Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Whether do your shooting with a gun or a camera the September issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine has stories that take aim at your interests. Managing Editor, Louie Bond.

In our September cover story, we have our annual hunting forecast. It’s a real must have for all Texas hunters. John Jefferson says the biologists he interviewed were excited about this year’s prospects due to this wonderful abundant rain we’ve been having this year.

They attract rare birds, and wildlife photographers and even former President Jimmy Carter.

Thanks, Louie. The September issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine is on newsstands now.

To find out how you can have this publication delivered right to your door – or at least to your mailbox – visit passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show for today. Remember: Life’s Better Outside.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

 

 TPW Magazine September Preview: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Of the four most common venomous snakes in Texas — Copperheads, Rattlesnakes, Cottonmouths, and Coral snakes – we come across one species more than others.

Probably the Western Diamond Back rattlesnake because it is so widespread and very abundant in many places. It also gets large and can be aggressive.

We asked herpetologist, Andy Price, if he would give us the first rule of human/snake encounters.

Yeah… leave it alone.

Although venomous snake bites are rare, they result in an average of 2 to 3 deaths annually statewide.

Emergency medical folks tell us that about half of the snake bites that occur are what they call ‘illegitimate bites,’ which means people have been messing around with them in one fashion or another. For those that are legitimate, the best thing to do is go get treated at a medical facility as quickly as you can.

Even people receiving so-called “illegitimate” snake bites should seek treatment. What’s another way to avoid snake bites? Get to know what they look like and where they live — and always remain aware when outdoors.

Most of those bites occur when people aren’t watching what they’re doing, basically. Stepping over a log and not seeing what’s on the other side. Putting their hands or feet somewhere where they can’t see, like in a crevasse. Some people are bitten when they reach under plants for one reason of another.

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Loren Seeger… for Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

 

 Leave 'em Alone: Avoiding Snake Bite: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program

The Goose Island Shoreline Stabilization and Marsh Restoration Project is mitigating damage from wind and wave erosion.

The first step we completed was in 2005, and that was constructing the offshore breakwater.

Kay Jenkins is Project Manager. The breakwater is designed to protect the mile long southern shoreline of Goose Island from erosion due to wave action. And later this year, phase 2 begins.

What we want to do to restore some of the marsh that we’ve lost is dredge two of the nearby boat channels that are near the park. We’re going to use that dredge material beneficially and place it in these twenty-four acres of marsh creation site.

If all goes as planned, next summer the public gets a chance to help restore marsh habitat.

Texas Parks & Wildlife and its volunteers and partners can go out there and transplant marsh plants from our existing marsh into the new marsh to help it stabilize quicker. I think this is where we’re going to get a lot of the community familiar with the project and supporting the project because they’ll get to come out and actually be a part of restoring that habitat.

That’s our show for today…with research and writing help from Loren Seeger…we receive support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… providing funding for wetland conservation through the Private Lands Enhancement Program.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

 

 Goose Island -- Saving Shoreline & Marsh: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program

Goose Island is shrinking. Between 1961 and 1995, approximately 17 acres of this island near Rockport ended up underwater.

Goose Island is a small island in Aransas Bay, therefore it gets all the prevailing winds from the southeast which creates pretty large waves. And those waves have eroded the southern shoreline of Goose Island State Park over the years.

Kay Jenkins, Natural Resources Coordinator for State Parks.

The erosion has lead to a reduction in the amount of estuarine marsh, or salt marsh that once was located on the island. They basically provide a lot of food, as well as protection, especially for juvenile fisheries species.

Texas Parks and Wildlife and its partners developed a plan to stabilize the shoreline and restore the marsh.

With continuing erosion, relative sea level rise, development along the coast, these marshes are becoming more and more valuable because we’re losing them. They’re slowly being converted to open water, which is exactly what happened at Goose Island. We have instigated this project to stabilize that shoreline and restore some of that salt marsh that has been eroded away.

More on that tomorrow….

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Loren Seeger…we receive support from the SFWR program… providing funding for wetland conservation through the Private Lands Enhancement Program.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

 

 Goose Island -- Losing Ground: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas Outdoor Stories from Texas Parks and Wildlife

It’s a rare individual who – once introduced to the outdoors at a young age — fails to continue their relationship with nature long into adulthood.

Lisa Korth is no exception. She’s education coordinator for the Freshwater Resources Center in San Marcos. With a lifetime of outdoor adventures to draw from, she’s chosen a more recent memory to share with us today.

Well, I grew up around water, and one of my favorite memories is a recent memory: snorkeling in the San Marcos River. It’s one of my favorite places to snorkel because the clarity of the water is just so magnificent. It’s just really clean and pristine. And, when you snorkel, it’s like being in another world.

And just being under water and getting an up close view of that underwater world is just really magical. A friend of mine recently compared it to riding a roller coaster. And I agree. Just that exhilarating feeling of being in the water….pushing you downstream…seeing all of the plants and fish. It’s just really, really amazing.

Thank you Lisa…now it’s your turn. Visit our website, passporttotexas.org …and share your outdoor story with us.

If we use your story on the radio, we’ll send you high quality Life’s Better Outside t-shirt.

That’s our show for today…remember Life is Better Outside…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

 

 Outdoor Stories: Lisa Korth Goes Snorkeling: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download