Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Sometimes tragedy makes us appreciate the people and things around us. During Hurricane Rita and Katrina, Game Wardens worked tirelessly to help restore communities hit by the storms.

Major Rolly Correa, Region 9, explains how these highly trained men and women have finally gained well-deserved recognition across the Lone Star State and beyond.

I think within the past few years we’ve really been able to show the public and people just what we really do. It’s always been a covert thing- it’s working behind the scenes.

When Hurricane Rita and Katrina came into play they saw us working the rescue operations and getting out there into the field. People realize that ‘Wow, they are a viable force to deal with and help in emergency situations and things of that nature.’

Game Wardens protect our state from daily tribulations, and are always there when needed…

It’s opened a lot of eyes and I think that people now realize that Game Wardens are commissioned peace officers that will respond to the calls from the Sheriff, Police Chief who needs assistance. We will be there with the equipment and highly trained officers and professional people that will assist in anything we do.

You can find more information about Game Wardens on the Texas Parks & Wildlife website.

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

 

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Approximately 500 Game Wardens dedicate themselves to protecting our state’s natural resources every day. While most of the people Game Wardens come in contact with are harmless, Assistant Chief of Fisheries Enforcement, Kris Bishop, says that’s not always the case.

In general, the people that we come in contact with are good, family people. They’re taking their family, their children out hunting, and fishing, and boating. That’s how they want to spend their free time. The kind of person who goes out and communes with nature is usually a good person and they have good intentions, and so that’s the average person that we meet.

But occasionally, you are going to meet the criminal element no matter where you are. It’s going to be anywhere. You’ll always have that certain amount of danger out there because most of the people that we’re dealing with have knives, guns, things like that, on them. That’s part of what they’re doing. They’re either fishing they they’ll have a filet knife, or they’re hunting and have a rifle or a shotgun. There’s always that little bit of an element of you could possibly get into a situation with a bad person.

Wardens receive extensive training on handling dangerous situations. Find more information about game wardens, including how you can become one, at the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

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

 

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Being a Texas Game Warden is an important and rewarding profession. Occasionally, though, it takes an outsider to recognize you have the right stuff to wear the badge.

When I was going to college, I studied a lot of science and as a Texan I grew up hunting and fishing. One of my professors actually was the one who thought I’d make a good Game Warden.

Kris Bishop, Assistant Chief of Fisheries Enforcement, outlines the steps involved in becoming a Game Warden.

To be a Game Warden, you have to have a four-year college degree. I would suggest anybody that’s interested in it look while they’re in college, even while they’re in high school, look into the program. We have internships and that would be helpful later on if you wanted to apply. Once you’ve finished your four-year degree, if you are accepted into the Academy, it’s about a seven month live-in academy, and they teach you everything about the Code of Criminal procedures, Penal code, and then animal identification.

Graduates of Game Warden Academy enforce all state laws.

Our primary objective is to enforce hunting, fishing, and water safety regulations. You’re a conservation enforcement officer, and then because you are a state peace office, you are responsible to know and be able to enforce all the laws of the state.

Details about Law Enforcement can be found on the Texas Parks & Wildlife website.

That’s our show for today…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

 

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

If you’re wondering what people do in the great outdoors, consider spending a little time indoors watching the Texas Parks and Wildlife Television series and find out. Series producer Abe Moore…

The first week of April, one of the main stories we’re working on is Pedernales Volunteers. It’s a story on how important our volunteers are to the state park system.

The work they do is a tremendous benefit to the staff, because it saves them a lot of time. It allows us to actually provide a higher level of customer service.

The second week of April, we’re doing a story on the Guadalupe bass – our state fish – and folks at the Texas Heart of the Hills Fisheries Science Center are working to save our state fish from going extinct.

We began work to raise thousands and thousands of pure Guadalupe Bass, and put them back into the system, and simply overwhelm the hybrids.

The third week of April, we’re heading out with the game wardens of the Texas parks and Wildlife department. They’re heading out to Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.

Lots of chaos. But when we were given a mission, we brought order to that chaos. We had a command staff. We had game wardens that were organized, knew how to work the boats, and knew how to fit into a team effort.

And, finally, on the fourth week of April on our TV program, we’re doing a program called “Student Parking” – and it deals with all of our state parks and how great they are as outdoor classrooms.

Check local listings to see when the show airs in your town.

That’s our show…thank you for joining us…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

 

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