Dear Stewards, Springtime came and went in what felt like the blink of an eye this year. As temps get hotter, consider spending some time on the Gulf Coast with us! The Statewide Conservation Committee's (SCC) Coastal Trip is June 6-8 in Port O'Connor and the 4th Annual Matagorda Fishing Tournament is June 28. If you have been considering joining us for the tournament, now is the time to register: Use code "Matagorda10" for 10% off registration for a guided boat through Sunday, June 1. It will be time to prepare for another hunting season before we know it. Dallas, Houston, and Austin Chapters will be holding annual Back to the Field gatherings in August, which serve as great opportunities to get to know other chapter members and learn about upcoming chances to get outside. If you're a new or novice hunter or angler, consider applying for our Mentored Hunting & Fishing Initiative. The Mentored Hunting & Fishing Initiative mentee application will open June 2 and close July 15. If you would like to volunteer or mentor on a hunt or fishing trip, fill out our mentor/volunteer application, which is open year-round. Lastly, the TPWF Board Fellow Program application will open June 16 and close July 25. We are looking for two new board fellows to serve as non-voting, visiting members of the TPWF board in 2026-2027. Learn more about this incredible opportunity here.
In this issue:
- Check out upcoming SOTW events
- Meet Dallas Chapter Advisory committee (AC) member and SCC leader Helena Oseguera Abrahamsson
- Join us for the 4th Annual Matagorda Fishing Tournament
- Read about the Fort Worth Rivertree Academy Fishing Extravaganza
- Read about the Austin Chapter's Wild Night
- Learn about TPWD's new Trinity River WMA
- Learn about the restoration being done at Matador WMA
- Read a story about a former TPWF scholarship winner
Cheers,
Katie
P.S. Have you checked on the status of your SOTW membership lately? Only current members will receive the SCC newsletter, have access to the "Conservation Connections" webpage, and register for SCC events! If you need to renew, sign into your Wild Apricot account or visit stewardsofthewild.org/become-a-member. Please note the SOTW + Texas Wildlife Association (TWA) membership options will be discontinued beginning June 1, 2025. If you are a current SOTW + TWA member, your TWA membership will remain valid through the expiration date, but you will be unable to renew at that membership level. TWA remains a valued partner and we encourage you to renew your membership separately through the TWA website. Both memberships will still be required to participate as a mentee in the SOTW Mentored Hunting Initiative. |
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Upcoming Stewards of the Wild Events |
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Stewards of the Wild Highlights & News |
Meet Dallas AC Member and SCC Leader Helena Oseguera Abrahamsson |
Helena Oseguera Abrahamsson’s story is one deeply inspired by her Texan, Mexican, and Swedish roots, and one that has taken her all over the world. But for Helena, Texas has always been her true home. It’s also the inspiration behind Plantéa Skincare, an idea she bootstrapped from conception to a flourishing skincare brand, all grown from Texas soil.
Born in San Antonio, Helena comes from a fifth-generation ranching family with longstanding agricultural ties to Texas and Mexico. She was raised on her grandmother’s ranch in Mexico until the age of 12, and her grandmother had a profound impact on her. “I inherited her curious spirit, and she instilled in me the belief that you should always be learning, always asking questions,” recalls Helena.
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When the family returned to Texas and settled into their ranch in Castroville, just west of San Antonio, Helena fed her curiosity by pouring all her energies into learning ballet. “Ballet took me all over the world. By the age of 15, I was a professional ballet dancer performing across Europe. When I decided to go to university, I was scouted by SMU for their dance program.”
At SMU, her grandmother’s mantra of being a lifelong learner took on a whole new meaning for Helena. “SMU opened my eyes to a completely different world—a world of education, a world of everything. If I wanted to study art history, I could. If I wanted to study economics, I could. It was a complete 180 for me after being so laser-focused on ballet.”
It was also during this time that Helena’s mother developed rosacea and struggled with ineffective treatments. “Her dermatologist kept suggesting steroid creams, but my mom is a very natural woman, and she has always been all about using nature to heal any symptoms, to heal her skin. I was close to finishing my degree, and I was in that space of what to do next. I decided to study up on rosacea and create something myself.”
While home on break, Helena hit the trail on horseback, and as she ruminated over a possible solution for her mother, she dropped her phone. When she circled back to retrieve it, she found it sitting right next to a prickly pear cactus—a staple from her upbringing, and the official state plant of Texas. Was the answer right at her feet, growing in abundance on the ranch? “I cut some of the cactus and took it home. I boiled it and made a basic extract. My mom tried it, and within a couple days, the redness in her skin had significantly decreased.”
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4th Annual Matagorda Fishing Tournament Tickets on Sale Now!
Stewards of the Wild is pleased to invite you to join the 4th Annual Fishing Tournament in Matagorda on Saturday, June 28. This event is open to all Stewards of the Wild members and hosted by the Houston Chapter! Guided boat registration will close on Sunday, June 1 at 11:59 p.m. Use code "Matagorda10" for 10% off guided boat registration. We're chartering inshore guide boats to target redfish and trout for the tournament. Each boat will fit a team of three anglers. Those who wish to use their own boat and fish without a guide can do so. Tickets cover your guide boat, bait, and post-tournament festivities. |
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The winning boat will be the team with the heaviest combined stringer of two redfish and two trout. Awards will also be given to the team who catches the redfish with the most spots. Finally, we will give a separate prize to one “Team Entry – No Guide” team who turns in the heaviest combined stringer of two redfish and two trout. Want to guide yourself, but don't own a boat? You're in luck! Our friends at Ranch Water Rentals offer easy boat rentals. Check them out at www.ranchwaterrentals.com. If you have questions, reach out to Will Northington at will@ranchwaterrentals.com. |
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Fort Worth Chapter Teaches Rivertree Academy Students How to Fish |
The Fort Worth Chapter held its annual spring service event, the Rivertree Academy Fishing Extravaganza, on May 2! Dr. Cynthia Fox, Game Warden Padgett, and Fort Worth members teamed up to teach students in grades 3-5 about various freshwater fish in the Fort Worth area and how to catch those fish with simple spincasters, using corn and hot dogs as bait. Most students caught their very first fish and left feeling more confident in their angling abilities!
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Austin Chapter Celebrates Conservation at 8th Annual Wild Night On April 25, the Austin Chapter and supporters gathered to celebrate conservation at the 8th Annual Wild Night! This event serves as the annual fundraiser for the chapter, which allows it to support conservation initiatives across the state and further the mission of Stewards of the Wild.
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During the VIP happy hour, guests heard from “Lone Star Law” star and Statewide SOTW member Game Warden Wei-Wei Lin, who shared her inspiring journey into the profession and what being a Texas Game Warden means to her. Attendees enjoyed food by The Peached Tortilla, live music by Dan Dyer, and a chance to win more than 30 incredible raffle items from brands like Chama Chairs, Turtlebox, Poncho Outdoors, Pakmule, and more. The night even featured a live auction for a Beretta shotgun from McBride’s! Guest speaker Meredith Longoria, Deputy Director of the Wildlife Division at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), provided an exciting update on TPWD wildlife initiatives, including news that the department had officially closed on a new Wildlife Management Area (WMA) on the Trinity River in East Texas. |
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Thank you to everyone who attended and continues to support Texas conservation initiatives!
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Join the BCS Chapter for a Day at the Range |
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Mentored Hunting & Fishing Mentee Application opens June 2, closes July 15 The Stewards of the Wild Mentored Hunting & Fishing Initiative provides novice young adult hunters and anglers a safe and inclusive environment to learn about habitat and species conservation, ethical hunting and fishing laws and practices, land and water access, and the important connections between these issues. Mentored experiences feature a variety of target species, including turkey, dove, duck, big game, and saltwater fish, over diverse Texas landscapes on mostly private land. The initiative equips participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to continue hunting and fishing in Texas, ultimately growing the number of ethical hunters and anglers in the state and increasing awareness about the interdependence between hunting/fishing and conservation. If you are interested in participating as a mentee, fill out the mentee application linked below. Looking to volunteer or mentor on a hunting or fishing trip? Fill out the mentor/volunteer application linked below. |
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Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation Updates |
A Family’s Vision, A New Wild Place for Texas
A vision that started with one Texas family has now become a new conservation milestone. Thanks to the passion of the Gragg family, and a grant secured by TPWF from the Knobloch Family Foundation, Texas has a brand-new WMA: the Trinity River WMA. It is the first addition in East Texas in nearly two decades. Spanning approximately 6,900 acres along the Trinity River in Anderson County, this new WMA protects important bottomland forests, wetlands, and prairies, while adding more than 11 miles of river frontage to a growing conservation corridor in East Texas. The Gragg family, long inspired by the neighboring Gus Engeling WMA, dreamed of seeing their land protected for wildlife and future generations. Working closely with TPWD, their vision became reality—with TPWF’s help at a critical moment. The Knobloch Family Foundation’s generous donation, facilitated through TPWF, provided key matching funds that unlocked federal dollars and made the acquisition possible. |
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“The establishment of the Trinity River WMA presents an opportunity for the conservation and management of an ecologically unique and important habitat,” said TPWD Executive Director David Yoskowitz. “Partnerships with organizations like the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Knobloch Family Foundation make historic land purchases like this possible." Soon, this new wild place will be home to restored wetlands, prairies, and bottomland forests—a haven for waterfowl, migratory birds, and many other species. In time, Texans will be able to experience its beauty firsthand through outdoor recreation opportunities. Trinity River WMA is the newest addition to the Middle Trinity River Ecosystem Project, which includes Gus Engeling, Richland Creek, Big Lake Bottom and Keechi Creek WMAs. Together, these properties protect more than 38,000 acres in East Texas. |
Matador WMA: Fall Habitat Work Seeds Spring Growth
In the heart of Texas’ Central Rolling Plains sits Matador WMA, a 28,183-acre wildlife mecca for bobwhite quail, Rio Grande turkey, Texas horned lizards, mule and white-tailed deer, the elusive mountain lion, and more. For over 60 years, Matador WMA has served as a vital wildlife research hub for TPWD while offering public access to educational opportunities, seasonal hunting, fishing, bird watching, and other nature-based activities. |
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Thanks to a generous donation from Cross Timbers Quail Coalition, which was leveraged with federal funding, Matador WMA has rolled out its welcome mat to attract even more of our treasured wild things. The WMA recently completed extensive restoration work across approximately 383 acres to create ideal habitat conditions for local wildlife. The project included treating high densities of invasive brush like mesquite, salt cedar, and juniper, maintaining native bunchgrass, and promoting seed-producing annual forbs that wildlife depends on for food, cover, and nesting. Work at Matador WMA was completed last fall, with new growth already sprouting, proving true the adage that the more work you pour into the land each fall, the more bountiful your spring. To build on this success, Matador WMA plans to conduct supplemental grass seeding ahead of summer. Thank you to Cross Timbers Quail Coalition for making a lasting impact on the conservation landscape and the wild things that call Texas home. Click below to learn more about Matador WMA. |
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Former TPWF Scholarship Winner Laritza Tinajero's Story
TPWF is committed to inspiring young Texans to pursue professions in conservation. With the generous support of our donors, TPWF is able to offer two scholarships to support deserving students as they pursue their undergraduate and graduate degrees in conservation-related fields—The Brady and W.K. Boyd Conservation Scholarship, and the Women in Conservation Science Scholarship.
Through these scholarships, TPWF is helping to grow Texas’ bench of future conservation leaders, one scholar at a time, and we are happy to report that another graduate has officially embarked on a promising career in Texas conservation. |
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Laritza Tinajero, TPWF’s 2023 recipient of the Women in Conservation Science Scholarship, graduated Summa Cum Laude from East Texas A&M University in December 2024, earning her Bachelor of Science in Wildlife and Conservation Sciences with a minor in Environmental Sciences. Shortly after graduating, she moved to Austin and hit the ground running in her new profession. “I found a job with the Texas Conservation Corps, where I work on their Conservation & Disaster Response team as a crew lead. I have already learned so much,” said Laritza. “I recently completed training on chainsaw maintenance, and I have also become certified to drive the company vans and trucks. We just had our first practice hitch at Pace Bend Park, where our crew camped on site while we completed trail maintenance. We are now working on a site to create 16 miles of trail for the Hill Country Conservancy that will eventually connect to San Antonio!" Just a few short weeks into her new career, Laritza’s zest for conservation is as palpable as it was when she first applied for the Women in Conservation Science Scholarship two years ago, and TPWF is proud to help support Laritza and other deserving young students as they chase their dreams of working to ensure an enduring Texas wild. The application period for this year’s Brady and W.K. Boyd Conservation Scholarship and the Women in Conservation Science Scholarship is now open, and the deadline for submissions is Monday, June 9, 2025. |
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What else has TPWF been up to?
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Want more? Check out these interesting articles and resources:
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Thank you to our statewide program sponsor! |
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The Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville is the leading wildlife research organization in Texas and one of the finest in the nation. Its mission is to provide science-based information for enhancing the conservation and management of wildlife in South Texas and related environments.
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Stewards of the Wild, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation’s conservation leadership program, equips emerging leaders aged 21 to 45 with opportunities to actively participate in the stewardship of Texas’ wild things and wild places by providing education, networking, and outdoor experiences.
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Copyright © 2025 Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is: Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation 6220 Gaston Ave. #700 Dallas, Texas 75214 |
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