Join us in Alpine, Texas January 30-February 1 for a weekend of activities, information and education on Texas Wildlife! This year’s focus: OWLS!
All Wildlife Weekend events are FREE! No tickets are required.
The Friday evening and Saturday morning guided walks/hikes have very limited capacity and do require a reservation. See the schedule below for links and reservation details.
This page will be updated with additional events and details as 2026 plans develop.
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!
Much-appreciated support for Alpine’s Wildife Weekend comes from Borderlands Research Institute, Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine, Dixon Water Foundation, Texas Ornithological Society, the Holland Hotel, the Granada Theatre, the Maverick Inn, McDonald Observatory, Big Bend Conservancy and Visit Alpine, Texas.
LEARN FROM OUR PARTNERS!
Programming will include experts from Borderlands Research Institute, Texas Parks & Wildlife, Singing Dog Wildlife, Fin and Fur Films, Bat Conservation International and more!
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
PARTICIPATE AND WIN!
Attend all the Wildlife Weekend events and activities for chances to win great prizes!
Every stop at a Wildlife Weekend activity and each one of the participating downtown businesses will get you an additional chance to win a grand prize including both a Texas State Parks Annual Pass and an America the Beautiful National Parks Pass!!
Pick up a Wildlife Weekend Passport card at the Museum Reception and collect stamps at each Wildlife Weekend location. Each stamp on your passport gives you an additional entry in the prize drawing.
Drop off completed event passports at the Granada Theatre on Saturday between 4:30 and 5:00 PM OR at the Museum of the Big Bend on Sunday between 1:30 and 2:00 PM.
WILDLIFE PHOTO CONTEST!
Have you captured some great photos of Texas wildlife, plants, or landscapes? Enter the Wildlife Weekend Photo Contest! Entries are limited to one per category per person. Top photos selected by Wildlife Weekend attendees. Winners announced and prizes distributed during the keynote session on Saturday, January 31 at 5:00 PM. Must be present to win.
Click here to enter.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 30
Welcome Reception at the Museum of the Big Bend
Doors open at 6pm
Meet the conservation partners working to protect Texas wildlife, hear brief updates on last year’s Research Keynote subjects, and enjoy a special short film screening of “Talking to Owls” a short film from Texas Parks & Wildlife about current research on owls in the Davis Mountains!
Owl Walk at Kokernot Park
THE OWL WALK IS FULLY BOOKED.
Reservations are no longer available.
Join Dr. Maureen Frank and Romey Swanson to explore the habitat along Alpine Creek, learn about the owls who live there, and hopefully see and hear some of our nighttime neighbors!
SATURDAY, JANUARY 31
Guided Hike on Hancock Hill
Hike begins at 9:00am. Reservation required, click here to register.
Join Dr. Ryan S. Luna on a moderately strenuous 1.8-mile hike on Hancock Hill (behind the Sul Ross State University campus). Dr. Luna will focus on mammals and quail, their habitat on the hill, how they use it and what they prefer. The group will also examine and ID any evidence of animal activity they encounter, such as tracks and scat.
Bird Walk at Kokernot Park
THE BIRD WALK IS FULLY BOOKED.
Reservations are no longer available.
Join Dr. Maureen Frank to learn about birds of Alpine! We will start with some bird identification and binoculars basics to get everyone on the same page. We will practice these skills on some common species, and then take a walk through Kokernot Park, and you never know what we might find!
Family Activities at Alpine Farmers Market Granada Theatre
9:00am to Noon at the Granada Theatre.
NOTE: This has been moved indoors from the Alpine Farmers Market to the Granada Theatre due to forecasted cold weather.
Fun activities and educational displays, for ALL AGES, presented by:
- Borderlands Research Institute
- Balmorhea State Park
- McDonald Observatory
- Trans-Pecos Bird Conservancy
- Marfa Bird Club
- Rio Grande Joint Venture
- Sul Ross Range and Wildlife Club
- SRSU Biology
- Big Bend Conservancy
- Texas Master Naturalists
- Texas Wildlife Association
- Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center
- TPWD Wildlife
- A&M Forest Service
- Devils River Conservancy
- TPWD Wildlife Biologists
- TPWD Game Wardens
- Center for Big Bend Studies
Wildlife Scavenger Hunt
9:00am to Noon at the Alpine Visitor Center Granada Theatre. Complete the hunt to be eligible to win great prizes!
Pick up a Wild Scavenger Hunt sheet and start exploring the Farmers Market!
Downtown Shops & Restaurants
Explore local shops and restaurants in downtown Alpine, showcasing wildlife-themed eats, drinks, and treasures! Participating businesses include Joe Crow Coffee, Vise Coffee, Cedar Coffee and Supply, Alcove Social, The Ritchey, Bock Burger, Bread Garden Bakery, Cow Dog, Big Bend Art Gallery, Front Street Books, and 5th Street Gallery
Lunch and Learn at Granada Theatre
Lunch and Learn begins at Noon in the Granada Theatre.
Get a delicious lunch next door from Alcove Social (be sure to order early!) and enjoy a series of brief presentations from SRSU Graduate Research Assistants about ongoing wildlife projects at Borderlands Research Institute.
- Shelby duPerier: Due to the rugged and remote nature of the Chihuahuan Desert mountains, the distribution and occurrence of high-elevation species is poorly understood, especially for nocturnal birds. Shelby aims to evaluate the occurrence of three owl species in the Davis Mountains. Owl call data collected with autonomous recording units (ARUs) will be used to determine peak call times across the season, isolate sex-specific calls, and explore species-habitat associations.
- Halli Lovell: With habitat fragmentation driven by brush encroachment, fencing, and roadway infrastructure, the decline of suitable pronghorn habitat has emerged as a significant issue. As part of ongoing restoration efforts, this project aims to assess the impact of invasive brush species on habitat quality by utilizing remote sensing techniques to map brush canopy cover and distribution across the Trans-Pecos.
- Luke Christensen: Remote sensing for scaled quail habitat using drones
- Kendall Christensen: Kendall’s research focuses on developing restoration strategies for plugged oil and gas pads, where compacted soils and caliche surfaces severely limit infiltration, root development, and nutrient cycling. These conditions result in poor water retention, which prevents native vegetation from reestablishing. Kendall is testing mixes of native seeding, biochar additions, incorporation of organic matter, and soil moisture retention techniques, seeking to identify what combination may best assist in the restoration of native plant communities. Understanding soil-water-vegetation interactions and responses will guide us towards better restoration practices for arid ecosystems like the Chihuahuan Desert.
- Emilie Brochon: Montezuma quail are a cryptic, secretive bird species that is difficult to capture and study; thus, information is severely lacking in their population dynamics. By using passive acoustic monitoring, Emilie’s project hopes to provide the information needed to establish the first population estimate of Montezuma quail in Texas.
- Jesse Ellgren: Jesse’s project focuses on understanding the potential impacts that US-Mexico border infrastructure and activity have on the American black bear. Using remote camera traps, he will be estimating occupancy patterns of black bears in relation to the Rio Grande. This work will help inform international border security and long-term conservation for black bears in southwestern Texas.
Live drawing event at Front Street Books
The drawing session will begin at 1:00pm at Front Street Books. Arrive early to sign up for a drawing, only a limited number can be completed during the event!
2024 BBNP Artist in Residence Chris Ruggia will hold one of his popular sessions of 5-minute cartoon animal drawings. Sign up, select your favorite animal and watch it happen!
Bread Garden Bakery Cookies & Crafts
2:oo pm at Bread Garden Bakery on Holland Avenue.
Details coming soon.
Wild Game Processing and Cooking Demonstration
2:00 pm, location to be announced.
Keynote Presentations and Panel Discussion at Granada Theatre
Keynotes will begin at 5:00pm at Granada Theatre.
Saturday’s keynote will feature Romey Swanson, who has spearheaded the research project underway with Borderlands Research Institute and The Nature Conservancy studying Northern Saw-Whet Owls and Flammulated Owls in the Davis Mountains Preserve.
Also presenting will be filmmakers Bryce Spangler (director of the TPW short documentary “Talking to Owls”) and Austin Alvarado (director of the short documentary “Second Chance” on Trans-Pecos Black Bears).
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1
Botanical Garden Guided Tour at Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center
The guided tour will begin at 10:00am starting from the Powell Visitor Center.
The Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center & Botanical Gardens will offer a ¾-mile, 1.5-hour tour of the Botanical Gardens led by Master Naturalist Warren Shaul. The tour will offer fascinating information about plants of the Trans Pecos region and their beneficial interaction with wildlife. Free admission. Contact events@cdri.org for more information. www.cdri.org
Nature Photography Workshop
2:00 pm at the Museum of the Big Bend.
Learn about wildlife photography from bird photography expert Michael Gray, and landscape photography from Robert Greeson.