Join us in Alpine, Texas January 29-31 for a weekend of activities, information and education on Texas Wildlife! Wildlife Weekend always includes a focus on wildlife and the arts, and this year highlights these connections more than ever!
All Wildlife Weekend events are FREE! No tickets are required.
The 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 2027 plans develop.
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!
Much-appreciated support for Alpine’s Wildife Weekend comes from Borderlands Research Institute, Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine, the Granada Theatre and Visit Alpine, Texas.
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.
CONTEST ENTRY INFO COMING SOON!
FRIDAY, JANUARY 29
Wildlife Photography as a Profession
Location / Time TBA
A presentation by Jim Ramakka.
Wildlife Art Exhibit / Welcome Reception at the Museum of the Big Bend
5:00 pm
Of Birds and Texas: The Gentling Brothers and Their Magnificent Book, an exhibit developed in consultation with the Amon Carter Museum of Art, explores the lives and work of Fort Worth artists Stuart and Scott Gentling through forty lithographs from their 1986 elephant folio Of Birds and Texas. Upon its publication, Of Birds and Texas received widespread acclaim, with critics calling it a “magnificent achievement” and “the most stunning and prodigious book in Texas history.”
Owl Walk at Kokernot Park
Reservation info coming soon.
Join Dr. Maureen Frank 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 30
Guided Hike on Hancock Hill
Hike begins at 9:00am. Reservation info coming soon.
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
Reservation info coming soon.
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!
Wildlife Education Expo at Granada Theatre
9:00am to Noon at the Granada Theatre.
Fun activities and educational displays, for ALL AGES, presented by a stellar collection of conservation organizations!
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!
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 and Texas Tech Graduate Research Assistants about ongoing wildlife projects at Borderlands Research Institute.
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!
Wild Game Processing and Cooking Demonstration
2:00 pm, location to be announced.
Panel Discussion and Film Screening at the Museum of the Big Bend
Panel will begin at 6:00pm at the Museum of the Big Bend.
Saturday’s keynote will feature a panel discussion on wildlife and the border followed by a screening of the gorgeous new wildlife documentary, Deep in the Heart II.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 31
Bird Photography Excursion at Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center
Time and registration info coming soon.
Take a walk at the Nature Center and photograph birds with professional wildlife photographer Jim Ramakka.
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
Zone-tailed Hawks: Research Talk and Live Art
2:00 pm at the Museum of the Big Bend.
Dr. Clint Boal, professor at Texas Tech and co-author of Raptors of Texas (Texas A&M University Press, 2022), will present his research on Zone-tailed Hawks in Texas. Dr. Boal will be joined by wildlife artist Chris Ruggia for a live art demonstration, creating a large-format painting of a Zone-tailed Hawk.