7415 Southwest Pkwy Bldg 6, Ste 500 #434
Austin, TX 78735
OK, TX
From the Chihuahuan Desert and high plains of Big Bend National Park, across broad swaths of prairie and plateau, to Big Thicket National Preserve tucked deep in the Pineywoods, and on to the popular Padre Island National Seashore, this region’s national parks awe visitors with their diversity. There's history here, too. Pick through a flint quarry, remember the Spanish missions, learn the secrets of Pleistocene mammoths, and visit a President's ranch - all in one weekend. NPCA’s Texas Regional Office works throughout the states of Texas and Oklahoma to educate, empower, and engage people in support of this region’s present and future parks.
Our Texas & Oklahoma-based team preserves our national parks by working in communities across the region to build new and diverse park advocates. They prioritize finding new entry points for connecting people to parks in ways that are most meaningful and inclusive to the local community. Passionate about connecting with future generations and our military community, this team provides interactive engagements that build a larger base of national park advocates.
NPCA Find Your Voice: Big Thicket
National Parks belong to you. See how a group of young advocates in Texas learned how to explore, protect, and advocate for their park as a part of the National…
See more ›The Texas Regional Office also works with a multitude of partners and organizations, and across all levels of government – from local to international – on a variety of park-protecting initiatives. In 2018, the region culminated a 10-year coalition effort to plant 180,000 longleaf pine trees in the Big Thicket National Preserve. This restoration project enhanced storm resiliency and floodwater mitigation for an ecosystem internationally recognized for its diversity of plant and animal species. Through partnerships, the Texas team has achieved great victories, including the 2015 establishment of Waco Mammoth National Monument and the designation of San Antonio’s five Spanish colonial missions as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Texas Regional Office News
These newsletters provide timely updates and perspectives on issues of interest to our members and supporters in Texas and Oklahoma.
See more ›Looking ahead, the Texas team will continue their engagements and coalition building to protect our parks and their natural and cultural stories. Stay informed about our current work by signing up for action alerts today and help us succeed in:
Establishing the Blackwell School as a new park site that tells the story of a de-facto segregated school of Mexican and Mexican American children in Marfa, Texas;
Clearing the air above Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Big Bend National Park from pollutants causing harmful haze in the region;
Preserving the intrinsic value of the night sky in and around our national parks;
Enhancing protections for Big Thicket National Preserve for the betterment of the South East Texas region; and,
Improving the sustainability of Big Bend National Park.
We look forward to your engagement with us. As always, this team will encourage everyone to “Find your voice, y’all,” for our national parks.
Birding at Big Bend
Recognized as a world famous birding destination, this park is visited by or home to more than 350 different species of birds.
Field Offices in the Texas Region
-
Dallas Field Office
-
- Phone:
- 512.866.3200
-
More about the Texas region
-
Read more about Blackwell Blueprint
NPCA at Work Blackwell Blueprint Collaborative Ideas Workshop for Texas’ newest national park
-
Read more about Don't Divide Our Habitats, Ecosystems and Communities
NPCA at Work Don't Divide Our Habitats, Ecosystems and Communities Oppose new walls and fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border.
-
Read more about A Night of History and Heritage of the Big Thicket
Regional Events A Night of History and Heritage of the Big Thicket Please join us for a special evening celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first national preserve in the National Park Service, Big Thicket National Preserve.
-
Read more about Texas Young Leaders Advocacy Council
Resource Texas Young Leaders Advocacy Council NPCA’s Texas Regional Office created the Texas Young Leaders Advocacy Council (YLAC) as part of NPCA’s strategic effort to engage young people with varying backgrounds, community connections and experiences to develop their voice, and speak up for our parks and expand our core of young advocates and volunteers.
-
Our National Parks are a treasure to be enjoyed, cherished, and protected for generations to come! — Jaya
-
Read more about After the Storms: 9 Signs of Hope on the Coast
Blog Post After the Storms: 9 Signs of Hope on the Coast Above-normal hurricane activity is predicted for this summer. What does this mean for national parks? See how sustainable practices and technology-based solutions are strengthening them amid climate change.
-
Read more about A Brief Shining Moment
Podcast Episode A Brief Shining Moment An eclipse chaser visits LBJ's Hill Country ranch and learns about its connection to the U.S. space program, while hoping for a glimpse of that rare celestial spectacle.
-
Read more about Vanishing Sea Meadows
Magazine Article Vanishing Sea Meadows The shrinking of the Laguna Madre’s seagrass beds caused by sea-level rise portends major changes in the world’s marine ecosystems.
-
Read more about 5 Major Victories for Wildlife, Water and Public Lands
Blog Post 5 Major Victories for Wildlife, Water and Public Lands After years of advocacy work, NPCA scored massive wins for Alaska’s caribou, conservation of public lands and waterways, and protection of national parks from future oil and gas drilling.
-
Read more about The ‘Quiet Crisis’ Facing National Parks
Blog Post The ‘Quiet Crisis’ Facing National Parks NPCA is calling on Congress to support recently introduced legislation that would provide $250 million for national parks’ long-underfunded cultural resources and history programs.
-
Read more about Protect Them All: 10 Advocacy Badges You Can Earn This National Park Week
Blog Post Protect Them All: 10 Advocacy Badges You Can Earn This National Park Week Camp NPCA is officially in session! As NPCA celebrates National Park Week, we’re evoking all the nostalgia and fun of summer camp with a national park protection twist.
-
Read more about Here’s How National Park Advocates Are Pushing for Action on Capitol Hill
Blog Post Here’s How National Park Advocates Are Pushing for Action on Capitol Hill Here are 4 major issues that need to be addressed to help our parks thrive. You, too, can get involved in getting Congress to solve them.
-
Read more about Restoring Woodpeckers and Pines to Big Thicket
Blog Post Restoring Woodpeckers and Pines to Big Thicket In Big Thicket National Preserve’s converging ecosystems, NPCA is helping to restore the red-cockaded woodpecker and the longleaf pine forests they call home.
-
Read more about See a Sky Full of Stars at These Certified Dark-Sky Parks
Blog Post See a Sky Full of Stars at These Certified Dark-Sky Parks Lay out a blanket after the sun goes down and see a clearer view of the galaxy at these designated dark-sky parks.
-
Read more about 8 Parks for Experiencing April 8’s Solar Eclipse
Blog Post 8 Parks for Experiencing April 8’s Solar Eclipse Get your safety glasses ready! A total solar eclipse April 8 will be seen from Texas to Maine, crossing over 27 national park sites. Check out a few of the parks planning festivities around this event.
-
Read more about FAQs: Air Quality in National Parks
Blog Post FAQs: Air Quality in National Parks NPCA has released its 2024 “Polluted Parks” report, showing 97% of national parks suffer from air pollution. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency recently strengthened its air quality standards, which will provide additional protection to these places we love. Here are the latest developments and what they mean.
-
Read more about Texas Coastal Program Manager
Staff Sandra Ramos Sandra Ramos is Texas Coastal Program Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, working on conservation projects in Big Thicket National Preserve, Padre Island National Seashore and Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park.
-
Read more about Regional Haze Pollution in EPA Region 6
Resource Regional Haze Pollution in EPA Region 6 Strong state regional haze plans are critical to restoring clean air and clear skies for treasured places like Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe Mountains and Big Bend National Parks, and Caney Creek Wilderness Area. Unfortunately, states in EPA’s Region 6, also known as the South Central region, are failing to adequately cut air pollution impacting these parks and wilderness areas and our communities.
-
Read more about Texas Field Representative
Staff Cristóbal López Cristóbal López joined NPCA in 2023 as a Texas Field Representative. Cristóbal earned his M.A. in History from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2022 and his B.A. in History from Tarleton State University in 2019. He wrote this M.A. thesis on the history of Mexican immigration and labor from 1930-1980. His area of focus includes the U.S. Southwest Borderlands and Mexican immigration. Since finishing his M.A., he has served as an advocate for public history and cultural resource management.
-
Read more about Behind the Scenes at Padre Island
Podcast Episode Behind the Scenes at Padre Island Award-winning journalist Ben Goldfarb shares some of the unexpected adventures that shaped his new feature story in National Parks magazine — and how he built his career traveling to exciting places and writing about them.
-
Read more about NPCA and Nature Valley
Video Series NPCA and Nature Valley Watch the full video showcasing Daniel Hernandez’s experience and learn more about NPCA’s partnership with Nature Valley and its impact.
-
Read more about Ozone Fact Sheet
Fact Sheet Ozone Fact Sheet Ozone threatens the health of park visitors and contributes to the disease and death of park species such as the black cherry tree in the East and aspen and ponderosa pine in the West. National park ecosystems across the country are already showing damage from ground-level ozone pollution.
-
Read more about NPCA and Nature Valley
Video Stories NPCA and Nature Valley Watch the full video showcasing Josie Gutierrez’s experience and learn more about NPCA’s partnership with Nature Valley and its impact.
-
Read more about Park Talks
Regional Events Park Talks Join our NPCA community for virtual "Park Talks" to learn about our work and ways you can get involved.
-
Read more about Associate Director, Communications
Staff and Media Personnel Kyle Groetzinger Kyle Groetzinger joined NPCA in June 2019 and serves as Associate Director of Communications. He leads communications strategy and media outreach efforts for the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Sun Coast, and Texas regions, along with the organization’s cultural resources and future parks teams.
-
Read more about Texas Regional Director
Staff Cary Dupuy As Texas Regional Director for the National Parks Conservation Association, Cary works to engage new advocates for national parks and grow initiatives to support the 18 national park sites in Texas and Oklahoma.
-
Read more about 10 Ways to Be a Park Advocate
Resource 10 Ways to Be a Park Advocate Want to be an advocate for parks, but don't know where to start?
-
Read more about Regional Director of Development
Staff Sarah Reed Sarah joined NPCA in 2017, with 13 years of development experience she serves as the Regional Director of Development for the Texas and Sun Coast Regions.
-
Read more about A Legacy Threatened
Report A Legacy Threatened NPCA's photo book shows the damage to parks caused by the 2017 hurricanes.
-
Read more about A Healthy Advantage
Report A Healthy Advantage The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) Active Plan is a blueprint for a 428-mile trail network that will link the rich natural, cultural and historical resources of the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
-
Read more about NPCA Find Your Voice: Big Thicket
Video NPCA Find Your Voice: Big Thicket National Parks belong to you. See how a group of young advocates in Texas learned how to explore, protect, and advocate for their park as a part of the National Parks Conservation Association’s Find Your Voice initiative.
-
Read more about Associate Director
Staff Erika Pelletier Erika is the Associate Director of the Texas and Oklahoma Regional Office. Erika works to support the 18 national parks in Texas and Oklahoma and their communities.
-
Read more about San Antonio Missions Boundary Expansion Flyer
Fact Sheet San Antonio Missions Boundary Expansion Flyer Please join Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, Congressman Lloyd Doggett, and other local elected officials to celebrate the boundary expansion of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and San Antonio’s World Heritage Delegation.
-
Read more about LSCNRA partners and supporters
Resource LSCNRA partners and supporters The Partners Coalition is comprised of agencies, organizations, governmental entities and other stakeholders that are interested in participating in the Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area. The Coalition works with the Steering Committee to develop a proposed framework that, if adopted, will establish the composition and function of a governing body. The Partners Coalition also facilitates stakeholder dialogues with other local organizations, businesses, and communities, helps to identify additional site partners, and provides guidance to the planning team.
Explore Our Parks
-
A–H
- Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument ›
- Amistad National Recreation Area ›
- Big Bend National Park ›
- Big Thicket National Preserve ›
- Blackwell School National Historic Site ›
- Chamizal National Memorial ›
- Chickasaw National Recreation Area ›
- El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail ›
- El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail ›
- Fort Davis National Historic Site ›
- Guadalupe Mountains National Park ›
-
I-O
-
P-Z
Preserve Our Parks
Make a tax-deductible gift today to provide a brighter future for our national parks and the millions of Americans who enjoy them.
Donate Now