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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (March 7, 2024) – Mitchell Lake ̽����ѡ Center first opened to the public in 2004. The goal of the conservation action center - to create a place where children could learn about the environment, visitors could enjoy birdwatching, and birds had a safe place to stop along their migration journey. The Mitchell Lake Wetlands were designated as a wildlife refuge for waterfowl and shorebirds in 1973, after serving as the waste containment site for the city of San Antonio for many years. Today, a partnership between the ̽����ѡ and , Mitchell Lake provides critical habitat for more than 350 species of migratory birds.   The jewel of the Southside, more than 12,000 people visit the site annually for conservation education and recreational enjoyment. 

“Twenty years is just the beginning,” says Center Director Sara Beesley. “As a recipient of a $6M City of San Antonio bond investment in 2022, we will grow the center to provide more habitat for birds and enhance the programming and spaces for the community.” The Mitchell Lake ̽����ѡ Center will partner with over the next three months in-depth community engagement across the city to determine the long-term vision for the ̽����ѡ center. To encourage people to learn more about the center and its mission to connect people to nature, in 2024 community public programs will be free. “People will protect and care for nature and the environment, but only if they know why it’s important” says Beesley. This spring break, the center will be free and open to the public with planned daily activities. Their annual community festival celebrating birds, Migratory Bird Fest, will take place on March 23 from 9:00am – 1:00 pm.  

Generous donations from the Kronkosky Foundation, the Nancy Smith Hurd Foundation, and Navistar’s Environmental Equity Fund have all contributed landmark amounts to create free programming for the public, discounted field trips for Title 1 students, and to support free entry days.  

Visit the of the Mitchell Lake ̽����ѡ Center for upcoming free entry days and details on public programs. 

About Mitchell Lake ̽����ѡ Center

Mitchell Lake ̽����ѡ Center, designated as a wildlife refuge by the city of San Antonio in 1973, is managed by , the state program of the ̽����ѡ. It is located on the south side of San Antonio, on 1,200-acres owned by the San Antonio Water System, and consists of Mitchell Lake, ponds, wetlands, and upland habitat. Programming at the ̽����ѡ Center is designed to fulfill their mission of connecting people to nature through community conservation and education focused on birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Learn more . Follow us on or . 

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Media Contact:  Sara Beesley, Center Director  �ă�ă�ă�ă�ă&�Բ�����;

sara.beesley@audubon.org �ă�ă�ă�ă�ă&�Բ�����;

210.628.1639 x302   �ă�ă�ă�ă�ă&�Բ�����;