Meetings & Events

Monthly Meeting - January

The Wonderful World of Texas Owls
with Romey Swanson

Wednesday, January 28
6:00 pm (In-person) 6:30 pm (Zoom)

Texas is home to an extraordinary and often unseen diversity of owls, from familiar backyard screech-owls to elusive, high-elevation species that haunt the pine forests and canyonlands of far West Texas mountains. In The Wonderful Wild of Texas Owls, wildlife biologist and conservation leader Romey Swanson invites audiences into the shadowed world of these remarkable birds through a blend of natural history, field stories, and ongoing conservation science.

This visually rich and narrative-driven presentation explores how owls are uniquely adapted for life in the dark, how different species carve out niches across Texas’ diverse landscapes, and why many remain so difficult to study and protect. Along the way, Swanson shares personal stories, from late-night hikes and unexpected encounters to the collaborative research efforts uncovering new insights about some of Texas’ rarest owls, including flammulated owls, northern saw-whet owls, and the federally threatened Mexican spotted owl.

Grounded in real-world research from the Davis Mountains and beyond, the talk highlights how modern tools like autonomous recording units, community science, and private-lands partnerships are helping scientists listen more closely to the night, and what these owls are telling us about changing landscapes, climate stress, and the future of Texas’ wild places. The presentation also reflects on the human side of conservation: mentorship, curiosity, persistence, and the deep sense of connection that comes from listening carefully to the natural world.

The Wonderful Wild of Texas Owls is both an educational journey and an invitation - to slow down, to pay attention, and to rediscover the wonder that still lives in the darkness above Texas’ forests, grasslands, deserts, and mountains.

Romey Swanson is a Texas-based wildlife biologist, conservation leader, and lifelong naturalist whose work bridges science, storytelling, and stewardship. He serves as Executive Director of the Devils River Conservancy and is President of the Texas Ornithological Society, where he works closely with private landowners, agencies, researchers, and communities to protect some of the state’s most ecologically significant landscapes.

Romey has spent years studying and documenting Texas’ lesser-known owls, particularly the high-elevation species of of West Texas mountains. His fieldwork combines traditional surveys with modern tools like autonomous recording units, contributing to new insights in owl distribution, breeding, and habitat use in Texas. His writing on owls and conservation has appeared in Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine.

At heart, Romey is a storyteller of wild places. Whether listening for owls in remote mountain canyons or working in policy and nonprofit leadership, his work is guided by a belief that conservation begins with curiosity, humility, and a willingness to listen; to the land, to wildlife, and to one another.

In-person | 6:00 pm social | 6:30 meeting
Please sign up HERE if you plan to attend the meeting in person
Alamo Colleges District ACCESS Building,  2222 N. Alamo Street, San Antonio, TX 78215

Zoom | 6:30 pm
Click HERE to Join Zoom Meeting at 6:30 pm
Meeting ID: 845 6311 5816
Passcode: 015955
Find your local number to call in HERE

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