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Lark Bunting - Soo Baus/Audubon Photography Awards
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Dear Friends,
I am filled with gratitude for the extraordinary community that makes Audubon's mission possible in Texas. Together, we have accomplished so much in service of birds and the habitats they depend on, advancing both Audubon's Flight Plan and our shared goal of bending the bird curve to slow, and ultimately halt, bird population declines.
The stories and achievements highlighted in this newsletter are a testament to what we can accomplish when we work together. Over the past year, Audubon Texas's Coastal Program protected critical nesting habitat for 23 species of colonial waterbirds, while the Lights Out, Texas! campaign reached an estimated 170 million people with a simple but powerful message about helping birds migrate safely. Bird City Texas earned statewide recognition as a 2026 Conservation Wrangler, and our Audubon Conservation Ranching program welcomed 13 new ranches, expanding certified bird-friendly working lands in Texas to more than 439,000 acres.
At Audubon conservation action centers in Dallas, Cedar Hill, and San Antonio, along with Sabal Palm Sanctuary in Brownsville, thousands of visitors were welcomed. Exciting capital improvements are underway in Dallas and San Antonio that will serve the local community and inspire conservation for years to come.
Behind every one of these accomplishments is a relationship: a rancher stewarding wildlife habitat, a birder advocating for local conservation, a city leader championing bird-friendly building practices, or a student discovering a future in conservation leadership. Sustaining these relationships over the long term requires policy that matches the pace of the work, which is why we are strengthening ties with elected officials across the political spectrum, recognizing that lasting conservation success requires policies and investments that match the scale of the challenges facing birds and people alike.
That work now turns toward what's ahead: in just a few months, a new legislative session will begin in Texas, creating important opportunities to shape conservation policy in our state. As we prepare, I hope you'll take a few moments to complete our renewable energy survey shared below. Your perspective will help inform our work on an issue that will be a key priority for Audubon in the coming legislative session. Renewable energy is central to Audubon's work on climate change, one of the greatest threats facing birds today, and we are committed to ensuring that the growth of wind and solar power in our state happens in ways that also protect birds and their habitats.
Every one of these gains, on the coast, on working lands, in communities, and in policy, exists because of you. Thank you for your membership, your volunteerism, your advocacy, your generosity, and your love of the birds that connect us all. I am deeply grateful for what we have built together, and looking forward to what comes next.
With gratitude,
Lisa Gonzalez
Vice President & Executive Director, Audubon Texas
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Share Your Views - Renewable Energy Survey
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We want to know how Audubon members like you view renewable energy development in Texas. Help us understand your perspective on renewable energy and conservation by taking 10-15 minutes to respond to this survey. It includes questions related to environmental views, renewable energy perspectives, and a small number of demographic questions.
We appreciate your insight and viewpoint. If you have any questions, please reach out to audubontexas@audubon.org
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Take the Survey
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Following her visit to the Trinity River Audubon Center, Her Imperial Highness (HIH) Princess Takamado (center) poses with Chad Wilsey, Chief Scientist (reader's left); Amaris Alanis Ribeiro, Center Director; Jake Poinsett, Education Manager; and members of the Trinity River Audubon Center staff and intern team. Photo: Chad Wilsey/Audubon
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Birds Bring the World Together
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In June we had the honor of welcoming Her Imperial Highness (HIH) Princess Takamado of Japan to the Trinity River Audubon Center. During her time at the Center, Audubon team members Amaris Alanis Ribeiro, Center Director; Jake Poinsett, Education Manager; and Chad Wilsey, Chief Scientist, guided HIH on a bird walk, sharing the diverse habitats and incredible biodiversity found at the Center. Together they observed 34 different bird species, including the vibrant Painted Bunting, Indigo Bunting, Green Heron, and a Tricolored Heron, one of the memorable highlights of the day.
Her Imperial Highness also participated in a bird banding session with ornithologist Blaine Carnes, learning more about the process of studying birds and how research helps inform conservation efforts. The session provided a meaningful glimpse into the work that connects science, stewardship, and a deeper understanding of the birds that share our habitats both locally and around the world.
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Chester Island Colonial Waterbird Survey 2026 - Tim Forrester/Audubon Texas
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Bending the Bird Curve Along the Texas Coast
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As Audubon Texas wraps up the 2026 breeding season, the Coastal Program is celebrating another productive year of conservation action across the Texas coast. Throughout the spring and early summer, staff worked to protect and enhance Audubon-leased or owned coastal islands that support 23 species of colonial waterbirds during nesting season.
We're protecting critical island habitat. Major habitat initiatives this year included advancing plans with the Texas General Land Office for a rock revetment and breakwater that will provide long-term protection from erosion at Chester Island. Read More
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Bird City Texas Named a 2026 Conservation Wrangler
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Bird City Texas has been selected as a 2026 Conservation Wrangler by Texas by Nature, a Texas organization founded by First Lady Laura Bush. This statewide recognition will significantly elevate the program over the coming year.
It caps off a year of real momentum for the program. Texas is home to one of the highest bird species counts in the country and some of the fastest urban growth rates. That combination makes Bird City Texas an essential part of bending the bird curve or halting the decline of bird populations.
We are proud of all the work certified cities are doing and energized by the growing excitement from new cities eager to join the effort. Read More
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LaConte's Sparrow - Tim Kauffman/Audubon Photography Awards
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Growing Grasslands: A Year of Progress in Texas
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Now more than ever, ranchers and conservationists are working side by side to prove that working lands and wildlife can thrive together. In 2025, ranchers and conservationists with the Audubon Conservation Ranching (ACR) program continued that trend across Texas, teaming up to create yet another impactful year for grassland bird habitat.
In 2025, The Texas ACR program added 13 ranches representing 363,044 acres to the program. Our Bird-Friendly Land Certifications now encompass 28 certified ranches covering more than 439,000 acres of working lands... Read More
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Texas Leaders in Conservation – Full Circle: A TLC Success Story
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Every year, Texas Leaders in Conservation (TLC) hosts career panels for its students. Based on their career interests, the program's annual theme, and the availability of professionals, TLC brings together panelists for an afternoon of meaningful conversation, career insights, and connection with students. This year, TLC staff had the great pleasure of inviting the program's very first intern, Shayndel Solomon, back as a panelist.
Anyone who has the privilege of working with teens knows one of the greatest rewards is watching them gain confidence, develop their own priorities, and grow into independent adults...Read More
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Cedar Waxwing - Ron Gard/Audubon Photography Awards
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Texas Chapters Expand to a New Generation, Reaffiliate Statewide
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Texas Audubon Chapters are active across the state. The work they do on the ground helps move us closer to our Flight Plan goals of bending the bird curve. Over the last year chapters in Texas had over 30,000 volunteer hours, partnered with over 200 groups, saw over 36,000 participants at events with 33% first time participants, and improved nearly 5,000 acres of habitat all within 16 priority geography areas for Audubon. Congrats to our Texas chapters! Read More
Save the Date: Chapter Round Up - September 26-27, 2026 - Austin, TX. This fall we will be hosting a Chapter Round Up, open to all Audubon Texas Chapter members to connect with one another, share learnings, and build community. If you are part of your local chapter, we hope you will consider joining us! Registration is available here.
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Painted Bunting - Tanuja Reddy/Audubon Photography Awards
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Texas Nature Centers: Dallas, Cedar Hill, and San Antonio
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Trinity River Audubon Center - Dallas A Season of Transition, A Year of Growth
As nature reminds us each season, change is a natural part of growth. This year, the Trinity River Audubon Center experienced its own season of transition, including changes in staff and leadership. Through it all, the team has remained committed to advancing Audubon's Flight Plan by connecting people with birds, nature, and one another.
We are proud of what we accomplish together. Community engagement continues to grow, with nearly 26,000 visitor touchpoints across programs, events, volunteer opportunities, and public access. Read MoreDogwood Canyon Audubon Center – Cedar HillBending the Bird Curve, Together
Every bird has a story. Some travel thousands of miles across continents. Others depend on a single type of habitat found only in a small corner of the world. Yet all birds share a common challenge: finding safe places to rest, feed, and raise their young in an increasingly altered landscape.
At Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center, we're proud to be part of Audubon's efforts through Flight Plan to help bend the bird curve reversing bird population declines through science, conservation, education, and community action. Read MoreMitchell Lake Audubon Center - San AntonioWith Rain Comes Life and a New Chapter at Mitchell Lake Audubon Center
Spring rains have brought a burst of new life to Mitchell Lake Audubon Center, and this year, that renewal is paired with the start of a major new chapter for the center itself. Mitchell Lake Audubon Center is bursting with flora and fauna. Shorebirds have moved into the East and West Polders, Edward's Tank has filled back up to provide plenty of macroinvertebrates for student groups to discover, and colorful blooms are popping up throughout the landscape.
Alongside this season's natural abundance, Mitchell Lake is preparing for a transformative investment in its future...Read More
SAVE THE DATE: Community members and partners are invited to a ceremonial groundbreaking on October 10, World Migratory Bird Day, to celebrate the start of construction. Learn More
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Thank you for your continued support of Audubon. The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow, throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. Audubon's state programs, nature centers, chapters and partners have an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire and unite diverse communities in conservation action. Since 1905, Audubon's vision has been a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Audubon is a nonprofit conservation organization.
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