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Giving Shorebirds More Room to Roam
Every spring and fall, millions of shorebirds follow the Central Flyway right through Texas, relying on a patchwork of healthy wetlands to rest, refuel, and rally to complete one of the world’s most spectacular migrations.
Through Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation's (TPWF) Shorebird Habitat Management and Restoration Fund (SHMRF), with generous support from the Knobloch Family Foundation, TPWF is actively restoring the very habitat shorebirds depend upon most to stick every landing along the way. By restoring critical habitat across Texas public lands, we can increase essential stopover, wintering and breeding grounds that are vital to the survival of myriad shorebird species.
Launched last fall, SHMRF has already funded 15 restoration projects, making an impact across five coastal National Wildlife Refuges and two Wildlife Management Areas. With nine projects already complete, and six more underway, the work will restore nearly 6,000 acres of habitat while improving hundreds more through strategic water management infrastructure and levee repairs.
The projects include removing invasive vegetation, repairing water-control structures, restoring wetlands, and improving water delivery to create the shallow, food-rich habitat shorebirds need during their incredible journeys. Early results are already encouraging, with newly restored wetlands already supporting growing numbers of shorebirds.
The work supported by SHMRF does more than benefit migrating birds—it supports countless species of fish and wildlife, improves water quality, and strengthens the long-term resilience of Texas' coastal landscapes at large. Every restored acre helps ensure that the timeless spectacle of migrating shorebirds can be experienced and celebrated by Texans for generations to come.
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Auction Pledges Big Support for Bighorns & Game Wardens
TPWF recently held a Desert Bighorn Sheep Hunt Auction that will go down in history as the highest bid yet on a Texas bighorn hunt. The auction package raised an astonishing $255,000, a truly staggering win for the wild things of Texas.
Nearly 100 bidders registered for the auction and drove the price up well beyond our wildest wishes. The winning pledge cemented vital support for two TPWF causes—the Texas Desert Bighorn Sheep initiative to pursue long-term species restoration, and the S. Reed Morian Gear Up for Game Wardens program to help ensure your Texas Game Wardens can safely perform their jobs and return home to their families after every patrol.
The historic auction was made possible through the generosity of the Honorable Robert L. “Bobby” Patton, Jr., Texas Parks and Wildlife Commissioner, who leveraged the value of one lone desert bighorn sheep permit into invaluable support for our wild things and the Texas Game Wardens sworn to protect them all.
We also extend our thanks to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), TPWD’s Bighorn Sheep Advisory Committee, Boone & Crockett Club, Borderlands Research Institute, Dallas Safari Club, Houston Safari Club, Texas Bighorn Society, Texas Conservation Alliance, Texas Wildlife Association, and the Wild Sheep Foundation for spreading the word and to the many individuals who bid on this once-in-a-lifetime hunting opportunity to benefit our Texas wild.
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Texas Tortoise Day | Championing a Chelonian Texas Native
Another Texas Tortoise Day may have come and gone, but the conservation work it celebrates continues. First held in 2024, the annual observance each June shines a spotlight on Texas’ only native tortoise while encouraging residents to help protect this remarkable reptile.
The smallest tortoise in North America, many people don't realize that Texas tortoises are a state threatened species, making it illegal to collect or keep them as pets. The animals also spend most of their lives within a surprisingly small home range of just one to four acres, which is why it's important never to move one you encounter in the wild.
The continued effort to educate Texans is making a difference. Last summer, at a Texas Tortoise Day event in Laredo, organizers expected upwards of 30 tortoises to be turned over, but residents surrendered a staggering 180 beloved pet tortoises. The event became an extraordinary opportunity to give these threatened animals a second chance at a life out of captivity.
Over the past year, TPWD wildlife biologists and Texas A&M researchers have carefully prepared the surrendered tortoises for release later this fall, giving them a better chance of surviving in their native South Texas habitat. The initiative, led by TPWD and Texas A&M – Corpus Christi, with support from TPWF and the Dallas Zoo, is helping return surrendered tortoises to the wild while continuing to educate Texans about this unique species. Want to learn more about the ongoing rehabilitation effort? Read The Great Texas Tortoise Turn-In in Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine.
You can also support Texas tortoise education, outreach, research and conservation by making a gift to TPWF’s Texas Tortoise Fund. As a proud supporter of this crucial initiative, TPWF has committed an additional $15,000 to the effort, but we need your help to reach our goal of $25,0000. You can help secure a wilder tomorrow for Texas tortoises by donating to TPWF today.
SUPPORT THE TEXAS TORTOISE
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Grab a Case of Rambler & go for the Gold!
For nearly a decade, Rambler Sparkling Water has proudly partnered with TPWF to help conserve the wild things and wild places that make Texas so special. Inspired by the crystal-clear swimming holes of the Texas Hill Country, Rambler's commitment to conservation is behind every can, and every sip helps support the lands, waters, and wildlife we Texans cherish most.
Now there's another reason to reach for a Rambler this summer—there’s GOLD in those Rambler cartons!
Rambler has hidden gold cans inside limited-edition cartons of Original and Lemon-Lime sparkling water at participating retailers nationwide. Find one, and you'll unlock the chance to win exciting prizes, and you'll automatically be entered to win an all-expenses-paid trip for two to ACL Fest in Austin—flights, hotel, festival passes, the whole enchilada!
As you stock up on Rambler, you're not only playing for gold. You are supporting a Texas-true brand and helping to conserve the natural wonders of Texas.
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More Texas Gold—The Paloma Blanco Golden Ticket Giveaway
Texas dove season is approaching, and longtime TPWF ambassador John Dunaway is getting ready to host the 9th Annual Paloma Blanco Dove Hunt in Brownsville. As part of this popular tradition, John and the El Capitan Hunt Club are offering one TPWF member and a guest a chance to win a coveted Golden Ticket to the hunt, which will take place on October 2-5, 2026!
We invite you to become a member of TPWF today. When you do, you’ll be entered to win a Golden Ticket for the Paloma Blanco Dove Hunt. As a TPWF member, you will become an active partner in our work to keep Texas wild.
And, if you join TPWF at the $100 level or more, you will receive exclusive NEW Keeping It Wild gear to show off your support of Texas' wild things and wild places.
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Join TPWF today and support our mission to conserve the wild things and wild places that make Texas, Texas.
JOIN TPWF TODAY
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| *The price of membership pays for TPWF membership only and not for the chance to win the Paloma Blanco Dove Hunt. Members who join or renew between January 1 and August 17, 2026, are automatically entered in the drawing. The dove hunt is scheduled over October 2-5, 2026, in Brownsville, Texas. The Golden Ticket includes entry to the invite-only event plus one hunt. Lodging and transportation are not included. |
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