Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Before you head into the wilderness…

… Make sure you have an adequate supply of water with you because you don’t know if you’re going to encounter any water sources while you’re up there.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Hunter Education Coordinator Terry Erwin says you should always carry at least a half gallon of water and drink often while hiking to prevent dehydration. But if you do begin to feel thirsty and hotter than usual, you may be experiencing heat exhaustion.

This is when you have a pale and clammy skin, you feel nauseated, maybe headaches and muscle cramps. At that time you need to move to a cooler place, re-hydrate yourself, lower your body temperature and make sure not to over chill yourself.

And more severely is heat stroke.

You become dry, hot, your skin gets flushed- even dark purple. Your pulse becomes slow and weak and you start to breathe very shallow. The best thing to do is to really get down and lower the temperature of your core body. Drink plenty of water, fan and don’t over chill yourself and if it persists get to the hospital immediately because this is a life threatening situation.

Find more information about identifying and treating heat exhaustion and heat stroke by visiting passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Alanna Jones… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

 

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Passport to Texas Outdoor Stories from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Waco resident, Judith Nees, is passionate about Atlanta State Park in east Texas. She calls it a hidden gem, and says it is priceless.

Atlanta State Park has so much to offer. What I liked the most was the tent camping areas were spacious enough from each other that you would never know that you even had a neighbor for the way they’re designed.

The park has both fire rings as well as griddles to grill on. They offer electricity and water. We noticed the restrooms are very, very nice. They each have showers in them—very clean. And it’s just a nice park settled in East Texas.

With hiking and interpretive nature trails—in addition to fishing and swimming—Judith says everyone can find something to love about Atlanta SP.

Do you have a favorite state park you want to tell us about, or outdoor experience you want to share? Go to passporttotexas.org, and click on the tab for Outdoor Stories.

That’s our show…Remember: Life’s Better Outside…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

 

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Fall is an amazing time to go outside and play. The mild weather and remarkable scenery will draw many of us outdoors.

With so many people heading to state parks this fall, the question of etiquette arises. How should we act while exploring these wide open spaces?

Texas Parks and Wildlife has the answer. They have created seven basic guidelines to help you be polite in the outdoor setting. The guidelines are care, caution, courtesy, cleanliness, cooperation, conservation and common sense. These are the seven c’s of camping.

Care is a reminder to be considerate of others.

Caution encourages us to remember that camping can be dangerous. The right way is the safe way.

Courtesy is something that enhances the camping experience; respect the privacy of others and they will do the same.

Cleanliness reminds us to help keep parks and our campsites clean.

Cooperation asks us to work with rangers and follow state park rules.

Conservation calls for us to protect the outdoors for future generations, and common sense prevents accidents.

With these simple guidelines in mind, it’s easy to make a positive impact on state parks and fellow campers this fall.

That’s our show for today…with research and writing help from Kate Lipinski… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

 

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

In the fall of 2002, Krista Allen was a novice to the outdoors.

I was definitely a girly girl and my entire life, I was always looking for a sport and really never found anything that I enjoyed or really stuck too.

A friend at work told Allen about the Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshops offered by Texas Parks and Wildlife; she signed up with the intention to learn how to backpack.

I took a backpacking class, outdoor survival, land navigation – which was compass and map, and camping and I came away feeling so empowered. And I knew I had a really good, solid knowledge base to work from.

Her first workshop sparked Krista’s interest in the outdoors. Since then she’s taken the skills she learned and has turned them into a passion for the outdoors.

Once you start getting into the outdoors and noticing your surroundings, there’s just all sorts of things that may touch off your curiosity.

Allen also wanted to give back.

Government Canyon [in San Antonio] is one the biggest local parks and I wanted to become familiar with that. And as it opened up I volunteered to be on the trail patrol.

To find out more information about the Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshops, visit passporttotexas.org

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Kate Lipinski… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

 

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

State Parks Director Walt Dabney will be the first to say:

Our department slogan that Life’s Better Outside is really right on. You gotta get outside to really keep your mind right, I think.

Your chance to get outside, get your mind right, and sample a variety of outdoor activities happens during the 16th Parks and Wildlife Expo.

Expo is held the first weekend in October – Saturday and Sunday – open nine to five and it’s free.

Ernie Gammage is Expo Director. He says a new feature this year is a family camping area.

Camping – especially with your family – is just about one of the most fun things you can do, because it’s something you can do together. You can put up your tent together, you can cook together. You can make s’mores, by gosh, you’ve gotta have s’mores. And how are we going to encourage this during Expo? We have never had a specific family camping site at Expo, but we are going to have this year. And one of the things this year, we’re going to talk about how to set up a family camp site; activities that you can do during the day….after dark. How to set up a tent, how to cook meals to take, and how to make that experience really the best for you and your family.

Learn about camping at Expo, October 6 & 7, at TPWD HQ in Austin. Bring the family, but leave your doggie at home. Find links to Expo at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show for today… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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Click here to go to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo Website

 

 TPWD Expo: Family Camping: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download