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The 2026 Conference of the Texas Society for Ecological Restoration will be held November 5-7 in McAllen, TX at Quinta Mazatlan.

This annual conference aims to unite diverse stakeholders from across the state to advance the science and practice of ecological restoration, including scientists, practitioners, students, landowners, community partners and policy makers.  This year’s theme, Restoration as Community; Community as Restoration, highlights the essential role of community in restoration work. Across Texas, we see powerful collaborations among universities, government agencies, landowners, and local communities. From Master Naturalists to private land stewards, restoration efforts depend on strong relationships, shared knowledge, and community buy-in.  All general and concurrent sessions will take place at Quinta Mazatlán on Friday, November 6th. The awards banquet that evening will be held on site and is included in the cost of registration. Off-site field trip and workshop options will take place on Thursday and Saturday. A welcome session will be held on Thursday evening with the Keynote Address by Dr. Cuauhtémoc Sáenz-Romero at 7pm at Quinta Mazatlán. 

Keynote Address by Dr. Cuauhtémoc Sáenz-Romero, Nov 5 at 7pm

Cuauhtémoc Sáenz-Romero is a forest geneticist professor-researcher at the Instituto de Investigaciones Sobre los Recursos Naturales, at the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo in Michoacán, México. He is an accomplished scholar and prolific author, with extensive research collaborations around the world. Dr. Sáenz-Romero has played a central role putting climate change adaptation research into action in Mexico through his forest restoration work. Much of his recent research focuses on developing reforestation methods with oyamel (Abies religiosa) in a climate change context with the aim of providing Monarch butterflies with high quality overwintering habitat as temperatures rise. He believes strongly in collaborative stewardship and meaningful involvement of non-scientists in forestry management; indeed, in his restoration research he works closely with local communities, including Mexican First Nations. Examples of his outreach to the general public include interviews for Los Angeles Times and a YouTube Video. We are so excited to connect with him in South Texas and learn more about his work!

Call for Abstracts

We invite submissions for presentations, discussions, and workshops on any topic related to ecological restoration, management or conservation in the state of Texas and across its borders in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Mexico. This year’s theme, Restoration as Community; Community as Restoration, highlights the essential role of community in restoration work. Across Texas, we see powerful collaborations among universities, government agencies, landowners, and local communities. From Master Naturalists to private land stewards, restoration efforts depend on strong relationships, shared knowledge, and community buy-in. Submissions within this topic area are especially encouraged! Abstracts are due on September 11, 2026, but we encourage you to submit early. If you are interested in hosting a workshop, the deadline is Friday, August 14, 2026. Click HERE for more information and to submit your abstract.

Restoration Awards: Call for Nominations

We are now accepting nominations for the Excellence in Restoration Research and Excellence in Land Management Awards! Nominees should have made contributions to restoration in Texas that are: long-lasting; have changed how we do restoration; and/or have impacted large areas. Nominees can be people (practitioners and/or researchers), teams, or organizations. Separate awards will be given for excellence in land management (practitioner or land management-focused organization/team) and excellence in research (researcher or research-focused organization/team). We especially welcome nominations that highlight work done in South Texas near this year’s conference location. Please send a one-page description of how your nominee meets these criteria to TXSER Board Secretary Patrick Chaiken (Patrick.Chaiken@austintexas.gov) by September 12. The TXSER Board will review all nominations and select this year’s winner.

Third Annual Plant Identification Competition

Please join us for the third annual Plant Identification Contest at the TXSER meeting on Friday, November 6th, opening at 8 am! The contest will continue through the speaking sessions. It will feature 25+ species from across Texas that are crucial for ecological restoration, including both desirable and invasive plants. The contest is open to people of all experience levels, and you can use either common or scientific names (scientific names will be preferred for ties). This should be a great learning experience for everyone! This year, we’ll have a dedicated collegiate competition for University teams, and it will also be open for public members. Prizes will be awarded to the top teams and individuals in both categories! This event is proudly sponsored by ARK Ecological Consulting.  To register a University team, please contact the contest organizer, Austin R. Kelly, at Austin@ARKEcological.com or 254-477-3213.

Student and Early Career Scholarships

TXSER is working to increase the diversity of perspectives at our annual meetings by facilitating attendance of students, minorities, Mexican citizens, non-profit staff, early career scientists, and anyone else who might require assistance to attend. We offer scholarships for registration and/or travel, with preference given to those who have submitted an abstract to present a poster or talk, are members of SER (you can sign up for free through the Open Doors Policy), and demonstrate how attending this conference will advance their career. Please fill out this application to be considered for a scholarship.

Schedule Overview

Thursday: Join us for field trips throughout the day, touring restoration and conservation sites around South Texas. Note that you must sign up ahead of time for field trips and space is limited.

Thursday evening: We’re kicking off the conference with our Welcome Session at Quinta Mazatlán. Light food and beverages will be provided from 5:30-7pm (this is a ticketed event). If you’re in the beginning stages of your career, come early for a discussion with other students/young professionals and consider your future options with representatives from public, private, and academic sectors. The keynote address will begin at 7pm. See ticketing information for cost and location. Guests are welcome to attend. For individual guest tickets (not attending the conference) please add to your registration.

Friday: The bulk of the sessions will take place on Friday at Quinta Mazatlán, starting at 8am and continuing all day! Get ready for a full day of inspiring talks, discussions, and activities! All meals are provided and this conference is known for serving high quality, sustainably produced, delicious food!

Friday Evening: Join us for our awards banquet ceremony and dinner at Quinta Mazatlán. Dinner and drinks will be provided with your registration. If you’d like to bring a guest be sure to include the guest dinner ticket in checkout. 

Saturday: Join us for several more field trips and a (n)erd discussion at Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park. Conference activities conclude at 2pm. Note that you must sign up separately for Saturday field trips and events so we have a headcount. 

Field Trips 

Thursday, November 5

9am-12pm : Marinof Nursery & Restored Forest Sites – Alamo, TX Join American Forests and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff for a tour of Marinof Nursery and in Alamo, Texas. Participate in hands-on restoration activities (e.g., seed processing, seedling handling), and tour nearby restored forest sites. Nursery Visit – Look at the process from seed collection through seed processing, seed storage, seed germination, plug preparation, and crating. Restoration sites – nearby 20 year-old restoration site by FWS contractors and Rio Restoration Community planting site (1,800 community member volunteers). 

10am-12pm : Edinburg Scenic Wetlands Given the time of the year, the tour will center around a bird walk of our park and wetlands. During the walk World Birding Center Coordinator, William Farley, will highlight the roles that wetlands and ecosystems like ours play in the lives of both the migratory and year-round species that are found in the Rio Grande Valley. Additionally, he will touch on:  wetland dynamics, native plant communities, the relationship native plants and wildlife have in the area, and the ecological impacts parks like ours have on both local and multinational scales

2-4pm : Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge, Alamo, TX Join American Forests and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff for a tour of old growth forest at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. 

2-5pm : Tiny Forests & Quinta Mazatlan’s Center for Urban Ecology Learn about the Tiny Forest movement and the Center for Urban Ecology expansion project in McAllen. Participants will tour two Miyawaki-style forests with the project lead for those plantings. After that, the trip turns to visit the new Center for Urban Ecology site at Quinta Mazatlan to learn more about the native landscaping, sustainability design, and other features of the 12-acre nature center expansion. Led by Quinta Mazatlan’s staff ecologist, John Brush.

Saturday, November 9th

7:30-9am : Bentsen RGV State Park & World Birding Center Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park and World Birding Center is a world-recognized birding hotspot and a celebrated location for nature enthusiasts. This 798-acre park has documented 365 species of birds, and the entire four-county region has a list of over 460 documented species of birds, many unique to this area & found nowhere else in the U.S. The “Valley” can boast three State Parks, three National Wildlife Refuges, nine World Birding Centers, two Texas Audubon properties, one National Park property and several NGO’s and non-profits. There are 22 nature sites here, supporting 2,000 jobs associated with the nature and eco-tourism industry. Many thousands of world-wide visitors and birdwatchers bring in over 500 million dollars to the local economy annually. Enjoy Bentsen from the comfort of a park tram. November is an excellent time to see birds at Bentsen and is the beginning of our peak visitation season. See Green Jay, Plain Chachalaca, Great Kiskadee and other amazing birds on this short park exploration to our bird feeding stations and other park attractions. Bentsen also has a park store which sells snacks and souvenirs and offers binocular and bicycle rentals. 

9am-11am : (notorious) Ecological Restoration Discussions or (n)ERD presented by Dr. Kelly Lyons. Your education should not end with a diploma. Come join us for a discussion about a peer reviewed article (to be shared closer to conference date). Light breakfast and coffee will be provided. *this will be held at Bentsen RGV 

12pm-2pm : Laguna Atascosa Saline Prairie Restoration Site Hosted by Texas Native Seed (TNS) – We will be looking at an area where TNS is attempting to restore saline prairie grassland. The area is split into three different sections. The first is an experimental area where they are testing several species that have either not been released to commercial seed dealers yet, or they are trying them in new areas. The second area is on a soil that the staff at Laguna has designated as saline coastal prairie. The hope for this area is that it will remain as a prairie habitat and contribute to the expanding Aplomado Falcon habitat on the refuge. The third area is on a soil type that the refuge staff has previously identified as a potential thornscrub restoration site. The hope for this site is that by establishing native prairie it can limit or prevent colonization of Guinea grass and therefore make thornscrub restoration easier. We’ll talk about the restoration process for this project, including site prep, seed mix selection, and planting technique. *lunch will be provided 

Registration Details & Pricing

The banquet dinner is included in all full conference registration tickets. The field trips and Welcome Happy Hour are add-ons. 

**ALL ATTENDEES MUST AGREE TO THE WAIVER FOUND HERE**

ITEM	COST
Regular Member Conference Registration (after September 24, 2026)	$295
Regular Non-Member Conference Registration (after September 24, 2026)	$395
Student Non-Member Conference Registration (after September 24, 2026)	$125
Student Member Conference Registration- (after September 24, 2026)	$75
FIELD TRIPS AND ADD-ONS
Thursday Welcome Happy Hour (included in student registration, all non-students please add to registration if you are attending) 5:30pm-7pm. *Keynote address beginning at 7pm included with all registrations	$25
Thursday Welcome Happy Hour, Guest Only	$25
Thursday Field Trip : 9am-12pm, Marinof Nursery & restored forest sites – Alamo, TX	$10
Thursday Field Trip : 10-12pm, Edinburg Scenic Wetlands	$10
Thursday Field Trip : 2-4pm, Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge	$10
Thursday Field Trip : 2-5pm, Tiny Forests & Quinta Mazatlan Center for Urban Ecology	$10
Guest Ticket for Friday Night Awards Banquet (conference attendee ticket included in registration)	$40
Saturday Field Trip : 7:30-9am, Birding at Bentson RGV	$10
Saturday nERD (Notorious Ecological Restoration Discussion), 9am-11am, Benston RGV	FREE
Saturday Field Trip : 12pm-2pm, Laguna Atascosa	$25

We highly recommend becoming a SER and TXSER member if you aren’t already – doing so will grant you a $100 discount on regular registration costs (see table above)! To receive the member discount, make sure that you have your SER member account. If you forgot your login info or have any problems with your membership, please contact SER directly, as TXSER cannot troubleshoot these issues.

Regular conference registration includes all general and breakout sessions on Friday, as well as breakfast, lunch, and the awards banquet on Friday evening. If you wish to attend the Welcome Happy Hour on Thursday night, be sure to add a ticket at the time of registration. Tickets are required only for light bites and drinks from 5:30-7pm. The keynote address at 7pm is included in all registrations. If you’d like to bring a guest to the Welcome Happy Hour or to the Friday night Awards Banquet, you may purchase a ticket through registration. 

**Student conference registration includes everything in the regular conference registration, plus entry to the Friday Happy Hour. If you need financial assistance (this is for students, early professionals, early educators, post-career, etc), please fill out this form. 

Refunds

​All refunds are subject to a $30 processing fee. Please reach out to info@txser.org for more information. 

Thanks to our generous sponsors for supporting our past conferences! Interested in becoming a partner? Send an email to txserconference@gmail.com.