neches River in Houston and Trinity Counties, received the 2025 Texas Leopold Conservation Award. Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, this prestigious award recognizes extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation and natural resource management by American ranchers, farmers, and foresters in 28 states.
“Boggy Slough has been a cornerstone of the Neches River corridor for the better part of a century,” said Tim Siegmund, Private Lands Program Leader for TPWD’s Wildlife Division. “The careful stewardship by the T.L.L. Temple Foundation, and its enrollment into a conservation easement, ensure it will continue to serve as a cornerstone and example of excellent land management for generations to come."
BSCA is bordered by 18 miles of river frontage with about 4,500 acres of rare bottomland hardwood habitat. Home to an abundance of wildlife including white-tailed deer, waterfowl, squirrels, red-cockaded woodpeckers and many other species, Boggy Slough is considered by many to have “brought deer back into East Texas” through their historic 20th century re-stocking program and dedicated stewardship of the property.
WATCH THE VIDEO to learn more about the T.L.L. Temple Foundation’s work to conserve BSCA.
WATCH THE VIDEO
|
| |
 |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Partner Spotlight: The Horizon Foundation
The Horizon Foundation, whose primary mission is to help ensure Texas’ iconic landscapes and natural resources remain for future generations, has greatly bolstered TPWF’s full portfolio of programs and projects through the years. It has also served as a lightning rod for landscape-scale conservation wins like the permanent conservation of a rare 18,000-acre expanse in Del Rio with ten miles of Devils River frontage, now part of the Devils River State Natural Area.
“Like many Texans who cherish the natural resources of our state, we are deeply concerned about the continued degradation of vital, fragile ecosystems across Texas,” said Rod Sanders, board president of The Horizon Foundation. “We can’t cure the issue, but I am fully invested and committed to caring for what wildlife and habitats remain."
To help combat further habitat loss, The Horizon Foundation established a $20 million Conservation Land Protection Fund in 2024 to support and encourage the voluntary purchase of land for conservation purposes and the purchase of conservation easements. The fund has already helped fund several Texas land projects.
Though The Horizon Foundation’s scope fully envelopes Texas, it also extends well beyond our state. It recently helped fund the purchase of the Dakota Partnership Ranch (formerly the 777 Bison Ranch) in South Dakota. The recipient of lifetime conservation awards from the Audubon Society and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the over 26,000-acre property will forever serve as a welcome home on the prairie for myriad wild things, with South Dakota’s Badlands, Black Hills, and Mount Rushmore as its backdrop.
And, in a move that traverses hemispheres, The Horizon Foundation recently joined the Tierra Austral Land Trust in Chile to experience firsthand one of the planet’s last climate refuges: the Cochamó Valley and Fundo Puchegüín. Often referred to as the Yosemite of South America, it’s an area encompassing almost 133,000 hectares (roughly 328,650 acres) of pristine Patagonian wilderness. Together with Puelo Patagonia, The Nature Conservancy, The Wyss Foundation, and other international partners, The Horizon Foundation is joining the effort to conserve this Chilean treasure and world wonder.
WATCH THIS VIDEO to learn more about Tierra Austral Land Trust’s role in establishing voluntary conservation easements on private lands throughout Chile using Derecho Real de Conservación (DRC), a legal tool passed into law in 2016 that has helped Tierra Austral to permanently protect over 50,000 acres throughout Chile.
WATCH THE VIDEO
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Phillips 66 Blazes New Trail at Corpus Christi
Visitors to Lake Corpus Christi State Park can now enjoy easier access to key areas of the park—thanks to a trail upgrade made possible by Phillips 66 through its longtime partnership with TPWF.
The project resurfaced and extended a popular interpretive trail leading to the birding and educational zone and the historic Civilian Conservation Corps Refectory, known as “The Castle.” Previously, the trail ended in a rough, grassy patch with no clear path forward, limiting access for many visitors.
A historic, locally sourced material called caliche-crete was chosen for the new trail surface. Used when the park was first developed in the 1930s, the cement-treated caliche offers a thoughtful nod to the original craftsmanship that shaped the park nearly a century ago.
“This initiative underscores our company’s commitment to sustainability and community engagement,” said Jessica Follett, Regional Public Affairs Advisor at Phillips 66. “By using locally sourced materials to resurface the trail, we not only enhance the park’s natural beauty and accessibility but also support local businesses and reduce our environmental footprint."
The new trail has already proven its durability by holding up well during recent rains, offering a safer and more welcoming experience for all.
Phillips 66 and park staff celebrated the trail improvements on May 20 with the installation of the final signage—marking another successful collaboration between Texas State Parks, TPWF, and Phillips 66.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Stewards Wanted: Apply Now for ’25-’26 Mentored Hunting & Fishing Season
Not everyone grows up with access to the outdoors, and fewer people than ever are learning to hunt and fish. In a 2022 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service report, it was estimated just 6% of Americans had hunted even once that year, and only 15% reported fishing. Without firsthand experience, it’s easy to lose sight of how hunting, fishing, and conservation go hand in hand.
That’s why Stewards of the Wild, TPWF’s conservation leadership program, created a Mentored Hunting & Fishing Initiative for its members—a hands-on way for novice adult hunters and anglers to build skills, confidence, and a lifelong connection to conservation.
Through exceptional guided hunting and fishing experiences, members can learn about habitat and species conservation, land access and stewardship, and ethical hunting and fishing practices—all while forging deep ties to Texas’ landscapes and longstanding outdoor traditions.
The mentee application for the 2025-2026 Mentored Hunting & Fishing Season is now open and will close on July 15 at 11:59 p.m.
Stewards members may apply to be selected for dove, duck, quail, or big game hunts on private lands—or for coastal fishing adventures. These immersive experiences are designed to give novice or first timers the tools to continue hunting and fishing on their own and to become thoughtful advocates of our wild things and wild places.
LEARN MORE AND APPLY NOW
If you are a current Stewards member who is an experienced hunter or angler looking to give back, our mentor and volunteer application is open year-round. We’re always looking for Stewards of the Wild members who are ready to share their knowledge and passion for our Texas wild, because the future of Texas conservation depends on meaningful action today.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Out Now: TPWF’s 2024 Annual Report
2024 was another remarkable year for TPWF as we worked together with our many partners to conserve Texas’ precious lands, waters, and wildlife. From supporting crucial initiatives like desert bighorn sheep restoration and research into the natural return of black bears in the Trans-Pecos, to reclaiming Texas’ shrinking prairies that are the lifeblood of native pollinators, TPWF is helping to ensure a bold future for our wild things, wild places, and rising generations of Texans.
This year and every year, our progress is possible only because of your generous support. Thank you for helping us keep Texas wild.
Enjoy our 2024 Annual Report.
VIEW OUR ANNUAL REPORT
|
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
