Conference '14: McAllen Archives - Outdoor Writers Association of America

Back to McAllen: Mike Cox attended the 1964 and 2014 Texas conferences

OWAA staff — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 21:54:37 +0000

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BY MIKE COX
Earlier this year, in one of the seemingly endless meetings apparently no bureaucracy can function without, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department videographer and OWAA member Karen Loke said something that jolted me from my semi-stupor. OWAA, she announced, would be having its annual convention in McAllen in May. Maybe some of us in the agency’s communication division would like to attend?
While great news for a state agency with only limited funds for out-of-state travel, that information had far more meaning for me than anyone else in that conference room. That’s because I just happened to know that OWAA had met in McAllen once before, in the early summer of 1964. I was there, a soon-to-be 10th grader who already knew he wanted to be a writer.
My granddad was L.A. Wilke, a longtime outdoor writer who two years earlier had retired from the old Texas Game and Fish Commission, predecessor of the agency I work for now. A former newspaperman and chamber of commerce manager, Granddad sat on the OWAA board and in 1964 served as convention chairman for the McAllen meeting. At that gathering, attended by 160-plus members from across the nation, Granddad pressed me into service as his gopher. My name tag read, “Mike Cox, Wilke’s Legman,” referencing the old news term for a news-gatherer too green to be a full-fledged reporter.
Fifty years, five decades, 600 months — however you figure it, a half-century is a long time, but I still remember the tropical ambiance at the old Fairway Motor Inn, a classic 1960s resort motel that advertised it was “100 percent air-conditioned” with free radio and TV in each room. That hotel is now gone, as is the convention center where we had our sessions. McAllen has grown from 30,000 people to more than 130,000. People — especially writers — drank much more and with far less social stigma attached to it. Women were still “the ladies” and not active members and the conference ran a full week an event with so many speakers, sponsors and swag local TV stations and newspapers covered the event.
The conference kicked off with an 8 a.m. director’s breakfast on Sunday, June 20. The program reminded members, “Attend Church of Your Choice.”
When sessions began on Monday, it warned members naps were not allowed. The luncheon was for men only, with the ladies off on a bus tour of the valley and shopping in Mexico.
The third day of the convention was at the beach at Padre Island and followed up by a cocktail hour and shrimp dinner. That evening, Daniel Beard, regional director of the National Park Service, spoke about plans to develop a large chunk of the barrier island as a national sea shore.
OWAA members spent Wednesday testing new outdoor products and then attending a three-hour afternoon session called “There’s Money in Moonlighting.” That night members partied at “Una Noche en McAllen del Valle Magico,” the program promising that no one would ever forget it. The next morning I saw a visibly hung-over Carol Abbott, a former weekly newspaper editor from Kerrville, Texas, who was on Gov. John Connally’s staff, walk slowly into the restaurant. Declaring he had just made it back from Mexico, he turned his pants pockets inside out to show how generously he had helped stimulate our sister republic’s economy the night before. That, or he had gotten rolled.
Abbott’s boss, the governor, gave the keynote address at the annual banquet that night. When the governor arrived in McAllen that afternoon, Granddad had introduced me to him. He seemed well recovered from the bullet wound he had suffered only five months earlier when President Kennedy had been killed in downtown Dallas. Connally graciously signed a copy of the convention program for me, and I still have it along with my “Wilke’s Legman” nametag.
Before the governor took the podium, Dr. Hans Christofferson, introduced as Denmark’s tourism director, spoke to the group. Earlier, the distinguished-looking European gentleman, who spoke English very well despite a pronounced Nordic accent, had milled around among the members soliciting insight into the culture and politics of Texas and the U.S. His talk began seriously, but soon became bizarre until he revealed he was actually Cactus Pryor, an Austin, Texas TV personality and friend of President Lyndon Johnson.
Granddad was friends with Col. Homer Garrison, head of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Through that connection, he had arranged for a Texas Ranger to show up at the meeting for the benefit of all the out-of-state members who had never had a chance to meet one of the state’s legendary lawmen. Tall, lanky Ranger Jerome Preiss, then stationed in nearby Harlingen, brought his horse along and soon made national headlines when he was photographed afterward leading the critter through a McAllen car wash.
Over the years, for business or for fun, I have been to McAllen many times. But my trip last spring was different. Not to get too philosophical, but attending the 87th OWAA convention amounted to a grown me getting a chance to reunite with his teenage self.
Being the only person who had been there for the 37th meeting, I felt like the last man standing.
That said, I will not be an old fogey. Like most Baby Boomers, I am younger at 65, mentally and physically, than my granddad was at that age. Though the passage of that much time constitutes a major reality check, being at the 2014 convention actually brought a nice sense of satisfaction.
Fifty years ago, I was a teenager who aspired to be a writer. I became someone who earned a living putting words on paper, from newspaper articles to magazine stories to books. Some of those hundreds of thousands of words were arranged amateurishly, some were placed in workman-like order, and some, I hope, were set forth pretty darn well and will last a long time.
To give this rumination a bit of socially redeeming value, my advice for younger OWAA members is that if you want to be a successful writer, take advantage of any chance you get to grow in your craft. Media platforms will change, but not the importance of being able to communicate well with words written or spoken. Here’s hoping that 50 years from now, wherever OWAA meets, you’ll be there.
— Mike Cox has written more than 20 non-fiction books and hundreds of articles over a 45-plus year career. Inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters in 1993, he has received numerous awards for his writing, including the A.C. Greene Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010. His day job is news and information team leader with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in Austin.
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My first conference: And why I’m already planning my second

OWAA staff — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 20:33:49 +0000

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BY LINDA WATER NELSON
For months I’d tried to track down a new Winnebago. I knew if I could just make contact with the public relations person and get in one, I’d have a story. But I was starting to worry it might never happen.
Then I arrived at demo day during OWAA’s annual conference in McAllen, Texas and there, in the parking lot, was a Winnebago, and even better — a contact with the company. I was in.
McAllen was my first OWAA conference and that moment made it worth the trip. Along with everything else I took away from Texas I was already planning my trip to the 2015 conference before I’d arrived back home.
Going into 2014 my goal was to learn and write more about the outdoors. I already reviewed sport vehicles and wrote road trip features that had outdoor elements and realized broadening my reach into the outdoor market was only a short hop away.
To help expand my outdoor writing career I created a website called bucket-list-guide.com, expected to go live in August. I grew up as a suburban kid without a mentor to take me hunting or fishing. The site is a dream-list of things I’d like to do and the stories I write after checking-off something on the list.
I had the idea for the site, but I still needed help.
What do you do when you want to expand your horizons, your contacts, and the outlets for your work? You spend money, of course.
But not just on anything.
You look for an organization that will get you to your goals or for an event that can streamline the process.
I have never written much about hunting and fishing, or birding and conservation; but I am an outdoor writer. I write about the vehicles that get you to the adventure. As a freelancer I write for a variety of publications, but most often you’ll find my byline in Texas Fish & Game Magazine.
I’m a member of auto writer and media associations and earlier this year joined the Texas Outdoor Writers Association and after a good experience at the TOWA conference I thought I’d check out OWAA’s in McAllen, Texas.
It was a fabulous decision.
I met members who knew more than I ever will about virtually every outdoor topic, and they were willing and gracious about sharing that knowledge and expertise. I got to spend time with editors and publishers who expressed interest in what I had to offer and asked me to submit queries. I gained new-found respect for the people who do what I do and for those who make it possible. I saw some of the best outdoor photography in the world.
On Demo Day I met suppliers who talked to me about their products and offered samples to get me out. The week after conference I went bass fishing with a neighbor and using handouts from Berkley Conservation Institute and Pure Fishing caught a couple.
I had never held a firearm and spent time on Shooting Day with instructors from Smith & Wesson. I’m invited to a Canadian bird hunt this fall and feel comfortable enough around firearms I’m confident in my decision to attend — and I might just get a story out of it.
There were presentations that familiarized me with topical and controversial issues, skills that I didn’t have (yet) and the ways to grow my business — especially unique in a field where people are often cagey about their contacts and tricks for making it as a writer. At the OWAA Conference, the members shared as much as the experts on the panels. Questions were never out-of-bounds, and responses were so valuable they amazed me. Hands-on sessions with new technology were extremely helpful. I already had the software on my iPhone and the session on 1-minute videos taught me how to use it more effectively.
One-on-one chatting with editors landed me at least one new gig writing about sport vehicles and I’ve already queried several other publications.
Contacts I made with representatives of convention and visitors bureaus are leading to three separate road trip stories with outdoor themes and activities that will make them relevant and marketable to a much broader audience.
Most importantly, the social activities made possible lots of one-on-one conversation — some of it serious, most of it downright silly — that let me get to know how the outdoor media industry works. Outdoor writers and photographers are amazing storytellers. There is a lot of “how big was that fish?” going on, but that’s what makes what we do special.
I left with the most business cards (most with handwritten notes on the back) that I have ever collected at a conference — and I’ve been to a lot of conferences.
Conferences are not inexpensive, and I always look at the cost/benefit relationship when I make an investment in an organization or an event. It doesn’t always end up on the plus side, but this one did. Some of the activities offset the cost of the conference, and I believe that added work will prove to make it a sound investment.
In the process of budgeting for 2015, the OWAA Conference in Tennessee is already a given on the expense side. It’s on the calendar, too, but I’ll plan in more time to take advantage of pre- and post- adventures. It will be worth it.
— Linda Water Nelson, an Austin, Texas-based writer, focuses primarily on sport vehicles in her work.
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2014 Conference Coverage: McAllen, Texas

OWAA staff — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 21:18:05 +0000

The 87th annual OWAA conference was May 23-25, 2014, in McAllen, Texas. Here are some photos and testimonials from the event.

If you would like to download any of the photos taken by OWAA staff, high-resolution versions are available from our Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/126060544@N06/.

Back to main list of photo galleries.
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I’ve been to larger, longer and more heavily attended conferences, but McAllen had to be among my most enjoyable and rewarding. So glad I went — for so many reasons: the sessions, the food and new friends in a new area.”
— Terry Brady
… [T]his was my first OWAA conference, and I’m really glad that I came and made such great connections. Several other members and I have corresponded since the event, and I definitely feel that it was worth the time and expense to make the trip to McAllen and network with others in this highly specialized field. I found the sessions to be extremely interesting and informative, and I have a notepad nearly full of notes taken during the three-day conference! Thanks so much for putting on this highly useful event, and I look forward to being involved with OWAA throughout this year and seeing everyone again in Knoxville next summer!”
— Danielle Taylor
Professionals from around the country attend conference. I want to work with these professionals. Having their eyes and ears at conference gives me access to them that I would not gain any other way. The working relationships I establish at conference are still in place long after conference ends, but conference sets the stage.”
— Kris Millgate

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The McAllen program was one of the best I have been privileged to see in my 27 years as a member. Particularly memorable was the ‘Border vs. Wildlife’ session, which provided a wealth of information, sources and insight into a conservation issue of which few outdoors writers are aware.”
— Jim Low
This year was the first time my public relations firm Portavoce PR and my client SG-20 repair adhesive attended the OWAA Conference. As a new Supporting Group member we were welcomed with open arms and everyone was so grateful that we came. That felt good! The hands-on demonstration opportunities we had with the OWAA membership were incredibly valuable – both at the open air demo and at the hospitality suites. More outdoor media experienced SG-20 first hand at OWAA Conference than at any other event we’ve been to. Since returning, I’ve corresponded with so many of my new OWAA connection and we’ve already seen editorial coverage of SG-20 which we are tremendously happy with!”
— Carla Vallone, SG-20

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Conference session spotlight: Can’t miss events abound in McAllen

OWAA staff — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 16:00:00 +0000

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Friday, May 23

Newsmaker: Water vs. Underwater Wildlife
Speakers: Myron Hess, National Wildlife Federation; Randall Luthi, President, National Ocean Industries Association; Dr. Larry McKinney, Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies; Dr. Andrew Sansom, The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment.
Everyone has water issues. Pollution, over-harvesting and natural disasters are just a few of the challenges. This newsmaker session addresses some of the key issues confronting America’s water-based ecosystems. This four person panel, composed of those on the front line of water issues in the Gulf coast region, look at the effects man-made disasters and natural phenomena in the Gulf eco-system, the progress toward restoration and how the situation in the Gulf affects others thousands of miles away.
Newsmaker: Windmills vs. Wildlife
Speakers: Michelle L. Arenson, director, renewable asset strategy, Alliant Energy; Ed Arnett, director, Center for Responsible Energy Development; David Naugle, science advisor, Sage Grouse Initiative; Iliana Pena, director of conservation, Audubon Texas.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, from 2011 to 2012, the number of wind farms in the country grew more than 90%, with Texas adding more wind power capacity in 2012 than any other state. Windmills dot much of the Gulf of Mexico. The Department of Energy also estimates the wind sector employs more than 80,000 Americans. But this source of energy and economic strength comes at a cost to wildlife, particularly birds and bats. Join experts from both the conservation and wind energy sides of the issue who examine the effects of windmills on various ecosystems in the Gulf region, the prairie and elsewhere.
The Right Lens for the Job
Speaker: Ken Hubbard, Tamron.
Sometimes the right lens can make or break a shot. See for yourself with a Tamron pro staffer on hand and lenses available for testing.
TV/Film: How to Sequence Your Shots
Speaker: Kris Millgate, Tight Line Media.
Remember the old school trick of creating action by drawing the stick man running in the corner of flipping pages? That’s still the basic principal behind action shots. Visual movement is the one elemental advantage video has over all other mediums. Learn how to use movement to your advantage in the field. Every video shoot has a rhythm. Find that rhythm then match your working pace to what’s going on. Build a sequence of action without missing a beat.

Saturday, May 24

Write Tight: How to tighten up your prose
Speaker: Susan Ebert.
(final copy) Show up. Learn something. Earn repeat business. Make more money.
(original copy) OWAA members are encouraged to attend this session to learn a variety of different methods to help them hone their writing skills through group interaction and quick-study exercises so that they are better able to express themselves in a clear manner, more successfully write to an editor’s word count and develop the necessary skills to help them garner repeat business so that they are better equipped to ultimately increase their own personal revenue stream.
Bootcamp for Writers Who Need to Take Photos
Speaker: Ruth Hoyt.
Hoyt will take writers through the steps of producing documentary photographs that are sharp and exposed properly, with strong composition and content (story). Additionally, she shares tips for producing successful submissions that include writing and photography.
Newsmaker: Borders vs. Wildlife
Speakers: Ernesto Reyes, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Krista Schlyer, author, “Continental Divide: Wildlife, People and the Border Wall;” John S. C. Herron, director Texas Conservation and Science with The Nature Conservancy; William C. Woody, chief, Office of Law Enforcement with the Department of the Interior.
The Real ID Act of 2005 authorized the Department of Homeland Security to waive all laws to expedite the construction of the fence along the Texas-Mexico border and other border barriers, which effectively removed protection for endangered species and fragile ecosystems in border regions such as McAllen, Texas. At the same time, illegal trafficking of exotic species remains a significant concern as these invasives frequently escape and then wreak havoc on native American ecosystems. This newsmaker panel will discuss border issues and the impact on wildlife, land use and outdoor recreation.

Sunday, May 25

Newsmaker: State of Outdoor Recreation
Speakers: Whit Fosburgh, president and CEO, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership; Mike Nussman, president and CEO, American Sportfishing Association; Steve Sanetti, president and CEO, National Shooting Sports Foundation.
Whether hunting, fishing, camping, birding, padding or hiking, we are all involved in outdoor recreation. Join the CEOs and senior leaders from the Outdoor Industry Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and American Sportfishing Association as they examine the state of outdoor recreation — who’s participating, what gear they use, where they’re recreating, why they’re outdoors — and what the future of outdoor recreation in the U.S. holds. Among the most prominent members of the outdoor world, these industry insiders will discuss the trends and challenges in each segment of outdoor recreation.
Newsmaker: The Hispanic Outdoorsmen
Speakers: Lefty Ray Chapa, writer; Stephanie Vatalero, Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation; Roy Rodriguez, Texas Parks & Wildlife; Bill Brassard, director of communications, National Shooting Sports Foundation.
This year’s diversity panel covers why Hispanics, one of the largest and fastest growing segments of our population, are attracted to the outdoors — or not. This session will cover barriers to entry with suggestions on how to recruit and retain the Hispanic outdoorsperson and why this is an important issue for all outdoorspeople.
Photo Scavenger Hunt Critique
Sponsored by Hunt’s Photo & Video
Judges: Earl Nottingham, Chris Madson.
Win cash and prizes from behind the lens! All attending members are encouraged to enter this fun contest in which professional and amateur photographers submit just one frame of each of the five required subjects, forcing them to “get it right” on a tight deadline. Doubling as both the annual entertaining critique of scavenger hunt entries and a general photo critique, two of OWAA’s top photographers tell us what they like and didn’t like about each photo helping everyone improve their photography skills.
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Countdown to conference: Why making it to McAllen is worth it

OWAA staff — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 15:51:11 +0000

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BY MARTY MALIN
I moved from the Texas hill country to South Texas 20 years ago because of a business opportunity. I must confess, the thought of trading bluebonnets in the spring for the desert and year-round prickly pear cactus was not that appealing at first. Then it rained. Overnight the desert bloomed and a whole new ecosystem appeared to explore. I never tire of that task.
Now that you’ve decided to attend this year’s conference, it’s time to start thinking about the adventures that await.
McAllen, Texas, and the entire Rio Grande Valley of Texas are rich with story ideas and photography opportunities. For those of who plan to take advantage of the pre- and post-conference trip opportunities, bring a backpack because you will not want to miss any action going back to camp for lunch.
Pre- and post-conference trips and opportunities continue to develop so make sure you visit https://owaa.org/2014conference/pre-post-conference-trips/ for the most up-to-date listings of what is offered.
Recently fellow member Susan Ebert informed me that Rios of Mercedes Boot Company has offered a tour of their boot factory in Mercedes, Texas, a 30 minute drive from the convention center. This company has been making handcrafted boots since 1853 and both the general manager, Michael Dvorak, and the owner, Pat Moody, are avid hunters.
I am still, as of the time this magazine goes to press, working on finding a ranch with feral hog hunting opportunities for those who expressed an interest — so stay tuned.
John Martin with Images for Conservation Fund offered three bird -watching and wildlife photography excursions. Martin will teach you about a private land owner who nets more than $66,000 a year from photographers who visit his 300-acre ranch.
State wildlife and agriculture agencies throughout the country are constantly looking for ways to get youngsters back to nature and if a private landowner or state park can generate revenue by building a few blinds that provide photography opportunities it’s a win-win-win situation. (And maybe a story idea)?
OWAA member Jim Foster recently returned to his old stomping grounds, the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Foster informs me that he secured the services of two more South Padre Island fishing guides and a couple of bed and breakfast stops for weary OWAA travelers. Again, be sure to check the conference website for more information https://owaa.org/2014conference/pre-post-conference-trips/.
I realize there are a few of you who are undecided about attending this year’s conference. I am guessing your decision has to do with finances. I know because I’ve been there. There was one conference when I cut expenses by staying at a campsite in a nearby state park. At the Niagara Falls conference I stayed at a trailer park. On two occasions I shared a room with another member. Back when gasoline was under two bucks a gallon I drove half way across the country to attend conferences. I remember in Spokane, Wash., when two members bunked out in the back of a pick-up camper in the host hotel parking lot.
It would be impossible for me to put a price on the things I have learned, the sights I have seen, and the people I have met and networked with as a result of conference attendance over the years. Who knows? This year I might meet the next up-and-coming Gene Hill, Grits Gresham, Homer Circle, Wally Tabor, Johnnie Morris or Fred Bear. The point I am trying to make is that what you gain by attending conferences will offer you rewards long after any financial liabilities are forgotten. The outdoor communication business is like any other business and you cannot be successful trying to sell from an empty wagon.
For all of you seasoned conference attendees, you know the drill. Find a green ribbon or two and make them feel at home.
See y’all in Texas.
— A former OWAA board member and president and an award-winning television producer, writer and photographer, Marty Malin is local chair of the 2014 OWAA conference that will take place May 23-25 in McAllen, Texas. Contact him at mmalin@stx.rr.com or at 956-717-1377
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Eye on the Sky: McAllen a bird watcher's paradise

OWAA staff — Sat, 01 Feb 2014 22:50:08 +0000

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BY ANN AND ROB SIMPSON

Our kids stopped asking. They don’t invite us on vacations anymore nor do they ask us what our plans are for
the summer. We tried, but for some reason they don’t enjoy holidays at the swamp and they can’t understand why we look forward to a trip to the dump.
They perked up when we told then we had been looking at TVs but when they realized we meant turkey vultures they seemed sad. They explain to their friends that we are “different.” We are birders. And, even worse (according to them), we are bird photographers.
When we told our kids we were going to a writers conference in Texas, that seemed to be OK. What we didn’t tell them is that McAllen, Texas and the Lower Rio Grande Valley is in the same category of fantastic destinations as Pt. Pelee, Pt. Reyes, and Cape May — all meccas for birders. Armed with binoculars, a field guide and the longest camera lens we can carry, we can’t wait to begin the hunt for some of the 500 species of birds that have been spotted here. The land of LBJs (“little brown jobs”— not the former President), chachalacas, kiskadees, and pyrrhuloxias is calling our name — and no, it is not “crazy bird person.”
Perhaps at one time, bird watching was considered a pastime of shuffling people with floppy hats, but today, of the 22.5 million people who travel to enjoy nature and to see wildlife, 18.9 million (84 percent), travel to destinations specifically to view birds.
If you happen to know what a hummer, a lister, a twitcher, and a butterbutt are, if your favorite app is Sibley Birds, and if pishing and squeaking are everyday words in your vocabulary then you may be a birder too. If you are not familiar with the lingo then we need to get you up to speed, as surprisingly, wildlife watching is the No. 1 outdoor recreation pastime in the United States.
According to a recent US Fish & Wildlife Service survey, during 2011, 33.1 million people fished and 13.7 million hunted — a total of 37.4 million hunters and anglers. However, nearly doubling that number, an astounding 71.8 million people participated in observing, feeding, or photographing wildlife.
Wildlife watchers spent $420 million on magazines, books, and DVDs while hunters spent $100 million on these items. With nearly a third of the U.S. population enjoying wildlife watching, this may be an area that OWAA members and magazine editors want to take note of as a writers marketing strategy. By combining outdoor sports such as hunting and fishing with natural history and nature photography, you may be able to find ways to connect people with nature in novel ways.
Besides, birding and photography are fun. As anglers, we already know how to read the water and we are able to discern intimate details about fish species. Hunters are keenly aware of habitats and animal behavior. The OWAA conference is a great place to broaden your horizons and perhaps hook another reader for your column. If you don’t know “which button to push on your camera” consider attending one of a talks on photography and make sure to join us for the informative and highly entertaining Photo Scavenger Hunt session. To start learning birds, grab a field guide and hang around with a birder. By the way, if you hear someone talking about watching boobies while they are snook fishing it is OK …probably.
A hot spot of biodiversity, McAllen is strategically located near many parks, preserves, and refuges that attract a large number of birds and butterflies. Two outstanding establishments in the area are the World Birding Center and the National Butterfly Center. Located only five miles west of McAllen, in Mission, Texas, the succulent gardens at the National Butterfly Center have attracted more than 300 species of butterflies and 90 species of dragonflies and damselflies. Mission is also the headquarters for the World Birding Center. Along with the main headquarters in the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, eight other sites connect strategic habitats from Roma to South Padre Island. Stretching 120 miles, this network of sites provides
visitors ample opportunities to view and photograph birds and other wildlife. Many of these nine sites offer viewing stations, watchtowers, and trails through varied habitats. Sabal Palm Audubon Sanctuary
in Brownsville is also fantastic for shots of colorful green jays and noisy chachalacas. Also in Brownsville, the Gladys Porter Zoo provides habitat for nesting wild birds and has a splendid orangutan exhibit.
So, if we quietly slip out of one of the conference meetings it may mean that we saw on the birding hotline that a rare bird showed up at the Brownsville dump – please don’t tell our kids.
–Rob and Ann Simpson joined OWAA in 2012. They both teach biology and nature photography at a community college in Virginia. They have written numerous books and articles on national parks coast to coast that promote wise and proper use of natural habitats and environmental stewardship. Long time
national park advocates, their recent work has been centered on providing informative and colorful nature guides on the wildlife and wildflowers of the major parks including Shenandoah, Blue Ridge Parkway, Rocky Mountain and Yosemite National Parks to be followed by Yellowstone. You can contact them at annrobsimpson@snphotos.com.
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Mark your calendar: A few must-hit events in Texas

OWAA staff — Sun, 01 Dec 2013 23:38:48 +0000

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Green Ribbon Meeting – Thursday, May 22

First-time attendee? Learn the ropes and meet other new faces before conference kicks off. Join our conference coordinator and program chair as they go through the can’t-miss events of conference and even get paired with a mentor to guide you throughout conference.

Brown Bag Discussion Lunch – Friday, May 23

Take in a documentary or chat up an expert over lunch. Discussions cover local and national issues, including conservation and outdoor news, as well as general interest topics. Have a topic you would like to see covered? Let us know!

EIC Awards Party – Saturday, May 24

You’re invited to the new EIC Awards Party! No more sitting through long lists of winning entries. This year, the EIC Awards will be a lively audio-visual showcase of the best in outdoor writing, photography, television, radio and Internet. After the awards dinner and show, we’ll celebrate with the country’s top outdoor communicators with live music and a fun-filled evening! Don’t forget to submit your EIC entries by Feb. 1 for your chance to win!

Photo Scavenger Hunt Critique – Sunday, May 25

Win cash and prizes from behind the lens. All attending members are encouraged to enter this fun contest — photographers submit just one frame of each of the five required subjects, forcing them to “get it right” on a tight deadline. Join us as the on-the-spot, creative subject matter is presented, photos are critiqued and winners are announced.

Honorary Awards Banquet – Sunday, May 25

Close conference with a bang as we recognize the incredible achievements and commitment of our members. From devoted past service to the organization to continued excellent in craft or outstanding Board service, these awards represent the highest honors of OWAA.
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Meet the Conference Keynote Speaker: Andrew Sansom

OWAA staff — Sun, 01 Dec 2013 23:30:09 +0000

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BY LISA DENSMORE
With only eight months between the conclusion of the 2013 OWAA conference in Lake Placid, N.Y., and the start of the 2014 conference in McAllen, Texas, the Conference Planning Committee is already well into developing a can’t-miss program for OWAA members, beginning with the confirmation of the conference’s keynote speaker, Andrew Sansom, Ph.d.
Sansom is one of Texas’ foremost conservationists. A native of the Lone Star State, he is the executive director of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment and the Environment and Research Professor of Geography at Texas State University-San Marcos. According to the center’s website, under Sansom’s leadership, The Meadows Center, a research institute, develops and promotes “programs and techniques for ensuring sustainable water resources for human needs, ecosystem health and economic development.”
Sansom has dedicated his career to the field of environmental conservation. Prior to joining The Meadows Center, he served as executive director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, executive director of the Texas Nature Conservancy and is founder of The Parks and Wildlife Foundation of Texas. His career has also taken him to Washington, D.C., where he was on the staff of the National Recreation and Park Association; served as the environmental coordinator for the White House Conference on Youth; was the special assistant to Secretary of the Interior Rogers Morton; and worked as director of conservation education at the Federal Energy Administration.
He is a recipient of the Chevron Conservation Award, the Chuck Yeager Award from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Pugsley Medal from the National Parks Foundation and the Seton Award from the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
Sansom’s articles have appeared in Texas Monthly, The Texas Observer, Houston City Magazine, Politics Today, Texas Highways, Texas Parks and Wildlife and Texas Town and City. He is also the author of two books, “Texas Lost” and “Texas Past.”
Sansom has such a breadth of expertise in the conservation field both in Texas and nationally, particularly with water issues which concern everyone. If anyone needs a reason to come to the conference, hearing him speak is a huge one.
For the latest updates on the upcoming OWAA conference in McAllen Texas, May 23-25, 2014, go to www.owaa.org/2014conference.
-A three-time Emmy-winning television producer and host and an award-winning freelance writer/photographer, Lisa Densmore is OWAA’s Second Vice President in charge of programming at the 2014 OWAA conference in McAllen, Texas. www.LisaDensmore.com.
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What do YOU want to do in Texas?

OWAA staff — Sun, 01 Dec 2013 19:27:16 +0000

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BY MARTY MALIN
We are another calendar page closer to the 87th annual OWAA conference in McAllen, Texas and May 2014 is approaching quickly. The conference planning committee had its first meeting and I now find myself working with a couple of legal pages full of scribbled notes. Things are buzzing around here like a tote sack full of rattlesnakes.
While the committee is working on potential speakers and newsmakers, I am concentrating my efforts on pre- and post-conference opportunities for attendees.
In reviewing past pre- and post-conference opportunities we find that there are frequently more trips than trip-takers. With that fact in mind I propose the following. Aside from fishing and photography opportunities, I would like to hear from you regarding your outdoor related activities of interest. What would you like to do when you visit the Lone Star State? To get you started thinking about your dream trip, here are a few suggestions.
With the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the Laguna Madre on the other and South Padre Island an hour’s drive away, there will be plenty of opportunities for salt water fishing, beach combing and site seeing. Let me know if you are interested in a three- or four person off-shore Blue Water fishing experience at a reduced rate. We also might be able to arrange a three- or four-person day-long fly-in trip to an offshore oil rig.
Every year wildlife photographers from around the world flock to the area to capture images of rare bird species and other wildlife such as whitetail deer, feral hogs, javelin, coyote, badger and other varmints, that frequent the Rio Grande Valley. Our own Tom Ulrich and Jim Foster have spent months at a time on area ranches practicing their trade. Many of these ranches have built enclosed blinds near water holes specifically for the observation of those things wild and free. You can bird watch — and photograph— at these ranches during pre- and post- conference trips.
Other possible day trips include visiting wind farms, wildlife refuges, the Sea Life Center in Port Isabel and the South Padre Island Birding and Nature center. A trip to this part of Texas is not complete without a day-long adventure on the King Ranch which can be arranged through the McAllen Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. The King Ranch was one of the most famous ranches in the United States and at one time spanned almost 1 million acres with land in four counties. It is still a working cattle ranch and farm, as well as home to hunting opportunities, a museum, a working saddle shop and exotic animals.
Hunting in the area in May is limited to exotics, which includes feral hogs. A $48 five-day special hunting license is required for non-residents.
Prior to my introduction to the National Butterfly Center in nearby Mission, Texas, everything I knew about butterflies could have been written on a matchbook cover. The acreage is planted with native vegetation to attract butterflies and after two visits at the center I think I have seen them all — Swallowtails, Whites and Yellows, Metalmarks, Brushfoots, Skippers, and lest I forget, Gossamer-wings.
Being close to the Gulf Coast, McAllen is full of hidden treasures. In addition to sporting clays, 5-stand, trap, and a pistol range, the Lozano Shooting Range, our host for shooting day, offers long range shooting out to 1,000 yards. Quinta Mazatlan, McAllen’s wing-of-the-world birding center is a site to behold and that is just what we are going to do. This 1930’s historic adobe home and grounds is a real gem and we will be there for the opening night’s festivities.
There are so many unique opportunities in Texas, the challenge is picking out what to pursue. Let me know what would make this a trip-of-a-lifetime for you, and if there is enough interest I will do whatever I can to make it happen.
-A former OWAA board member and president, and an award-winning television producer, writer and photographer, Marty Malin is local chair of the 2014 OWAA conference that will take place May 23-25 in McAllen, Texas. Contact him at mmalin@stx.rr.com or at 956-717-1377.
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McAllen, Texas: Birding, fishing and old friends

OWAA staff — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 16:26:00 +0000

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BY MARTY MALIN
For those who attended September’s conference in Lake Placid, N.Y., it will be a short turn around for the May 23-25, 2014, annual conference in the “Texas Tropics” of McAllen and the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The 2014 annual conference in McAllen, Texas, is just eight months away. It has been 50 years since a Texas city has hosted an OWAA conference and back in 1964 that city was McAllen.
The governor of Texas at that time, John Connally, welcomed those who were in attendance.
The 2014 conference site offers an abundance of outdoor activities. “The Valley” is home to a wide variety of plants and animals. In addition to abundant wildlife viewing, the area offers both freshwater and saltwater fishing opportunities. Attendees will also have the opportunity to enjoy a unique and authentic south of the border experience. You can be assured that the weather in May will be a welcome relief for those who wintered in the northern United States.
Bird watchers from around the world flock to the Lower Rio Grande Valley, and we are going to catch the last few weeks (tail feathers) of the season with our May conference dates. Nearby Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park serves as the headquarters of the World Birding Center network. With more than 760 acres of rare riparian woodland and native gardens, visitors can glimpse hundreds of bird species as well as other South Texas wildlife, including bobcats and javelinas. More than 325 species of birds and 250 species of butterflies have been recorded in this park.
One species of bird that will have already migrated north for the summer is the snowbird. Thousands of wintering Texans from all over North America frequent the area. If you live in the north and are on the back nine of life, you more than likely have an old high school or college friend who makes this part of Texas home for four or more months a year.
Nearly everyone can claim a friend who lives in Texas, and next May will be a perfect opportunity to renew that friendship. However, just because they live in Texas doesn’t necessarily mean that they live nearby. By car, the conference site is two hours away from Corpus Christi, four hours away from San Antonio, five hours from Austin, six hours from Houston, eight hours from the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, and forget about it if your friend lives in El Paso or Amarillo. I suggest you plan on meeting them somewhere halfway. Amarillo is closer to eight other state capital cities than it is to Austin.
OWAA’s host hotel will be the Embassy Suites-McAllen, which boasts a $109 per night room rate that includes a daily made-to-order breakfast, a nightly manager’s reception with free drinks and hors d’oeuvres, and a complimentary airport shuttle. This full-service suite hotel is located 3 miles from the state-of-the-art McAllen Convention Center that will host all conference sessions and meals. A shuttle bus to and from the convention center will be provided.
In the months to come, I will provide you with much more information about the area. As a 50-year resident of the state of Texas with the last 20 in South Texas, I look forward to welcoming you to the Lone Star State. McAllen is just a short three-hour drive down the road from my home here in Laredo, and I have a wealth of insider tips for enjoying this area of Texas to the fullest.
-A former OWAA board member and an award-winning television producer, writer and photographer, Marty Malin is local chair of the 2014 OWAA conference that will take place May 23-25 in McAllen, Texas. Contact him at mmalin@stx.rr.com.
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