Why is NANPA taking the Nature Photography Summit to McAllen, Texas? Because it is a birding and wildlife hot spot that every nature photographer should visit.
Nicknamed the City of Palms, McAllen enjoys a subtropical climate and is in the heart of the Rio Grande valley. Four distinct climate zones (temperate, desert, coastal and subtropical) come together here. The result is unusually high biological diversity. As those photographers who have entered the Valley Land Fund competition can attest, this area is filled with wildlife. It’s known as a world-class birding and butterfly destination, but it’s also home to nearly 140 species of reptiles, the most in the United States in a single area, and nearly 160 species of mammals. The diverse habitat also offers unusual landscapes and plants.
South Texas is the home of the Private Lands Nature Photo Tourism Industry. Several private ranches are set up especially for photography – offering privacy, security and professionally designed settings for those perfect opportunities. Texas has the second greatest biodiversity in the U.S. and yet it is 95% privately owned. The shots you want are often behind the ranch gate, and the 2011 Nature Photography Summit provides the opportunity to visit these ranches and experience firsthand what private lands photography has to offer.
Summit organizers have arranged open house events at several private ranches on March 9 from 12:30 PM until 5:00 PM. Bring your friends and enjoy a drive in the South Texas ranch county. There is no charge and full coolers await. Plan to come early or extend and see how having the right setups and acclimated wildlife can explode your photo opportunities. See ranch details and websites for pricing and details at the Open House section and learn more at http://www.imagesforconservation.org/LandownerMembers
The valley is home to the World Birding Center, a network of nine sites that protects native habitat and encourages appreciation of wildlife. One of these sites is Quinta Mazatlan, an historic adobe hacienda property, close to the four McAllen host hotels, that offers 15 acres of native habitat and tropical landscaping. This attracts more than 110 species of birds, including green jays, plain chachalacas, buff-bellied hummingbirds and whistling ducks. A few Summit events will take place at Quinta Mazatlan, which is open for photography during its regular hours. Near McAllen on the banks of the Rio Grande are two other popular shooting locations—the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge and the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, headquarters of the World Birding Center. The park features feeding stations, blinds and a hawk tower, along with 6 miles of trails and boardwalks that wind through 760 acres of riparian woodland. The Santa Ana refuge has 12 miles of trails and is home to 400 species of birds, including altamira orioles, great kiskadees and hook-billed kites, as well as half the butterfly species in North America and rare species such as the indigo snake and ocelot.
Just north of McAllen is the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands, another site of the World Birding Center.