Store and Community Nature Events
Scroll for the list of local tours, talks, and other events sponsored by us or organizations we collaborate with.
Sharing the joy of birds and nature is at the core of Wild Birds Unlimited. Here at your locally owned WBU McAllen store, we're committed to helping our fellow Rio Grande Valley residents and visitors connect with the unique ecology and wildlife the Valley has to offer.
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Build the Backyard of Your Dreams Relax with the birdsong and beautiful colors of our amazing Rio Grande Valley birds right in your yard. Stop by for a chat with one of our friendly Certified Birdfeeding Specialists.™ Our webshop offers free shipping within 150 miles on orders over $75 for bird food and other core products.
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NATIVE PLANT SALES
Multiple Dates
Don't miss our popular NATIVE PLANT SALES! Sales typically start right after the day's free nature talk (see below) unless otherwise specified, and supplies are limited. (Supplies vary and may differ from the plants shown in photo.)
Upcoming SATURDAY plant sales:
• Jan. 3 all day
• Jan. 10, Feb. 14 at 3–6 p.m.
Why plant natives? Because it's good for local wildlife AND for you! Win-win! Texas-native plants:
- Provide essential food and shelter for resident and migratory birds, butterflies, and other pollinators
- Beautify your yard
- Typically require less water and are better at withstanding the RGV's climate and native pests
FREE TASTING
Saturday, January 3rd
Local Honey | In-Store | 9 a.m.–6 pm.
Come taste some delicious local honey being produced by the hives of R9 Hive & Honey. Co-owner Devin Johnston gave us an excellent talk on local bees in 2025, and we're excited to be able to offer her honey for sale in our store! Devin will be on site to let you sample the honey and answer your questions.
We'll also be having another NATIVE PLANT SALE all day. Details above.
About the Beekeepers
R9 Hive & Honey is a small, family owned business. They do humane removals of nuisance, feral honey bee colonies around South Texas, then rehabilitate the colonies so the bees can be used to pollinate locally grown commercial crops and private gardens. R9 then collects the honey from their oldest and strongest hives.
Co-owner Devin Johnston is a professional beekeeper and hobbyist “bee bother-er.” A single off-hand photograph of a native bee on sunflowers transformed her interest in honey bees into a passion for learning about Rio Grande Valley native bees. Devin spends her weekdays teaching bee safety classes to local organizations and removing nuisance bee colonies. On her days off, Devin enjoys hiking and hanging out in ditches trying to document native bees.
NATURE WALK
Saturday, January 10, 2026
Guided Walk: Exploring Native Plants | Mercedes, TX | 8:30–10 a.m.
Please join us for a FREE guided morning walk around two parks in Mercedes, TX. Texas Master Gardener Janet Schofield will be pointing out and discussing the native plants found there.
Then in the afternoon, we'll regroup in our McAllen store for Janet's talk on creating a forest garden—details below.
- 8:30 a.m.: Meet at Las Flores del Valle Park, 3811 Cenizo St, Mercedes, TX.
- 9:15 a.m.: We'll continue our exploration in the nearby S. M. Hinojosa Park, 118 Carlos Ave, Mercedes, TX.
ABOUT OUR EXPERT GUIDE
Janet Schofield is a Texas Master Gardener with both the Hidalgo County Master Gardener Association and the Cameron County Master Gardener Association. She is also a Texas Master Naturalist. Janet has a special interest in sustainability, particularly the Kill Your Lawn initiative.
NATURE TALK
Saturday, January 10, 2026
"Creating a Forest Garden" | In-Store | 2–3:00 p.m.
Get more out of your property while also giving back to local birds and other wildlife by creating a forest garden! Texas Master Gardener Janet Schofield will be talking to us about creating an edible forest-style garden (similar to permaculture) using mostly native plants.
PLUS, stay after for a NATIVE PLANT SALE! Details above.
You may also be interested in the native plant walk Janet will be leading in Mercedes in the morning—details above.
ABOUT OUR EXPERT GUIDE
Janet Schofield is a Texas Master Gardener with both the Hidalgo County Master Gardener Association and the Cameron County Master Gardener Association. She is also a Texas Master Naturalist. Janet has a special interest in sustainability, particularly the Kill Your Lawn initiative.
FREE TALK + BOOK SIGNING + GUIDED BIRD WALK
Saturday, February 14th
"Birding in Unexpected Locations: Parking Lots, Cemeteries, and Other Surprise Hotspots" | In-Store | 2–3 pm.
Come meet author and naturalist Jennifer L. Bristol for a conversation about discovering birds in unexpected places. Our Texas cemeteries, for example, are often attractive places for birds, and offer us a chance to connect with nature as we pay respect to lost loved ones. Leafy parking lots are also often unexpected oases of birding activity in urban areas. Jennifer has catalogued these types of unexpected birding hotspots all over Texas!
After her talk, Jennifer will be signing copies of her books:
- Parking Lot Birding: A Fun Guide to Discovering Birds in Texas
- Cemetery Birding: An Unexpected Guide to Discovering Birds in Texas
Then Jennifer will lead us on a birding walk out in our parking lot, so bring your binoculars!
PLUS, we'll be doing a NATIVE PLANT SALE after the talk! Details above.
About Our Expert Speaker
As well as authoring the Texas birding guides noted above, Jennifer L. Bristol created and directs the Victor Emanuel Nature Scholarship Fund (named after the famed naturalist) to send underserved youth to birding and nature immersion camps. An Austin resident, lifelong nature enthusiast, and former park ranger, she also guides cemetery bird walks for Travis Audubon, and is a former director of the Texas Children in Nature program at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Native Plant Tours
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Run by ethnobotanist Benito Treviño (featured by American Forests) and wife Toni.
- 621 W La Sagunada Rd., Rio Grande City, TX 78582
Birding Tours and Retreats
- Nature Ninja Birding Tours offers exceptional guided tours and all-inclusive birding retreats in the Rio Grande Valley and beyond.
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Led by local birding whiz Tiffany Kersten, featured in Texas Monthly magazine.
Free Admission to Edinburg Scenic Wetlands
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Last Saturday and Sunday of each month
- A 40-acre wetlands oasis in the heart of Edinburg where you can spot birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.
- Part of the World Birding Center network.
- 714 Raul Longoria Rd, Edinburg, TX 78542
King Ranch Nature Tours
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Recognized as an Internationally Important Bird Area, the King Ranch offers guided bird watching and wildlife tours through their diverse South Texas habitats where nearly 400 species of birds have been recorded.
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Home to the U.S.' largest known population of Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls.
- Locations vary by tour.
For older events, please see our Past Events page.