Who We Are

Friends of Padre Loses Founder and Mentor

Billy Sandifer, legendary fishing guide and friend and mentor to many lost his battle with cancer March 30th, 2018. A Celebration of his life was held Sunday May 20th at the Briscoe King Pavilion at  Padre Balli Park. During the memorial a coyote was observed looking in on the ceremony from the top of a dune outside the rear entrance of the pavilion. Many in attendance thought it might be Billy checking in on things as he always considered the coyote his brother. (Photo Courtesy of David Sikes of the Caller Times.)

Rest in Peace my friend. Billy Sandifer 6/11/1947 - 3/30/2018.

"Life's A Hoot. Get You Some of It. Be Careful, Be Courteous, Be Kind", Capt. Billy L. Sandifer 

 

 If you would like to make a donation in memory of Billy, you can click on the Paypal "Donate" button below or send a check to PO Box 18108 Corpus Christi, TX 78418.

Thank You!

 

 The primary function of Friends of Padre is to fund and organize the annual Billy Sandifer Big Shell Beach Cleanup in perpetuity. Beginning in 1995, the Big Shell Beach Cleanup occurs once a year in the Big Shell portion of the Padre Island National Seashore (PINS). Each year, hundreds of volunteers dedicate a Saturday to removing trash from this 10-mile stretch of beach. Since its inception, over 8525 volunteers have removed 2,726,000 pounds of trash from this remote and wild stretch of 4 Wheel Drive Only beach.

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Friends of Padre

Ridley Rendezvous 7/14/2018

Friends of Padre participated in the first Ridley Rendezvous this past Saturday at the Malaquite Beach Visitor's Center to celebrate 40 years of sea turtle conservation.  We gave information about conservation and the importance of keeping trash out of our...

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Padre Island National Seashore to Celebrate 40 years of Turtle Conservation

Staff from the National Seashore will host the first Ridley Rendezvous festival.   (Corpus Christi, Texas) - Superintendent Mark Spier announced today the staff at Padre Island National Seashore will host the first ever “Ridley Rendezvous” on  July 14, 2018. ...

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Texas Turtle Nest Update 6/28/2018

Via Dr. Donna Shaver Today, 1 green turtle nest was found in Texas, at Padre Island National Seashore.   KEMP'S RIDLEY TURTLE So far this year, 248 nests have been confirmed on the Texas coast including (north to south in...

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