Passport to Texas

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

The Guadalupe Bass – our state fish — is only found in the Guadalupe River…and it’s in trouble. This month the Texas Parks and Wildlife television series highlights its plight, and efforts to keep this native pure and strong. Series producer Abe Moore.

The Guadalupe Bass is having a problem with the smallmouth bass, because they inhabit the same streams and they’re cross breeding.

Small mouth bass were brought into Texas by Texas Parks and Wildlife in the mid 70s to provide an additional sport fish for anglers. Having no idea that they might hybridize with our native Hill Country Guadalupe Bass.

So, our pure strain of Guadalupe Bass is disappearing. So Texas Parks and Wildlife with the folks at the Heart of the Hills Fisheries Science Center is working to save the fish species by basically raising thousands and thousands of baby Guadalupe Bass and then restocking them back into the Guadalupe River and Johnson Creek in the Hill Country. I was impressed with the hatchery guys at the Heart of the Hills Fisheries Science Center. I mean, this was a yearlong process of them capturing – actually going out and fishing and catching Guadalupe Bass.

I got him. He’s a Guadalupe Bass. He’s a nice fish.

And they would use those to spawn and to have the babies basically and do the whole process. It’s a yearlong thing that they’re working hard on trying to save the fish.

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

That’s our show…supported by the Sport Fish Restoration Program… funded by your purchase of fishing equipment and motor boat fuels.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Texas boasts a bevy of birding hot spots. And in the May issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine…you’ll meet some of the fine feathered creatures that pass through our state. Associate publisher, Charles Lohrmann…

Well, May is our birding issue and it’s always popular. It’s a useful reference because we include a comprehensive calendar of birding events throughout the year.

We have amazing articles. This one, particularly interesting to me, is an article about migration by Noreen Damude. She describes migration patterns as a complex labyrinth of trails that overlap and interweave. And to illustrate, she describes the migrations of eight different birds.

Among them are long distance migrants like the Swainson’s Hawk; and one particularly interesting example is the Evening Grosbeak, which she describes as ‘irruptive, opportunistic wanderers,’ because their arrival is completely unpredictable.

Once you read this article, you’ll never think of migration as a simple north-south line again.

Thanks Charles.

You can find the May issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine on newsstands in mid-month. Or learn how you can subscribe when you visit passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…Joel Block engineers our program in Austin at the Production Block studios…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Wildlife restoration Program

Conserving natural resources – air, land, water, plants and wildlife – is everyone’s responsibility.

Andy Sansom, Executive Director of the River Systems Institute < http://www.rivers.txstate.edu/> at Texas State University in San Marcos, and former Executive Director of Texas Parks and Wildlife shares his thoughts on this subject.

I think right now we’re in a bit of a crisis. Because people widely accept the values of what we do, but they don’t feel the urgency that perhaps they did a generation ago, and as a result, we have some issues that we’ve got to address, like the threats of land fragmentation, and the decline in our water supplies and the lack of adequate funding — are all potentially fatal threats to the values that all of these conservation activities represent.

What can you do to protect our natural resources? Education is always the best way to start. Log onto the Texas Parks and Wildlife Web site, and click on the link for “Land & Water” to begin understanding the needs of your environment.

That’s our show for today…we get support from the Wildlife Restoration Program…which also provides funding for wetland conservation through the Private Lands Enhancement Program.

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

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

April 22, 1970 marked the first celebration of Earth Day, the goal of which was to highlight the needs of the planet, and to instill a sense of planetary stewardship among citizens. The message continues. This month, you can participate in Earth Day events at state parks throughout Texas.

On Saturday, April 14th, from 9 to 5, Brazos Bend State Park offers a full day of family fun. Participate in nature hikes and attend historical interpretations. You can experience hands-on activities and demonstrations from local and national conservation groups.

Colorado Bend State Park hosts an Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 21st from 9 to 5. Bring a friend and a picnic lunch and enjoy the beauty of this unique area of the Texas Hill Country. Take a guided tour along one of the many trails, and visit Gorman Falls and Gorman cave.

Finally, spend Tuesday, April 24th learning in the outdoors at Lake Texana. Study the wide array of native trees, and make leaf prints. Afterwards, plant a native tree you’ve brought or plant one provided by the park. Relax with a cool night hike in the woodlands of the Navidad River.

Information about Earth Day events can be found 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

You only have until Saturday, April seventh to register if you intend to participate in the Great Texas Birding Classic.

This year is the 11th annual Great Texas Birding Classic. We are consolidating the tournament to a single weekend to try to make one big weekend of birding on the Texas coast.

Shelley Plante is Nature Tourism Coordinator. Although the classic takes place April 15 – 22, the three main bird watching events at the- the upper, central and lower coasts – occur April 21 & 22.

People get together in teams of 3 to 5 people and they go out for 24 hours of birding to see as many species as they can in that period. Teams record all the species that they see in a single day and we have judges that look at these results and award prizes to the top 3 teams for each tournament. For the week long and sectional adult tournaments, we actually have conservation cash grand prizes. This is $50,000 of habitat conservation money that goes to projects of the
winning team’s choice.

Everybody is invited to the annual classic, regardless of age or experience.

You do not have to be a strong birder to be involved. The tournament will fit any level of birding expertise and all of these tournaments are raising money for habitat conservation on the Texas coast.

Register online. Find out how on passporttotexas.org.

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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