Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

December’s Parks and Wildlife TV Series offers segments on rare breeds, including the endangered whooping crane. Producer, Ron Kabele.

The whooping cranes have two problems. One is that they are all centrally located into one area. So, if a hurricane come s up, or any other major storm, it could wipe out the entire population. So, what biologists want to do, is they want to create different places along the coast where the whooping cranes will nest. This has proven to be a pretty daunting task. But it’s a good idea. The other problem is one that people probably don’t think about. As the rivers come down, we divert more and more of that water for agriculture, for cities, and that decreases what’s called freshwater inflow. And this robs the bay of the nutrients that the whooping cranes need.

Another rare breed is the Texas Game Warden.

They have to be as much a diplomat as a law enforcement officer. Another thing, too, that’s cool about the wardens that I learned is not all of their contact with the public is in a negative way. They have to be as much a diplomat as a law enforcement officer. Who would have thought that law enforcement would be a basically a huge networking game? And that’s what it is for the game wardens. If they don’t have the contacts with landowners and the hunters and just everyone else—they’re going to be very limited in how they do their job.

That’s our show… we receive support from the Sport Fish Restoration program…which funds fisheries research in Texas.

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

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