Dear Stewards,
After a whirlwind summer of events, we're finally beginning to see milder temps and some fall foliage across the state. Thank you to everyone who has supported our new and traditional statewide events over the last few months—from the SCC West Texas Trip to the All-Stewards Dove Hunt, it's been a treat to see so many of you in person! While our statewide events have wrapped for the year, your local chapters have a few more opportunities for you to get outside and connect with other conservation-minded Texans. Check out upcoming events in your area below. If you're in the Fort Worth, join us for the chapter's annual Outfitters Night tonight!
Many of our awesome partner organizations also have events planned for the remainder of 2025. If you're looking for prairie walk opportunities similar to our recent SCC visit to Clymer Meadow Preserve, check out Native Prairies Association of Texas' (NPAT) list of events across the state. And don't forget to check out our "Conservation Connections" webpage for SOTW members that provides other resources and organizations to further your conservation knowledge and skills. If you're not a statewide member, you can access the webpage on your local chapter website (e.g. dallassotw.org, austinsotw.org, etc.)
In this issue:
- Meet Austin Member Mani Molina
- View Photos from the All-Stewards Dove Hunt
- Read about the first hunt of our 2025-2026 Mentored Hunting season
- Watch SCC Lunch & Learn with Dr. Louis Harveson
- Join the Fort Worth Chapter for it's Flagship Outfitters Night
- Join the Dallas Chapter for its Annual State of Conservation Dinner (plenty of tickets left!)
- Read about TPWF's work on Shorebird Habitat
- Check out the October Native Plant Celebration with H-E-B
- Learn the results of the 5th Annual S. Reed Morian Gear Up for Game Wardens Auction
See you out there!
Katie |
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Upcoming Stewards of the Wild Events |
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Stewards of the Wild Highlights & News |
Hunters Grateful for Cooler Temps at Annual All-Stewards Dove Hunt Our 12th Annual All-Stewards Dove Hunt was one for the books! This year’s event was graciously presented by Garrison Brothers.
Hunters were hosted by Trail Ranch Outfitters and gathered at the converted historic missile base just outside of Albany, Texas. Hunters enjoyed a BBQ lunch prepared by our friends at ReNu, Inc. while they mingled and spent time exploring the raffle options and Outfitter Alley activations. The hunters departed for their afternoon hunt and the birds were flying! Storms rolled in later in the afternoon and cooled things off, but that didn’t stop many of our seasoned hunters from shooting their limit. Our new hunters worked closely with their mentors, and most of them harvested their first dove. |
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Back at the missile base, Jesse Griffiths and the Dai Due team served a mouthwatering dinner of gulf ceviche, wild game discada, grilled quail, charro beans, and rice. Attendees enjoyed live music, a lively raffle drawing, and the night wrapped up with Jesse Griffiths' dove plucking contest! Special thanks Republic Ranches for presenting our annual dinner. On Sunday morning, cooler temps made for another great hunt! Thank you to everyone who made it out to Albany and made this event possible. Check out photos from our friends Kristen Collie and Lee Fenner using the link below! |
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Meet Austin Chapter Member Mani Molina
As a third-generation San Antonian, Mani Molina’s Texas roots go deep. Born, raised, and building a life in the city she’s always called home, Molina’s growing interest in Texas’ proud outdoor traditions has also expanded her horizons far beyond San Antonio’s city limits.
Unlike many Texans who grew up hunting or fishing, Molina’s early exposure to the outdoors was limited. “I definitely did not grow up hunting,” she recalls. “I remember going fishing several times as a kid, and my dad used to hunt and fish before he had a family. But raising a family meant working multiple jobs, and all his hobbies fell to the side.” Still, she was fascinated by outdoor life. “I would watch every hunting show on TV,” she laughs. “It just looked so fun; the idea of spending time outside in natures elements and embracing that laid back, adventurous way of life.”
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Molina earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from UT San Antonio, and she now works for the U.S. Army as a civilian program analyst at Fort Sam Houston. “We focus on programs that improve the quality of life for Soldiers and their families,” she explains. “Anything from golf courses and bowling alleys to bingo halls and intramural sports—we build community around the Army.”
It was that same longing for connection and quality of life that eventually drew Molina outdoors. “During the winter, I found myself restless because I was like, ‘what is there to do besides all the indoor things? I just want to be outside!’” She had always wanted to try fly fishing, but none of her friends were interested enough to invest in a guide or equipment. “I realized I really needed to meet people who were just as eager to dive into hunting and fly fishing as I was”.
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SOTW 2025-2026 Mentored Hunting Season Kicks Off in Zavala County
We hosted our first mentored hunt of the season at a beautiful private property near La Pryor. Stewards from the Austin area spent the weekend learning, hunting, and enjoying incredible wild game meals. Mentees, mentors, and volunteers connected over stories about their hunting experiences and conservation journeys. From field experts to new hunters, everyone fit into the conversation.
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The weekend began on Friday with a skills trail which explored what is and what is not safe, ethical, and legal like shot placement and animal tracking. Mentees then worked with their mentor on effectively handling their firearm. Mentees hunted three times alongside their mentors throughout the weekend, resulting in four harvested white-tailed deer and one feral pig. Mentees learned how to break down and butcher their harvested animals, as well as how they might cook the meat. Discussion throughout the weekend centered around how hunting fits into the conservation conversation, including how hunting plays a key role in wildlife population management, how a portion of license fees and hunting-related taxes is set aside for conservation efforts, and how ethical hunting creates a deeper connection to and appreciation for our wild things and wild places.
Everyone left with new knowledge and a newfound or renewed appreciation for hunting. This season, our Mentored Hunting Initiative is made possible by support from SITKA Gear, Weatherby Foundation International, Houston Safari Club Foundation, Caeser Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, and the SOTW Austin Chapter. |
Watch SCC Lunch & Learn with Dr. Louis Harveson
Yesterday, the SCC hosted its final Lunch & Learn of 2025 with Dr. Louis Harveson, Founder and Director of Borderlands Research Institute (BRI). Dr. Harveson discussed three current BRI projects focused on desert bighorn sheep, blue quail, and black bears. You don't want to miss out on this fascinating presentation and conversation. Watch and share the recording using the link below! |
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Join the Fort Worth Chapter for its Annual Outfitters Night Tonight |
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Join the Fort Worth Chapter for its signature event, Outfitters Night, tonight at 6 p.m.! This event is free for members and $50 for non-members, and supports the Fort Worth Chapter’s ability to put on events for members throughout the year. It will feature local fishing and hunting outfitters, live music, food, drinks, an awesome raffle, opportunities to connect with other members and conservationists, and an update on Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation and Stewards of the Wild.
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Dallas Chapter Annual State of Conservation Dinner Features Live Performance by Country Artist Wade Bowen |
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Join the Dallas Chapter for its annual State of Conservation Dinner on Nov. 6! Enjoy a wild game dinner, drinks, and live music from one of Texas’ top country artists, Wade Bowen, all in support of Texas conservation. |
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Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation Updates |
Shoring up Safe Havens for Shorebirds |
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Every October, Texas’ endless skies transform into an avian superhighway for fall migration. The Lone Star State has long served as the perfect pit stop or wintering location for shorebirds traveling between the Arctic north and South America’s southernmost tip. Sadly, the healthy wetlands, prairies, and coastal ecosystems that have long fueled shorebirds’ past voyages are beginning to dwindle or disappear altogether.
While programs to support habitat management and restoration exist for private lands, there are limited funding opportunities for public lands. To help fill this gap, TPWF has launched the Shorebird Habitat Management and Restoration Fund (SHMRF) with generous funding from the Knobloch Family Foundation. This new initiative aims to restore and enhance habitat for shorebirds on Texas’ vast patchwork of public lands, with emphasis on the most important locations for seven priority shorebird species using an approach developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and also supported by the Knobloch Family Foundation.
Of Texas’ 2.7 million acres of public lands, many often lack sufficient funding to carry out the water control, vegetation management, and infrastructure maintenance shorebirds require for ideal habitat. By providing flexible, supplemental grants ranging from $5,000 to $30,000 for qualifying projects on public lands, SHMRF will help expand the footprint of Texas acres that consistently provide feeding, nesting, and migratory stopover opportunities for struggling species.
By directing resources to public lands from our Gulf Coast to our Panhandle, we can help ensure that shorebirds can continue to fly high and find refuge in Texas. |
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Texas Native Plant Celebration at H-E-B Throughout October |
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TPWF is once again partnering with H-E-B and Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) for H-E-B’s Texas Native Plant Celebration, part of the company’s Our Texas, Our Future commitment to Texas’ pollinators. During the month of October, gardeners will find a wide selection of native plants at nearly 200 H-E-B stores with Texas Backyard departments. Native plants aren’t just beautiful—they’re drought-tolerant, return year after year, and provide essential habitat for pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
To mark the occasion, NPSOT volunteers were on hand at 25 H-E-B stores with Texas Backyard departments during the weekends of Oct. 11-12 and Oct. 18-19 to answer questions about native gardening and hand out free pocket prairie seed mix packets from TPWF.
The seed packets are part of TPWF’s Pollinators & Prairies program, launched last year to conserve Texas’ native pollinators and grasslands. Powered by Presenting Sponsor H-E-B Our Texas, Our Future and Contributing Sponsor Phillips 66, the program encourages Texans to create native habitat in yards and communities across the state.
And there’s more good news for gardeners: Coming soon, TPWF will launch Wild Thumb, a new app designed to help both beginners and seasoned gardeners plan, grow, and care for native plant beds or pocket prairies.
If you are a TPWF e-newsletter subscriber, you’ll be among the first to know when Wild Thumb goes live. Share the buzz—encourage friends and family to sign up for updates. |
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Thank You for Bidding BIG to Support Gear Up |
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We'd like to extend a Texas-sized thank you to all our donors, brand partners, and supporters for making TPWF’s 5th Annual S. Reed Morian Gear Up for Game Wardens Online Auction a roaring success! Together we raised a record-breaking $350,000+ in support of the S. Reed Morian Gear Up for Game Wardens program to help ensure TPWF can continue gearing up your Texas Game Wardens! Since 2017, generous supporters have helped Gear Up for Game Wardens deliver over $7.5 million in lifesaving equipment to Texas Game Wardens for use in critical search and rescue operations, disaster response, and much more. With each new piece of equipment procured, Gear Up helps ensure game wardens can perform their jobs more safely and return home to their families after every patrol. Proceeds from the annual online auction provide critical operational 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! |
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 supporter! |
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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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