Arabella Davidson of Santa Fe, 8, won Lil’ Miss Fair and Rodeo 2019. She loves to sing and play softball. Davidson sang a spirited rendition of Kelsea Ballerini’s “Yeah Boy” for her talent competition. Photo by Stuart Villanueva

Trace Menotti, 5, stands beside one of the show sheep at the Dickinson High School Agriculture barn. He will try his hand at mutton busting for the first time at this year’s Galveston County Fair and Rodeo. Photo by Stuart Villanueva

Local actor and film writer Dan Braverman wrote a Western comedy that will be filmed in various spots around the island. Photo by Kelsey Walling

Julie Ann Brown, the executive director of the Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council, scans the area for shorebirds during a winter Texan birdwatching event at Woody’s in Galveston. Photo by Stuart Villanueva

A hand-colored engraving of an eskimo curlew from ‘’Birds of America’’ (1827-1838) by John James Audubon. Courtesy illustration

Jordan Price talks about the bountiful natural diversity of animal life in the southeastern African nation of Malawi. Photo by Stuart Villanueva

Debra Pence hangs a filled bird feeder in the backyard of her Galveston home. Photo by Stuart Villanueva

Birding for Fun owner Kristine Rivers, who leads birding tours by car, looks out over the East End Lagoon in Galveston. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds

Bees crawl along honeycomb as bee removal expert David Banki lifts a frame from a bee box at his home in Pasadena. Banki has spent years removing bee colonies from area homes and moving them to various beekeepers. Photo by Stuart Villanueva

There’s nothing like experiencing a boss gobbler strutting in front of you within the short distance of 10 yards. Photo by Capt. Nate Skinner