SOUTHWEST TEXAS LAND & WILDLIFE SUMMIT

SEPTEMBER 11-13, 2025

This inaugural summit will bring regional landowners and managers together with conservation professionals to share expertise on a wide variety of land and wildlife topics. Join us in Del Rio this September and get connected with people and resources to help you advance your stewardship goals.

This event is organized by Devils River Conservancy in partnership with The Nature Conservancy of Texas, Texas Wildlife Association, Texas Agricultural Land Trust, Borderlands Research Institute, Rio Vista Ranch, Compatible Lands Foundation, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

THANK YOU TO OUR EVENT SPONSORS!

ADDITIONAL SPONSORS

AGENDA

Thursday, September 11

Friday, September 12

  • Full Day of Sessions at the Enchanted Event Center in Del Rio (Location)

    • 7:30-8:20am………Check-in

    • 8:25am…………….Welcome Remarks begin

    • 8:30am-12:00pm….Sessions I & II

      • Session I: Conservation Easements and Succession Planning

      • Session II: Landowner Assistance and Cost Share Programs

    • 12:00-1:20pm……...Lunch

    • 1:20-5:10pm……….Sessions III & IV

      • Session III: Nongame Wildlife Management and Ecotourism

      • Session IV: Game Management and New World Screw Worm

    • 5:15-6:15pm……….Social Hour in the Courtyard

    • 6:15-8:00pm……….Pork Chop Dinner

  • Each session will include 4-5 topics, presented by respective subject matter experts.

Saturday, September 13

  • Optional Morning Field Trip to see local conservation efforts on the ground

    • Please note field trips will be designated on a first-come, first-served basis until capacity is reached.

  • Participants who indicated interest in field trip participation on their registration form may select from one of the following trips at check-in on Friday morning:

    • Option 1: Range Management at Gray Ranch

      Join landowner Shawn Gray and Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Val Verde County Biologist, Austin Stolte, for an in-depth tour of the Gray Ranch and observation of its range management practices. Participants will see firsthand how different treatments—ranging from specific herbicide applications to prescribed burns—have shaped vegetation across plots managed as early as 2014. The tour will also highlight the cost-share programs that have made this work possible, with discussions on innovative tools like Brush Bullets and a look at the equipment the ranch uses to conduct management efforts.

      Participants should plan to meet at 8:30 AM on Saturday at the Quick Stop in Comstock [map link], ~30 minutes from Del Rio,  to caravan to the ranch. The ranch HQ is approximately a one-hour drive from Del Rio and will conclude by 12:00 PM. Capacity: 20

    • Option 2: Nature-Based Recreation at the Devils River State Natural Area-Dan A. Hughes Unit

      Join Texas Parks and Wildlife staff for a tour of the Dan Allen Hughes Unit of the Devils River SNA, focusing on its newly built facilities and significant sites. Nora Padilla, Complex Interpretive Ranger for the SNA, will lead a hike to the Sunburst Panel, which displays Indigenous rock art from thousands of years ago. Bring your binoculars to spot birds and other wildlife along the way! After the hike, participants will head to the Lodge for a presentation provided by Dark Skies International’s Darksky Texas Board President, Cindy Luongo Cassidy, and South Texas Regional Manager, Philip Walker, on the importance of dark skies and how we can protect them.

      Participants should plan to meet at the Dan A. Hughes Unit HQ at 8AM (map link/directions will be provided). Gates open at 7:50AM. It is recommended to drive slow on the rougher sections of Miers Ranch Rd once you turn off Hwy 277, so add 10 minutes to Google Maps’ estimated drive time. The hike does involve rocky terrain and elevation changes; please account for this when considering your participation. The field trip will conclude around 12:00 PM. Max capacity: 15

    • Option 3: Agave Canyons Ranch

      Join landowners Mark and Renea Mohr and Devils River Conservancy Vice President Andy Iverson on a UTV-driven three-hour tour of the Agave Canyons Ranch off Miers Ranch Rd. This excursion will highlight private lands conservation, conservation easements, and the assets they protect—including archaeological resources. Participants will visit Indigenous rock art sites and learn about the broader work of the Devils River Conservancy within a landscape-scale conservation context. Participants will be welcome at the ranch at 9:00AM, and will depart by early afternoon following the tour and a light lunch provided by Mark and Renea. Max capacity: 10

  • The Summit will conclude upon participants’ departure from their field trip site.

REGISTRATION

Fee: $25

Registration includes:

  • Appetizers and 2 drink tickets at Mesquite Creek Outfitters

  • Access to all sessions on Day 2, along with lunch and dinner

  • Access to one optional morning field trip on Day 3

    • Transportation to and from field trip locations will not be provided, but participants are encouraged to carpool.

    • Field trips will be announced ahead of the summit.

    • Attendance on a given trip may be capped.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Accommodations are not included with registration and will need to be arranged separately.

Devils River Conservancy has arranged a room block with the Ramada by Wyndham Del Rio. Please click the button to access the room block reservation option.

Update: The online room block reservation period has closed, but the hotel will still honor the discount for additional reservations. Please contact Kristen at kristen@ramadainndelrio.com

…AND MORE

Registered participants will also receive exclusive event merch featuring the 2025 Summit logo as a thank you for attending!

This logo features the Devils and Lower Pecos rivers, along with the Rio Grande, Lake Amistad and three species of focus we’ll be discussing in the applicable sessions: black bear, white-tailed deer, and turkey.

Be sure to register in advance to receive your gift at check-in!

We appreciate the efforts of the Summit Scoping Committee in conceptualizing and organizing this novel event!