Dear Stewards, Our most anticipated event of the year, the All-Stewards Dove Hunt, takes place Sept. 5-6! Tickets are still available. I encourage any nonhunter curious about the experience—or considering their first hunt—to join us for this unique event, where every new or novice hunter is paired with a welcoming, knowledgeable mentor. The All-Stewards Dove Hunt is where many Stewards begin their outdoor journey, including this month's featured Stewards member, Lenny Valerio. The upcoming SCC events in September at Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve and at the Kerr WMA are also excellent opportunities to learn more about the wide-ranging conservation initiatives in Texas. I highly recommend making a weekend out of it to see some of the best examples of what the Hill Country has to offer. Note these events are family-friendly! My last recommendation of the month is to check out the newly renovated Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. As a lifelong angler, I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about our diverse freshwater and the wildlife that calls home. The center is also home to some of the giant Sharelunkers caught from our lakes. And I must say, photos don't do them justice! If you or your friends have been thinking about renewing your SOTW membership, this August is the time. We're giving away one lifetime resident hunting and fishing license! To enter the giveaway, join/renew OR refer new members during the month of August. Keep an eye out for more details on August 1. In this issue:
- Check out upcoming events near you and across the state
- Meet Statewide Member Lenny Valerio
- See the results of the 4th Annual Matagorda Fishing Tournament
- Check out back-to-back September SCC events
- Read a note from TPWF Executive Director Anne Brown about the recent floods
- Learn about the updates to the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center
- Read how you can win a ticket to this year's annual Paloma Blanco Dove hunt in Brownsville
Cheers, Katie |
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Monahans Sandhills State Park |
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Upcoming Stewards of the Wild Events |
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Stewards of the Wild Highlights & News |
Tickets to the 12th Annual All-Stewards Dove Hunt Presented by Garrison Brothers on sale now
You don't want to miss our annual signature outdoor experience and most popular event of the year! The event helps ensure TPWF can continue to deliver impactful, year-round conservation leadership programming to members across Texas. |
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Each ticket includes two dove hunts, two meals (including lunch and a gourmet dinner by acclaimed chef Jesse Griffiths), lodging, live music, beverages, sporting clays, and an incredible swag bag! Don’t miss your opportunity to learn from conservation professionals and connect with other outdoorsmen and women across the state.
Want to participate but don’t have dove hunting experience? No problem! We will connect you with a mentor who will provide guidance throughout the weekend.
Thank you to our generous sponsors for making this event possible: Garrison Brothers, Republic Ranches, Yampa Capital Partners, Dai Due, Mill Scale, Renu, Veritex Bank, Trinity Prairie Co., Cree & Cree, Inc., YETI, Ranch Water Rentals, and Fatties on the Fly.
If you or someone you know is interested in supporting this event, please email kspurgin@tpwf.org. |
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Meet Statewide member Lenny Valerio
To witness Lenny Valerio in the field now, it’s hard to imagine that, just three short years ago, he had never hunted before. Born and raised in the Los Angeles area, Lenny grew up in a car-loving family who spent their free time rebuilding carburetors and working on classic Chevys, not in duck blinds or deer stands. But life has a way of shifting gears.
Though Lenny didn’t spend much time in the great outdoors as a kid, that all changed when he decided to attend Fresno State for college. Fresno sits just below the southern entrance of Yosemite National Park, and the iconic park became a big part of Lenny’s college experience. “You could sign up for backpacking classes or snowboarding. They’d bus you up to Yosemite for the weekend. It was incredible. That’s where I really fell in love with the outdoors.”
After starting a career with Leslie’s Pool Supply after college, Lenny moved to Texas in 2017 to support their new commercial division in Houston. “That was a big change. Lots of concrete,” he says. “If you don’t know anyone or have connections, you can get lost in the busy-ness of Houston.”
By 2021, Lenny decided it was past time to pick up some Texas traditions, starting with the age-old pastime of hunting. “I literally Googled ‘learn how to hunt adults,’” he laughs. Stewards of the Wild (SOTW) popped up at the top of his search results. “I just missed the 2021 Mentored Hunting & Fishing application deadline, so I put a note in my calendar to apply the next year,” he says. |
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He didn’t realize then that SOTW was much more than a hunting education program. “Looking back, I should have signed up right then. I missed out on a whole year of happy hours and events. But once I got in, I was all in."
The very first SOTW event Lenny decided to attend happened to be its biggest signature event—the All-Stewards Dove Hunt, an annual pilgrimage that draws hundreds of Stewards to Albany from all across Texas. “I had no idea what I signed up for. I had never owned or fired a shotgun. I bought one and drove six hours straight from Houston at 4 a.m. because I didn’t want to be late. I didn’t know a single soul.”
Luckily, before he even arrived, TPWF Engagement Manager Katie Spurgin had already enlisted several mentors to take Lenny under their wing, and these same people ended up being on Lenny’s next hunt just a few weeks later—a deer hunt at TPWF Board Trustee Russell Gordy’s La Ceniza Ranch in La Pryor, Texas. “It was a nice stepping stone and a great introduction to the program.” |
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Competition at the 4th Annual Matagorda Fishing Tournament
It was all tight lines and smiles at our 4th Annual Matagorda Fishing Tournament. The bite was on and it showed with every team bringing in a competitive stringer. Congratulations to our winners who brought in a stringer of two redfish and two trout weighing more than 14 lbs! |
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Thank you to our special guest, Texas Parks and Wildlife Natural Resources Specialist Tori Haynes, for teaching us more about the Texas coast and Powderhorn WMA. And thank you to volunteers from the Houston SOTW chapter and all of our generous sponsors who make this event possible: Turtlebox Audio, Ranch Water Rentals, All Hands Cocktails, Pinkerton's BBQ, Mock Ranches, Bates Fishing Co., Poncho Outdoors, Duck Camp Co., Matagorda Outfitters, Orvis, Twisted X Brewery, Rambler Sparkling Water, and Waterloo Rods!
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Join the SCC for a doubleheader weekend September 12 and 13
The Private Lands Subcommittee of the SCC will host a special visit to the incredible Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve near Johnson City on Friday, September 12 at 12:30 p.m. The 5,500 acre property in Blanco County has been restored to healthy habitat, with a mission to teach ethical land stewardship by example and outreach!
The following day, September 13, the Game Species Subcommittee will host a visit to the Kerr Wildlife Management Area. The Kerr WMA was selected as a land base for the Edwards Plateau ecological area to develop and manage wildlife habitats and populations of indigenous wildlife species, provide a site where research of wildlife populations and habitat can be conducted under controlled conditions, and to provide public hunting and appreciative use of wildlife in a manner compatible with the resource.
Make a weekend out of it and join us for both incredible events! Kerr WMA is about two hours West of Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve. Fredericksburg and Kerrville are between the two locations, with multiple lodging options. |
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Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation Updates |
Taking solace in the indomitable spirit of Texans |
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Dear TPWF Family,
It’s been just a few weeks since an unfathomable storm hit at the very heart of Texas, and still today, we find ourselves at a loss for words to adequately express our heartbreak. So many brave stories of survival sadly eclipsed by so many more of profound loss, but amid this heartrending tragedy, we take solace in the bright light that has persisted—the indomitable spirit of Texans, a spirit that permeates through every boot on the ground, every gesture of support, and in the abiding resilience of grieving families, friends, and entire communities as they navigate the difficult road ahead.
Since the early hours of July 4, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF) has been working closely behind the scenes with our Texas Game Wardens to equip them with everything they need to tackle the dangerous terrain and ever-changing dynamics on the ground.
Thankfully, because you have answered every past call of our decades-long charge to support these efforts, game wardens were able to arrive first on the scene because they were well-equipped with much of the life-saving gear they needed—gear our collective community helped make possible. Airboats and inflatable rescue boats, search and rescue drones, skilled K-9 officers, night vision units, dry suits, and so much more—the equipment you helped TPWF procure, combined with the expertise, skill, and heart of each and every game warden, resulted in hundreds of rescues on the shores of the Guadalupe, and is now helping our front line bring relief to hurting communities, and ultimately, much-needed closure to grieving families.
If you are grappling with how to best support the many communities impacted by this tragedy, we encourage you to consider giving to H‑E‑B's Spirit of Giving Fund, where 100% of your donation provides direct support to the recent Texas Flood victims in the hill country - including food, clean water, and shelter.
As always, thank you for stepping up time and again for Texas and your fellow Texans, especially when it matters most.
Anne Brown
Executive Director
Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation |
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Edwin L. Cox Jr. Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center open to the public after major renovations |
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Over the last seven years, TPWF helped raise more than $7.5 million to update TFFC’s nearly 300,000 gallons of aquariums and add new exhibits featuring fish, alligators, and other native species. For almost 30 years, the center has brought together avid anglers, curious schoolchildren, dedicated conservation professionals, and many supporters in their passion for Texas’ freshwater resources. Not only is the center a hub for freshwater education, but it also features well-stocked fishing ponds where many new anglers catch their very first fish.
Visiting TFFC is well worth the trip to Athens, located less than an hour and a half southeast of Dallas. The center is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday now through August. September through February, the center will be closed on Tuesdays. Adult admission is only $5.50!
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Win a ticket to TPWF ambassador John Dunaway and El Capitan Hunt Club's Paloma Blanco Dove Hunt in Brownsville |
Texas dove season is just weeks away, and hunters everywhere are getting ready for a long-awaited return to the field. Each September, TPWF ambassador John Dunaway marks the occasion by hosting the annual Paloma Blanco Dove Hunt in Brownsville.
As part of this annual tradition that is now in its eighth year, John and the El Capitan Hunt Club are offering one TPWF member and a guest a chance to win a "Golden Ticket" to the annual Paloma Blanco Dove Hunt on September 19-22, 2025!*
TPWF invites you to become a TPWF member today. When you join, your membership gift will directly impact and influence TPWF’s transformation efforts to keep Texas wild.
With the support of our donors, our work has led to the restoration of dynamic habitats and iconic native species, including the restoration of majestic pronghorn populations, research to understand and support black bear and bighorn sheep populations in the far reaches of West Texas, and the revitalization of tens of thousands of acres of grassland habitat for four unique species of quail, myriad bird species, and vital native pollinators.
But TPWF’s work is not done, and the single most important factor in our work is you. Join us in our commitment to keep Texas wild by becoming a member of TPWF today. When you do, you’ll be entered to win a "Golden Ticket" for the Paloma Blanco Dove Hunt. *Please note a TPWF Membership is separate from a Stewards of the Wild Membership.
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And, if you join TPWF at the $100 level or more, you will receive exclusive new Keeping it Wild gear from our friends at Turtlebox and YETI so you can show off your support of Texas’ wild things and wild places!
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*The price of membership pays for TPWF membership only and not for the chance to win the Paloma Blanco Dove Hunt. Members who join or renew between January 1 and August 15, 2025, are automatically entered in the drawing. The dove hunt is scheduled over September 19-22, 2025, in Brownsville, Texas. The "Golden Ticket" includes entry to the invite-only event plus one hunt. Lodging and transportation are not included.
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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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