Inaugural Texas Colony Island Restoration Summit

Researchers from the CINDI team, with support from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation and Gulf Trust, hosted the Inaugural Texas Colony Island Restoration Summit, held November 13–14, 2025 in Lake Jackson, Texas. The Summit occurred in conjunction with the Texas Waterbird Society Meeting and brought together brought together partners from agencies including the Texas General Land Office, Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Audubon Texas.

The Summit opened with Dale Gawlik (HRI) Jay Kleberg (Gulf Trust) and David Yoskowitz,(TPWD) emphasizing the importance of continued collaboration and stewardship for waterbirds as sea level rise threatens colony islands. Over two days, 43 Summit participants attended 16 presentations covering island restoration, waterbird research, and the various aspects of the CINDI project.

The Summit concluded with a discussion about the CINDI Project’s practical applications, where participants explored its usefulness, offered suggestions, and highlighted the importance of a statewide database for sharing project information and restoration experiences.

Importantly, this summit represents one of the first major steps in building a dedicated Colony Island Restoration community—a collaborative network of scientists, managers, and stakeholders working toward more unified and effective conservation efforts along the Texas coast. Read the full summary below.