Fort Worth WILD! 2025

Bison Calf by K.P. Wilska

Annual Gala

Become a Champion for Urban Conservation

Join us as a sponsor for our signature event, Fort Worth WILD! This exciting evening under the stars will bring conservation advocates, community leaders, and nature enthusiasts together to support the protection and preservation of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge.

The Nature Center is home to vital keystone species such as bison, beavers, prairie dogs, monarch butterflies, and more. Your sponsorship will directly contribute to safeguarding these species and their habitats while advancing conservation education and outreach.

Your partnership will:

Fund habitat restoration and species protection efforts.
Expand conservation education programs.
Ensure the Fort Worth Nature Center remains a thriving refuge for wildlife and a sanctuary for our community.

Enjoy beverages, binoculars, and a banquet under the stars overlooking the marsh and its many inhabitants. We hope to see many of the Nature Center’s keystone species during this exclusive access to the park after dark.

A Conservation Legacy

This year, we are proud to honor the conservation legacy of the City of Fort Worth and its mayors. Mayor Mattie Parker, former mayors, and City officials will join us to celebrate our city’s commitment to protecting nature for future generations.

When Lake Worth was built in 1914, the City of Fort Worth purchased land around the West Fork of the Trinity River to protect the quality of drinking water for the Fort Worth community. With great persistence from some local citizens, particularly the Fort Worth Audubon Society, the Park Board designated land in 1964 to create a wildlife sanctuary and nature preserve for our community—and the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge was born.

Currently, the Nature Center covers 3,650 acres and includes more than 20 miles of hiking trails, making it one of the largest city-owned urban nature parks in the United States. In 1980, it was designated as a National Natural Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Guardians of the Prairie: Bison

Marty Leonard

Bob O’Kennon

Builders of the Wild!: Beavers

Architects of the Prairie: Prairie Dogs

PLACEHOLDER

Wardens of the Wetlands: American Alligators

Gretchen Denny & George Bristol

Adelaide Leavens

Carpenters of the Forest: Woodpeckers

Marlo Escamilla

Protectors of Biodiversity: Hummingbirds