Conservation Legacy Happenings

Texas Wildlife Association’s Conservation Legacy team is working hard to provide educational opportunities for Texans of all ages.  Here’s a little snapshot of past accomplishments and some new and upcoming programs.

Click here to see Conservation Legacy’s article from the April 2022 issue of Texas Wildlife. This month features our Educational Impact from 2021

Check out the April issue of our youth magazine, Critter Connections, all about Migration in Texas.

You can sign up for a free annual subscription of Critter Connections here and find read-along versions here.

Plant Your Legacy: Outdoor Amphitheater and Living Classroom

Work has begun on the outdoor amphitheater that will welcome visitors of all ages together for education, entertainment, recreation, and interaction. This new space will not only beautify our headquarters but will serve as an extension of our education and outreach mission. Be on the lookout for an announcement for an official ribbon cutting once the project is complete (Expected Completion May 2022).

Land, Water & Wildlife Expeditions – Mentor Training

Land, Water & Wildlife Expeditions is a new program from Conservation Legacy that aims to increase the number of youth ages 11-17 participating in educational, safe, and mentored outdoor experiences on private land in Texas. The program will work closely with landowners, mentors, volunteers and natural resource experts to grow the number of opportunities for youth and families to experience the outdoors and see the work of good land stewards across the state.

Join our first Mentor Training April 30 – May 1 in Kyle, Texas

$35 Registration Fee – Includes meals and training materials

Participants will…

1.     Learn an overview of TWA and its programs

2.     Learn how to plan, deliver, and recruit for an expedition experience

3.     Hear from guest presenters over the following:

• Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
• TEAMgo – Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Application
• Interpretive Practices
• Citizen Science Applications – iNaturalist and eBird
• Guided Bird Hike with Audubon Master Birders

Sign up here (Registration Deadline: April 23, 2022. Space is limited!)

Small Acreage, Big Opportunity (SABO)

In February, TWA and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension hosted a working group with a singular goal: to make our Small Acreage, Big Opportunity program more relevant and impactful to its target audience. The program, nicknamed SABO for short, began in 2020 and aims to support small-acreage landowners in their efforts to practice stewardship that promotes healthy, functional ecosystems across Texas. We brought together partners from a variety of organizations for a total of 16 participants who worked together to identify key barriers preventing effective stewardship on small acreages and potential strategies for addressing those barriers. The discussion was eye-opening not just for SABO, but for conservation outreach and education as a whole. 

SABO Session 1 – May 21st in Bandera County 

Our intensive one-day workshops will teach landowners how to evaluate their property’s habitat and what options are available for wildlife management, including cost-share programs. Perhaps most importantly, we will connect landowners with local professionals who can walk alongside them as they steward and learn their lands. 

• Registration Fee: $80 (includes lunch) 
• Learn more and sign up here, space is limited! 

QuailMasters

Our QuailMasters program is fully booked with 40 participants eager to learn about the best of the best quail habitat in the state of Texas and become ‘masters’ of the art and science of quail management.

Upcoming Sessions:

• Session 1: April 24-26 in Abilene
• Session 2: June 5-7 in Hebbronville

Teacher Workshops

Sign up for one of our Teacher Workshops this summer in June and July 

• 6 hour trainings that introduce attendees to the Texas Wildlife Association, in-class and outdoor lessons and activities, and how to incorporate natural resources into classrooms or programming.   
• Lessons focus on teaching land stewardship, native wildlife, and water conservation  
• Science TEKS-aligned for Grades K-8. 
• In-person and Virtual workshop dates available 
• Earn 6 hours of CPE credit 

Learn more and Sign Up Here!