Wildlife Live Cam | Sales Tax Holiday for Conservation| Paddle to Wildlife l Firefly Come Back | Waterways Cleanup Coming | and More!





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Paddling to Wildlife
Family paddling, point at great blue heron, video link [ [link removed] ]

The edge where water meets land is always a good place to find wildlife. Everything from otters to hawks to turtles hang out here, and it's where wading birds build nest colonies. An easy way to witness this bounty is by paddle boat or paddleboard.

We've created the Texas Paddling Trails [ [link removed] ] to help you experience the ease of wildlife watching from the water. Recent addition Powderhorn Paddling Trails [ [link removed] ] is definitely worth a road trip. Watch one family in search of great blue herons in our video Paddle Point Creek Paddling Trail [ [link removed] ]. Or read how one woman felt "surrounded by nature" while paddling in the "Texas Parks & Wildlife" magazine story Gently Down the Stream [ [link removed] ].

Paddling isn't hard, but it requires safe practices: check the weather, always wear a life jacket, tell someone where you're going, and take the free online Safe Paddling [ [link removed] ] course. We'll see you out there!

Save Water for Wildlife: Tax Holiday May 24-26
Hummingbird drinking in sprinkler [ [link removed] ]

Wildlife gets its water from the same sources as people. The less water we waste, the more water remains for wildlife. To help us save water, the State of Texas is offering a sales-tax holiday on water-efficient products [ [link removed] ] *May 24-26, 2025*.

A variety of water-conserving products are eligible: soaker hoses, soil, plants, rain barrels and more, as well as all WaterSense products [ [link removed] ]. Mark your calendar and do your part. Saving water doesn't just save you money, it supports the future of our wild things.
 

3 Tips to Bring Fireflies Back to Your Yard
Firefly in hand, video link [ [link removed] ]

Fireflies [ [link removed] ] can be found in 90% of the state. They put on their light shows in May and June, but when was the last time you saw one? Try these 3 simple tips to invite fireflies to your yard:


* Leave the leaves. Give up at least a section of your yard to undisturbed fallen leaves and logs. 
* Avoid use of pesticides, especially lawn chemicals.
* Grow tall grasses to retain moisture.

Let us know when you see fireflies by reporting them on iNaturalist – Texas Fireflies [ [link removed] ]. Find more tips for a firefly comeback in our video How to Attract Fireflies to Your Yard [ [link removed] ]. 




Join: Waterways Cleanup + City Nature Challenge



Group with trash pulled out of waterbodies [ [link removed] ]

Any litter thrown on the ground typically ends up in our waterways. Trash Free Gulf [ [link removed] ] is seeking 2,000+ volunteers to help clean Texas waterways this spring. There are nearly 40 cleanup projects [ [link removed] ] scheduled – join one!

"We're aiming to prevent 800 tons of trash from ever reaching the Gulf and hope to continue this communal effort year after year,” says Jay Kleberg, executive director of the Gulf Trust [ [link removed] ].



Illustration of urban wildlife, video link [ [link removed] ]

Texas cities will join others across the world in this year's City Nature Challenge [ [link removed] ], and they need you! It's fun, it's free to play, and it's a great excuse to go out and look for wildlife.

To join, take photos of wildlife from April 25-28, then upload them to iNaturalist [ [link removed] ]. Your observations may be just what your city needs for a win. Watch the video City Nature Challenge [ [link removed] ] for more. 

 













Chill-out Video: Black Gap WMA
Texas lizard with a blue belly [ [link removed] ]

Texas Wildlife Management Areas [ [link removed] ] (WMAs) are not as developed as parks, so there's an abundance of wildlife. Get a yearly $12 Limited Public Use Permit [ [link removed] ], and you'll be able to go wildlife watching on many WMAs. Some have limited access, so look up individual locations before heading out. Get a taste of the Black Gap WMA [ [link removed] ] in West Texas with our short video Black Gap - Postcard From Texas [ [link removed] ]. 

Monarch license plate supports conservation, link [ [link removed] ]
*Owl Nest Live Cam Is Back*
Great horned owl Athena in nest with chick, video link [ [link removed] ]

Athena the great horned owl is nesting once again at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center [ [link removed] ]. At least one egg has hatched recently, and the chick is still a little white fuzzball. Owl chicks grow very quickly, so watch this family while you can on the Great Horned Owl Cam [ [link removed] ]. 

Honoring the Legacy of Aldo Leopold
Leopold Conservation Award, link [ [link removed] ]

Sand County Foundation was established in 1965 to inspire ethical land stewardship, honoring Aldo Leopold’s "A Sand County Almanac".

In 2003, they introduced the Leopold Conservation Award [ [link removed] ] – widely considered “the Nobel Prize of private land conservation.” With encouragement from lifelong conservationists Lee and Ramona Bass, Texas first bestowed the award in 2005, and it remains the highest honor of the Lone Star Land Steward Awards [ [link removed] ] each May.

“Lee and Ramona Bass have supported the Lone Star Land Steward Awards since the beginning. It’s fitting they helped bring the Leopold award here,” said Carter Smith, former TPWD executive director. “As longtime champions of the land ethic Aldo Leopold espoused, they are undoubtedly very proud of its conservation legacy.”




"A message from our sponsor:"

Toyota Rav 4 ad, with link [ [link removed] ]

Messages from "Texas Parks & Wildlife" magazine advertisers:

Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, with link [ [link removed] ]
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Texas science + natural history museum, with link [ [link removed] ]
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Visit Laredo, with link [ [link removed] ]
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EarthX convention, with link [ [link removed] ]

"Our Wild Texas is made possible in part by the generous support of Toyota."

Toyota [ [link removed] ]

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