Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Could spending more time in nature help kids with attention-deficit hyperactive disorder?

The research so far suggests that there’s a relationship between contact with nature or playing in green space and improvements in attentional functioning.

Dr. Andrea Faber Taylor researches child environment and behavior at the University of Illinois, http://www.lhhl.uiuc.edu/about.htm. In a recent study, she had children with ADHD take guided, 20-minute walks in a downtown area, a neighborhood, and a city park; then afterward, tested their ability to concentrate.

What we found was that after the children walked in the park they generally scored higher on the measure of attention. And surprisingly, the neighborhood and the downtown area were not significantly different in scores. That said to us, there’s something about the park- either the greenness of it, the amount of trees and plants that it has or the lack of buildings, or both- that makes it perhaps, more restorative, than the other two settings.

These findings match other research as well, which suggest that it’s the setting, not just the activity, that is important.

Based on our work and the work of others, we feel very confident that children benefit from contact with nature or even just what we call green space, a small pocket of trees and grass. Certainly, we’re not suggesting that it’s going to cure a child from ADHD, but it appears to, at least, temporarily reduce their symptoms.

Learn more about this research at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Sarah Loden…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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News Release:
A Potential Natural Treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Evidence From a National Study: http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/abstract/94/9/1580

Nature and Child Development, 1 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas Outdoor Stories from Texas Parks and Wildlife

[Sound of hogs roaming around.]

Opportunistic eaters that they are, a campsite packed with trail mix and hot dogs would be prize winnings to a pig-except that they’re not always welcome. Hearing a raid on his campsite one night, Shea Prihoda tells us about the scare his grunting visitors gave him.

I was camping once and I was sleeping and I woke up because something fell beside my tent and it caved in. So I started hitting and it started growling like a boar. So I started screaming because I was scared cuz it was right by my head. Then, one of the adults, I heard his tent unzip and he threw something, and then we heard a bunch of boars stampeding through our campsite. Anyone that woke up from my screaming heard it.

That night, the pigs and the food were left unscathed; but another encounter is something Shafer…and the pigs…want to avoid

I would kill a pig if I could these days. Let’s go hunting!

[Sound of hogs]

Frightening or fun: we want to hear your memorable outdoor experience. Share it with us at passporttotexas.org.

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

Wild Boar Recipes

Wild Boar Schnitzel
Wild Game Chili
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Texas Outdoor Story: Shea Prihoda & the Boars Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas Outdoor Stories from Texas Parks and Wildlife

[Sound of hogs roaming around.]

Opportunistic eaters that they are, a campsite packed with trail mix and hot dogs would be prize winnings to a pig-except that they’re not always welcome. Hearing a raid on his campsite one night, Shea Prihoda tells us about the scare his grunting visitors gave him.

I was camping once and I was sleeping and I woke up because something fell beside my tent and it caved in. So I started hitting and it started growling like a boar. So I started screaming because I was scared cuz it was right by my head. Then, one of the adults, I heard his tent unzip and he threw something, and then we heard a bunch of boars stampeding through our campsite. Anyone that woke up from my screaming heard it.

That night, the pigs and the food were left unscathed; but another encounter is something Shafer…and the pigs…want to avoid

I would kill a pig if I could these days. Let’s go hunting!

[Sound of hogs]

Frightening or fun: we want to hear your memorable outdoor experience. Share it with us at passporttotexas.org.

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

Wild Boar Recipes

Wild Boar Schnitzel
Wild Game Chili
_________________________________________________________

Texas Outdoor Story: Shea Prihoda & the Boars Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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

The Pierce Ranch is great. They’re motivated and they’re, they’re looking to do things from a wildlife and habitat standpoint.

Pierce Ranch is the Lone Star Land Steward Award Winner for the gulf prairies and marshes eco-region. David Forrester, a Parks and Wildlife Biologist, says managing for wildlife and habitat is only part of the equation.

Of course they’re looking at these things from an economic standpoint, too. But they always keep in mind, trying to preserve and enhance what they have.

Through careful planning, and work with Parks and Wildlife, Laurence Armour, III—the great-great grandson of the Ranch’s founder cattleman Shanghai Pierce—maintains the health of the habitat, wildlife and even his wallet.

This is a wetland that we flooded up because it was easy to put water in, and it was a nice little duck hole. It’s not hunted—this is sort of a resting pond for ducks. And then we started seeding with crawfish; and this year is our most productive crawfish pond. And we’re pulling up between two and three hundred pounds a day of crawfish out of this one pond here.

Learn how to nominate a landowner for a Land Steward Award at passportototexas.org.

That’s out show…with support from the Wildlife restoration Program… providing funding for the Private Lands and Habitat Enhancement Program… for Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Pierce Ranch: Wildlife and Water Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas parks and Wildlife and the Wildlife Restoration Program

Pierce Ranch, the Lone Star Land Steward Award winner in the gulf prairies and marshes eco-region, has a long history of stewardship. Laurence Armour, III.

I’m the fifth generation that has run the ranch; it was started by Shanghai Pierce who was a famous cattle driver back in the 1870s and 80s. He is my great-great-grandfather.

Wetlands development through rice farming—something the Pierce family has done for more than 100 years—also provides habitat for a variety of species.

What the rice field does is provide sort of a wetland ecosystem for those animals that need that kind of ecosystem to survive. As a result, we have a great deal of wildlife that we might not otherwise have.

Bill Stansky with the Texas Rice Industry Coalition for the Environment applauds the family’s native prairie restoration efforts.

Well, this part of the Pierce Ranch is part of a few hundred acres that has never been farmed. And there’s very, very little native prairie left on the Texas coast. It’s just almost gone. And so it’s very valuable, and they harvest seed from this. And sell it to restore prairies all along the gulf coast.

Learn more at passporttotexas.org.

That’s out show…with support from the Wildlife restoration Program… providing funding for the Private Lands and Habitat Enhancement Program… for Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Pierce Ranch: History of Stewardship Play Now | Play in Popup | Download