If you‘re a lecture junkie like me, you won’t want to miss WOWE!

Fortunately WOWE is back for its 21st year, after missing last year for convention center renovation on South Padre Island.

WOWE is the Winter Outdoor Wildlife Expo. Its original purpose was to let Winter Texans get a glimpse of all the outdoor nature opportunities during the winter in the Valley. It quickly captured the interest of locals of all ages and is one of the most waited-for annual happenings in the Valley.

Tuesday, January 26 through Saturday January 30 is this year’s WOWE in its new home, South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center, where our own Texas Master Naturalist, Cristin Howard is the center’s manager and director of marketing.

Working in conjunction with the originators of WOWE, Ralph Ayers and other members of the St. Andrew’s by the Sea Episcopal Church, the birding center is looking to continue hosting this popular annual event.

Chair of the WOWE committee, also one of our own, is TMN Carolyn Cardile. If you’re in the 2016 class, you’ve already met Carolyn, she’s our chapter’s New Class Director.

That’s not all — a dozen RGVCTMN members are guest speakers and most of the other presenters are friends and partners to our chapter. A good time to scout out where you might like to volunteer.

The lineup is an information junkie’s dream — each day a different theme:

•     Tuesday — RGVs Unique Environment
•      Wednesday — Fishing the Bay and Gulf
•      Thursday — Native Plants and the Critters who use them
•      Friday — Birds and Migration
•      Saturday — Family Day

The Speaker’s schedule has been posted to the ListServe. If you can’t find it, contact me.

I’ll always have a soft spot for WOWE. A couple of weeks into my TMN training, I attended Frank Wiseman’s plant lecture at WOWE and not only found him awesomely knowledgeable, but approachable and willing to talk and share information with a newbie.

Then I discovered Park Ranger John Yochum and his wonderful sense of humor while imparting amazing information about Valley butterflies and dragonflies. I knew a lot about butterflies, but had no idea there was more than one kind of dragonfly — and they all have names!

My first year at WOWE, I was like a kid in a candy store. It was a great introduction to the local Who’s Who of the Valley nature greats — and it is this year as well!

During my first WOWE, I collected a good many Advance Training (AT) hours.

In addition, I was room monitor a couple of hours and could count that as volunteer hours. ‘Course I had to choose, I couldn’t count room monitor as volunteer hours AND lecture info as AT during the same hour. Doesn’t matter, I was in information heaven.

And booths — don’t forget about all the information you can get collecting hand-outs and talking with booth people. And hotdogs, so you can sit down and rest while looking at all the brochures and eavesdropping on conversations. Not sure there are hotdogs this year, but food will be available.

Nationally acclaimed Master Falconer and Wildlife Rehabilitator Jonathan Wood returns to WOWE on Friday and Saturday, offering three shows daily. This most-requested entertaining and educational show with 20 amazing birds of prey features eagles, hawks, falcons and owls. If you miss it, he won’t be back in the Valley until November for the birding festival.

Just think! FIVE days of WOWE! Awesome! Gather up a few friends or classmates and carpool — half the fun is talking with each other on the drive to and from this special event.