Wildlife Intensive Leadership Development (W.I.L.D.)

  • W.I.L.D. Mission Statement:

    To provide a youthful perspective for the further development of the Texas Brigades while enhancing our own ability to influence natural resource conservation.

Wildlife Intensive Leadership Development (W.I.L.D.)

  • Weekend Sessions

    Throughout the class or academic year (September – May), W.I.L.D. participants are required to attend 4-5 separate weekend-long sessions.

    These sessions expose participants to natural resource policies and procedures, hands-on field research and data, career-building, and professionalism

  • Capstone Project (Individual)

    Throughout the class sessions, each participant gathered information, contacts, and knowledge that helped them complete their Capstone Project.

    The project consisted of two final deliverables: a research paper and a presentation in front of a TPWD Committee.

    Each chose to research a piece of current natural resource legislation: (1) Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow’s Needs Act (H.R. 2591) , or (2) Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (H.R.4647; S.3223) and made their cases to the committee.

  • Group Project (CYCL)

    The W.I.L.D. Class VII was required to work as a team in order to assist the Texas Brigades office in the planning of the Confluence of Young Conservation Leaders (CYCL), a national, biennial event that was hosted in November of 2019 in Austin, TX.

    As a group, W.I.L.D. Class VII assisted by designing a schedule for the event, collaborate with venue and meeting hosts, and bring a unique perspective to the planning of the event.

W.I.L.D. Applications are Currently Closed

More about CYCL (Confluence of Young Conservation Leaders)

Confluence of Young Conservation Leaders (CYCL) is a collaboration between natural resource agencies and youth conservation organizations in multiple states aiming to share ideas and support the growth of youth conservation organizations across the nation.

Every two years a CYCL partner hosts the next CYCL event in a different location in the US. Texas Brigades hosted the 2019 CYCL in Austin, TX, but most recently traveled to Poynette, WI for the 2022 CYCL. The confluence presents an opportunity to meet and network with other young leaders with a passion for the conservation of natural resources. Previous attendees have come from Texas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Florida, Oklahoma, Virginia, and South Carolina.

This year, CYCL was held October 24-27, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. We look forward to sharing our participation at the event.