Jose Rodriguez MCALLEN – Quinta Mazatlán opened in 2006, being home to the native wildlife in the Rio Grande Valley and recognized nationally for its unique Tamaulipan ecosystem.
Located at 600 Sunset Drive in McAllen, the world birding center hosts “Walk with a Naturalist”, a guided tour with an experienced naturalist through the gardens of Quinta Mazatlán that takes place every Wednesday until April 29.
Angela Rojas, the program coordinator at Quinta Mazatlán and one of the naturalists guiding the walks, said the program is a great way for people to “dip their toes” into nature and take a look at whatever is happening in their ecosystem like flowers that are blooming and birds that are in season.
“Whether it’s like the first time that somebody has seen a Green Jay, that’s really special because they’re just very beautiful birds and they’re really special to our area,” Rojas said.
Rojas starts the walks at 9 a.m. and gives information about the local plants and wildlife with the goal to raise awareness about wildlife conservation and explore the Valley’s scenic nature.
“I think that it’s also just an awareness of just how much we have in South Texas that we are no longer in touch with, and things that we’ve lost because of habitat loss. And seeing people be able to experience that is really special,” Rojas said.
Quinta Mazatlán will begin their new program, “Flashlight Nights” on June 2, where those participating will be guided around the birding center at night to experience nocturnal wildlife.
