Texan by Nature Announces 2025 Conservation Wranglers

TxN Conservation Wrangler Program Accelerates Conservation Initiatives Impacting Texas’ Natural Resources

Texan by Nature (TxN), a conservation non-profit, today announces the selection of the 2025 TxN Conservation Wranglers. Conservation Wrangler is an accelerator program that catalyzes the very best Texan-led conservation projects occurring in the state. Selected projects are science-based and demonstrate positive Return on Conservation™ benefits for people, prosperity, and natural resources.

The Texan by Nature team will work with the 2025 Conservation Wranglers and provide 12-18 months of tailored support in program management, strategic planning, marketing strategy, metrics capture and analysis including the production of Return on Conservation™ Index for select projects, professional content creation, and partnership development – whatever is needed to accelerate the project.

“Congratulations to our 2025 Conservation Wranglers!” said Texan by Nature Founder and former First Lady Mrs. Laura Bush. “I am thrilled to see your conservation innovations taking place in Texas. Thank you for leading the way and taking care of our people, our prosperity, and our natural resources. You are setting a fine example for our state.”

“This year’s Conservation Wrangler applications highlighted the impressive breadth of conservation action and leadership across Texas,” said Joni Carswell, President and CEO of TxN. “The selected Conservation Wranglers embody the solution-driven mindset of Texans, delivering tangible benefits for natural resources and innovative strategies for addressing global conservation challenges. TxN’s collaboration with these projects will expand conservation efforts and impact statewide. We look forward to sharing key insights, engagement opportunities, and scalable solutions that drive lasting conservation success and measurable returns.”

Texan by Nature will recognize the 2025 Conservation Wranglers at the annual Conservation Summit on October 21, 2025, in Dallas, TX, at the George W. Bush Presidential Center.

2025 Conservation Wranglers:

Texas Master Naturalist Program

The Texas Master Naturalist Program develops a network of highly trained volunteers who provide education, outreach, and hands-on conservation service to the benefit of Texas’ natural resources and natural areas. Many communities depend on these citizen volunteers to support local conservation efforts. Through expert-level training in ecosystems, wildlife, and land management, volunteers work in their communities alongside conservation organizations to enhance Texas’ natural landscapes. Since 1997, the program has trained over 17,400 volunteers, stewarding more than 260,460 acres, and engaging over 7.1 million Texans with natural resource education and outreach programs. With more than 7.5 million service hours contributed, their impact—valued at over $170 million—ensures a lasting legacy of stewardship across the state.

International Crane Foundation - Texas Program

The International Crane Foundation’s Texas Program is dedicated to protecting the Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population of Whooping Cranes, the last naturally occurring population of Whooping Cranes. Once reduced to 15/16 birds in 1941/1942, the population has rebounded to 550 individuals in Texas today. However, threats like habitat loss, power line collisions, poaching, and water scarcity persist. The Texas Program safeguards the wintering grounds, ensures freshwater availability, and promotes human-wildlife coexistence through research, habitat management, policy, and outreach. By collaborating with landowners, policymakers, and local communities, the Foundation drives conservation action and fosters pride in these iconic birds. Their work strengthens crane populations and ensures sustainable conservation, securing a future where Whooping Cranes continue to thrive.

Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation - Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch

The Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch (RPQRR) works to preserve Texas' wild quail hunting heritage through strategic research addressing critical issues affecting quail populations. Operating on a 4,820-acre laboratory in Fisher County, RPQRR conducts field studies on habitat management, disease monitoring, population monitoring, and restoration practices to develop practical solutions for declining Bobwhite and Scaled Quail populations. With a team of experienced researchers and dedicated partners, RPQRR translates scientific findings into actionable management practices that help landowners and wildlife managers implement effective conservation strategies across the Rolling Plains ecoregion, helping to ensure sustainable quail populations for future generations of Texans.

Harte Research Institute - Sink Your Shucks Oyster Shell Recycling Program

The Sink Your Shucks^TM program, led by the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, is Texas' first oyster shell recycling initiative. Since 2009, it has reclaimed discarded shells from restaurants and seafood wholesalers to rebuild vital reef habitats in Texas coastal waters. With oyster reefs experiencing a 90% global decline, this program addresses the critical gap in the ecosystem cycle by diverting shells from landfills back to bays, where they provide essential substrate for new reef formation. Through community-based volunteer events and partnerships with large-scale conservation initiatives, the program helps build habitats that filter water, protect shorelines from erosion, and create homes for fish, crabs, and other marine life. This innovative conservation effort transforms restaurant waste into environmental infrastructure, promoting sustainable fisheries while engaging the public in hands-on stewardship of Texas coastal resources.

Wildcat Bluff Nature Center - Landscape Rehydration & Bioregional Learning

Wildcat Bluff Nature Center is collaborating with Ogallala Life Conservation Inc. to demonstrate landscape rehydration works at the nature center, addressing water scarcity, land degradation, and biodiversity loss in the Texas Panhandle. This project involves various types of natural infrastructure in dryland streams installed along Upper West Amarillo Creek and on slopes higher up the valley sides to slow, spread & sink stormwater, recharge groundwater & cultivate a healthier riparian corridor. The project aims to demonstrate a reversal of desertification and degradation on the southern high plains using tools like post-assisted log structures, bunds, and varied other rainwater gardening and agroforestry elements on property that is accessible to the public for engagement, education, and to inspire community-led ecological regeneration. The conservation work is coupled with learning opportunities for schools and the general public.

About Conservation Wrangler and Texan by Nature:

2025 Conservation Wranglers were selected, in part, based on the following criteria:

• Texan-led conservation initiative
• Benefits the community by providing tangible returns for people, prosperity, and natural resources
• Reaches new and diverse audiences
• Science-based
• Measurable process and conservation outcomes
• Partnership between community, business, individuals, and conservation organizations

Last year’s 2024 Conservation Wranglers included American YouthWorks, Families in Nature, Frontera Land Alliance, and San Antonio Bay Partnership

These projects and organizations represent a significant impact for Texas:

• People: 23,062
• Prosperity:
  • $1 million in protecting natural functions, including water infiltration, water supply, and flood mitigation by Frontera Land Alliance.
  • $443,000 value in offsets to health services costs through improved mental and physical well-being of volunteers through San Antonio Bay Partnership.
• Natural Resources (Acreage): 11,500 (Frontera + Families in Nature)
• Natural Resources (Other):
  • 44,000+ items of litter, abandoned crab traps, and fishing gear removed by San Antonio Bay Partnership.
  • 18 miles of Texas waterways and public land improved by conservation and cleanup activities managed by American YouthWorks Green Wave Initiative.
  • 12 Park Environmental Education Projects offering families the ability to connect with nature and learn about the environment across 3 ecoregions developed by Families in Nature - Park Environmental Education Project.
  • 700 tons of carbon sequestered annually by land protected from future development as part of the Knapp Land Nature Preserve, managed by Frontera Land Alliance.

Texan by Nature (TxN) exists to advance conservation that is beneficial to people, prosperity, and natural resources. TxN brings conservation and business together, acting as an accelerator for conservation groups and a strategic partner for business. TxN achieves our mission through programs, including Conservation Wrangler, TxN Certification, Return on Conservation^TM, custom initiatives through our membership program, the annual Conservation Summit, and statewide leadership such as the Texas Water Action Collaborative. Learn more in our 2023 annual report and at TexanbyNature.org

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Conservation Wrangler is an accelerator program that catalyzes the very best Texan-led conservation projects occurring in the state.