The Winter Outdoor Wildlife Expo returns to the South Padre Island Birding, Nature Center & Alligator Sanctuary on February 5 through 7, for its 30th year showcasing the natural treasures of South Texas and the Lower Laguna Madre. There is an admission fee.

Get ready to immerse yourself in the natural splendor of South Texas and the lower Laguna Madre with distinguished guest speakers, engaging exhibits, diverse vendors, and exciting pre-expo field trips to the wildest places in the area. 

Attendees can expect three excitement-filled days of pre-expo tours to the Bahia Grande and other local wildlife refuges to gear them up to the three days of enthralling nature presentations and informative exhibits from local wildlife and conservation organizations. Jonathan Wood returns with his nationally acclaimed The Raptor Project show and, for the first time in WOWE history, Gator Country, sister alligator sanctuary, joins the expo with two impressive shows featuring their incredible reptile ambassadors.

Don’t miss this opportunity to discover the natural treasures of this breathtaking region. To learn more about this popular annual event and to register for one or more of the field trips, visit www.spibirding.org/wwe. They are located at 6801 Padre Blvd. 

The Winter Outdoor Wildlife Expo began as a small nature program founded by the St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Port Isabel. In its initial years, the expo was a single day event that gave Winter Texans the opportunity to learn about local fishing. It eventually grew to be a two-day expo held at the SPI Convention Center that featured a live raptor show and various seminars about the local wildlife of South Texas and the Laguna Madre.

After 20 years and having outgrown multiple host sites, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church decided it was time to search for a new sponsor to take over the rapidly evolving annual event. In 2016, the Winter Outdoor Wildlife Expo found its new host in the SPI Birding, Nature Center & Alligator Sanctuary. What started as a small-scale fishing program has become a multi-day event with exciting field trips leading up to the expo, a photo-contest that recognizes those capturing the incredible wildlife in the lower Rio Grande Valley and three days of compelling presentations by expert naturalists from all over the state of Texas.