Mexican free-tailed bats, one of over 1400 bat species in the world, migrate from Mexico to Texas each spring to give birth to their young in caves across the Hill Country. One of these caves in particular — Bracken Cave — houses 20 million bats each year, making it the largest congregation of mammals in the world. Take a virtual visit to this cave to view an incredible wildlife spectacle and learn about the folks who are working to preserve this cave and many others for future generations.&nbsp;

Bracken Cave

When paddlefish were stocked in Caddo Lake in 2014, it was truly an experiment.&nbsp;No one could be certain the fish would survive or stay put, but years later it seems they have done both.&nbsp;Learn how ongoing research and more natural water flows yield new hope for a very old fish and its timeless habitat.&nbsp;For more information visit the <a href="https://caddolakeinstitute.org/paddlefish/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Caddo Lake Institute</a>.

Progress for Paddlefish

"There's two kinds of lakes in the South: them that's got Giant Salvinia and them that's about to have Giant Salvinia."Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in Texas, but its delicate ecosystem is threatened by a seemingly unstoppable invasive species of floating fern: Giant Salvinia.There's Something in the Water is an 8-minute animated documentary featuring interviews with people who live and work on the lake, demonstrating the damage that has been caused, and how everyone can work together to try and fix it.To learn more, visit <a href="https://www.theressomethinginthewater.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">There's Something in the Water</a> and <a href="https://caddolakeinstitute.org/invasive-species/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Caddo Lake Institute</a>.

There's Something in the Water

Runner and advocate Faith E. Briggs used to run through the streets of Brooklyn every morning. Now, she’s running 150 miles through three U.S. National Monuments that lay in the thick of the controversy around public lands. Accompanied by running companions who represent diverse perspectives in what it means to be a public land owner, she assesses what is at stake if previously protected lands are reduced and if the public is largely unaware. THIS LAND is a story about land access told through a journey of inclusion and empowerment.To learn more and take action, visit <a href="https://www.thislanddoc.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">This Land</a>.

This Land

Wild Texas Film Tour Director Ben Masters talks with Faith Briggs, This Land Producer and character, about public land protection, equality in the outdoors, and the importance of getting outside.

This Land Q&A with Faith Briggs

This film is about a ten-year-old girl, Sophia, her dad, and their first journey together on the Devils River. See the most unspoiled river in Texas through a child’s eyes as she takes on rapids for the first time and fishes and swims her way downstream. In the process, she learns a little about what keeps the river flowing and about decisions being made today that may change the river she’ll float as an adult. This film marks Sophia’s directing debut, and she describes her short film as, “an adventure filled with wonder, excitement, and unforgettable experiences.”&nbsp;To learn more about ongoing Devils River conservation efforts, visit <a href="https://www.devilsriverconservancy.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Devils River Conservancy</a>.

Me, My Dad and the Devils

This unique bird is still seen along Texas beaches, skimming the surface of the water in flight with its long, narrow bill.&nbsp;It’s the Black Skimmer, and it’s in trouble. Take a look at efforts underway to save one of the most threatened coastal birds in Texas.For more information on Black Skimmers visit <a href="https://www.cbbep.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Coastal Bend Bays &amp; Estuaries Program</a>.

Skimmer Savers

In the thorn scrub country of South Texas, an age-old disease that was once held at bay has, once again, reemerged as a looming threat to the country’s cattle industry.&nbsp;Cattle Fever Ticks and the disease they carry continue to evade researchers, ranchers, and hunters alike. Somehow Nilgai Antelope&nbsp;have found themselves caught in the middle.&nbsp;To learn more, visit <a href="https://www.ckwri.tamuk.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute</a>.

Holding The Line

Port Aransas and the surrounding communities are threatened by dredging activities and development of VLCC export facilities within the bays &amp; estuaries on the Texas Gulf Coast. Port Aransas Conservancy proposes to take the export facility offshore.To learn more about these efforts, visit <a href="https://portaransasconservancy.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Port Aransas Conservancy</a>.

Port Aransas: Paradise in Peril

The Gulf of Mexico has long been affected by hurricanes, oil spills, overfishing, and agricultural run-off, but continues to support one of the most biodiverse ecosystems, with over 15,000 species. This resilience is tenuous because — like any relationship — only so much can be taken without giving back.In Guardians of the Gulf, the Gulf of Mexico is given a voice by her caretakers to tell a story of generosity and strength. These conservationists, fisherpeople, tour operators, chefs and student leaders strive to improve sustainability in their work and community. Through action, they are seeing change. Through this change, they see hope.To learn more, visit <a href="https://www.guardiansofthegulf.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Guardians of the Gulf</a> and <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Nature Conservancy</a>.

Guardians of the Gulf

If not for Dale Rollins, we would be without quail in west Texas. He channels his inspiring personality and passion for life into protecting the future of bobwhite quail. While there are many ways to measure his success, none matters to him more than instilling a love for wildlife in future generations.

YETI Presents: Canary of the Prairie

After all native desert bighorn sheep were eliminated from Texas by the 1960s, conservationists began the long fight for their return. Now, after many years of hard work and trial and error, healthy populations roam parts of the state. Return of the Desert Bighorn follows wildlife biologists as they capture, collar, and relocate desert bighorn to restore populations in West Texas.&nbsp;To learn more about Texas bighorn sheep restoration efforts, visit <a href="https://www.texasbighornsociety.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Texas Bighorn Society</a>, <a href="https://bri.sulross.edu/big-game/desert-bighorn-sheep/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Borderlands Research Institute</a>, and <a href="https://www.wildsheepfoundation.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wild Sheep Foundation</a>.

Return of the Desert Bighorn

Desert Door's first Conservation Series project focuses on a time-tested process that embodies the Texas land — prescribed fire.Prescribed fire is a raw practice, one of rebirth. This natural process has been ignited to prevent destructive fires, manage landscapes, restore natural woodlands, and for research purposes.This partnership between <a href="https://www.desertdoor.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Desert Door</a>, <a href="https://texanbynature.org/projects/7-oaks-ward-walker-ranch/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">7 Oaks Ranch</a>, <a href="https://www.sulross.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sul Ross University</a>, and other land stewards used the powerful regenerative force of prescribed fire to foster new plant growth, expand wildlife populations, and create a healthy ecosystem at a large ranch in West Texas. Specifically we aimed to restore native grasses which prevent soil erosion and allow for proper water distribution on a mass of land where drought is recurring. The horizon is promising.

Back Burn | Desert Door

Bayou City is a short film produced by Olivia Haun (Schmidt), the 2018 Wild Texas Film Tour Grant Recipient and Outreach Specialist for the TPWD Wildlife Diversity Program. Over the past two years, Olivia has been traveling to Houston to capture stories from some of Houston’s most passionate and dedicated bayou conservationists. She hopes to shed light on the issues the bayou ecosystem have faced over the past century, and to share the successes that provide an alternative vision and relationship between Houston and its bayous.

Bayou City

Wild Texas Film Tour Producer Katy Baldock talks with Bayou City Director Olivia Haun about her film, the challenges and triumphs of creating it, some of the issues facing Houston's bayous, and ways the public can get involved to help.

Bayou City Q&A with Olivia Haun

Texas’ population is projected to double by 2050 and faces a daunting challenge. How can we continue to sustainably grow our population and economy while demanding no more water from our rivers and aquifers? How do we bring precious springs back to life? How might we connect thousands of households on the margins with clean drinking water? Where others see conflict and despair, Texas Water Trade sees opportunity and hope. To learn more about&nbsp;how this nonprofit organization is harnessing the power of markets and technological innovation to build a future of clean, flowing water for all Texans, watch the film and then visit&nbsp;<a href="https://texaswatertrade.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Texas Water Trade</a>.

Texas Water Trade

The Long Game, produced and directed by The Rational Middle, creators of The Rational Middle of Immigration and The Rational Middle of Energy, is a gateway film introducing the challenges and opportunities facing the Greater Big Bend Region that are presented by energy development, what’s at stake and begins to consider how we might take a different approach to thinking about and planning for energy development.To learn more, visit <a href="https://rationalmiddle.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Rational Middle</a>, <a href="https://cgmf.org/p/home.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation</a>, and <a href="https://respectbigbend.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Respect Big Bend</a>.

The Long Game: A 10,000 Foot View

2018 marked the 50th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. To celebrate, American Rivers staff, Senator Tom Udall, Ted Roosevelt IV and others took a four-day canoe trip through iconic canyons of the Wild and Scenic Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park. 5000 Miles of Wild combines stunning scenery with insightful commentary on the state of river conservation, explains the importance of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and provides a powerful call to action for protecting our country’s remaining wild rivers for future generations.To learn more about Wild and Scenic River preservation, visit <a href="https://www.americanrivers.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">American Rivers</a>.

5000 Miles of Wild

One fleet little fox is seldom seen. Is it vanishing from its range in Texas? A crew of researchers labor long hours to learn if time is running out for this elegant animal of the Panhandle Plains.For more information find <a href="https://www.facebook.com/operationfoxfinder" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Operation Fox Finder on Facebook</a>.

The Fox Finders

Researchers capture a wild mountain lion to put a GPS collar on her in order to study mountain lion prey, home range size, and to get a glimpse into the secretive lives of Texas' largest apex predator. The data collected only adds to the mystery. How do mountain lions continue to persist in West Texas where they can be trapped, shot, and killed without regulation?To learn more about ongoing mountain lion research and conservation efforts in Texas, visit <a href="https://bri.sulross.edu/carnivores-and-nongame/mountain-lion-overview/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Borderlands Research Institute</a>.

Lions of West Texas

Wild Texas Film Tour director Ben Masters talks with Dr. Louis Harveson from Borderlands Research Institute to discuss all things mountain lions, their sometimes controversial relationship with humans, how they are regulated in Texas and other states across the country, and research being done to learn more about the species.To learn more about BRI’s mountain lion research visit <a href="https://bri.sulross.edu/carnivores-and-nongame/mountain-lion-overview/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bri.sulross.edu</a>.

Lions of West Texas Q&A with Dr. Louis Harveson

I've scaled the heights of the Tetons in Wyoming, stood at the rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, hiked among the wild gardens of Mount Rainier, and stood before mighty glaciers in Montana &amp; Alaska. But to me, none of these places compare to one small stretch of the muddy Colorado River in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Here's why:Each summer growing up, my grandfather, father, brothers and I would go back to the birthplace of my grandfather to camp and fish together. I recently had my first son, and I couldn't wait to get him out there to continue the family tradition in Bend, Tx.However, my grandfather is now in his mid-eighties and was just given the prognosis of less than 6 months to live due to lung cancer. So I wanted to take him back there one last time. With my son. It was going to be Grandad's last time and my son Jackson's first time.Four generations of Texans, fishing together, for the first and last time.RIP Grandad | August 27, 1933 - May 21, 2020&nbsp;

The Bend

Nearly Fifty Years ago David Bamberger went public with Church's Chicken and used the capital to purchase 5,500 acres of overgrazed land that was considered some of the poorest acreage in the Texas Hill Country. He devoted the rest of his life to restoring it. David cleared overgrown woody vegetation, allowed native grasses to grow, and literally created Water from Stone. The grasses soaked in rains, took moisture into the porous rock below, and filled hillside aquifers instead of running off. There was only one spring when he bought the place, now there are eleven. There were only 48 species of birds on the first bird count, in 2014 they counted 238 species. His example of land stewardship has been replicated across the region and he's considered a visionary in land management and water conservation.To learn more about Bamberger Ranch, visit <a href="https://bambergerranch.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bamberger Ranch Preserve</a>.

Selah: Water from Stone

Wildlife Biologists in Texas are fighting for the future of Pronghorn Antelope by helicopter netting over 100 individuals, transplanting them to devastated areas, and reestablishing an iconic species in the vast landscapes of West Texas.To learn more about ongoing pronghorn research and conservation efforts, visit <a href="https://bri.sulross.edu/big-game/pronghorn/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Borderlands Research Institute</a> and <a href="https://www.tpwf.org/conserve/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation</a>.

Pronghorn Revival

"Wildlife and the Wall" showcases the beautiful landscapes of the United States-Mexico border, discusses what a border wall would impact beyond immigration, and provides a look at how a few wildlife species in the area would be affected.&nbsp;

Wildlife and the Wall

Myron Hess fights a battle for Texas river environmental flows that we cannot afford to lose.To learn more about Texas river conservation, visit <a href="https://texaslivingwaters.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Texas Living Waters</a>.

Texas Living Waters

Short Films

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While we will miss traveling around Texas, hosting physical screenings, and connecting with fellow conservationists this year, we’re excited to make the 2020 event more accessible than ever! Explore our on-demand feature and short films here.

Here's what's coming up soon. Can't make it? No sweat. Many live streams will be available for on-demand viewing as well.