The Winter Outdoor Wildlife Expo began as a small nature program founded by the
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Port Isabel. In its initial years, the expo was a single day event that gave Winter Texans the opportunity to learn about local fishing. It eventually grew to be a two-day expo held at the SPI Convention Center that featured a live raptor show and various seminars about the local wildlife of South Texas and the Laguna Madre. After 20 years and having outgrown multiple host sites, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church decided it was time to search for a new sponsor to take over the rapidly-evolving annual event. In 2016, the Winter Outdoor Wildlife Expo found its new host in the SPI Birding, Nature Center & Alligator Sanctuary. What started as a small-scale fishing program has become a multi-day event with exciting field trips leading up to the expo, a photo-contest that recognizes those capturing the incredible wildlife in the lower Rio Grande Valley and three days of compelling presentations by expert naturalists from all over the state of Texas.