Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

Horned lizards take center stage this month on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Television series. Including a legend named Old Rip. Producer Alan Fisher explains.

They’re an iconic animal of Texas, but they’re disappearing. And you don’t find them as often as you used to in much of the state. There’s a group of biologists doing research now on healthy populations of horned lizards.

Well, there’s one horned lizard that seems to have been around quite a long time under the radar—actually under a lot of concrete.

The legend of Old Rip…Old Rip was maybe the most famous horned lizard of all time. He spent 31 years, so the story goes, sealed in the cornerstone of the Eastland County Courthouse near Abilene.

He seems to have held up pretty well after 80 years.

Thanks, Alan.

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

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This is Passport to Texas

Giant Salvinia is a fast growing exotic aquatic plant from South America that’s thriving in Texas waters, killing off native plants and fish.

:11—Everybody’s always looking for possible outlets for some what that we can actually make it work for us instead of against us. But, we just haven’t been able to find any redeeming qualities behind giant Salvinia.

Howard Elder is an aquatic habitat biologist. The agency uses an integrated pest management approach to dealing with Giant Salvinia.

:18—Since it is a floating plant, and it grows so quickly, the winds can push it wherever it chooses. And that is one of the biggest problems that we have—locating the infestations and being able to treat them.

Elder says they can only conduct herbicide operations in the warmer months when the plant is growing. Using Giant Salvinia weevils that eat the plant look promising. But the best defense against its spread is educating anglers and boaters.

:13—Concerned anglers and boaters on infected waters should carefully inspect and clean their boat, trailers, jet skis and any other personal watercraft of all aquatic vegetation before leaving the launch area. Because that is how it gets spread around.

Visit www.texasinvasives.org to learn more about Giant Salvinia and other invasive species changing TX Lakes.

That’s our show… with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program.

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

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This is Passport to Texas

Giant Salvinia was first discovered in 1998 in a small schoolyard pool in Houston.

:10—Later that year it was found in Toledo Bend Reservoir. And our next sighting was in Lake Texana, and then we found it in Lake Conroe and then Lake Sheldon, east of Houston.

Howard Elder is an aquatic habitat biologist. It’s thought suppliers of tropical plants to nurseries brought Giant Salvinia to the US under a different name. And flood events introduced it to public waters where it flourishes, forming dense floating mats.

:11—Which essentially block out all the sunlight, shading out native aquatic vegetation species, and inhibiting the production of phytoplankton and zooplankton, which are critical to the health of any aquatic ecosystem.

Mature plants have leaves that are about the size of a fifty cent piece and are covered with hairlike structures. Plants can be light brown to chartreuse in color. One acre of Salvinia can become two acres in as little as one week, and can grow faster than our ability to remove it.

:08—We have documentation from a recent infestation in Hawaii, where it grew faster than they could remove it with backhoes out of a small pond.

Tomorrow: what Texas is doing to manage this invasive aquatic exotic. Find more information about Giant Salvinia and other invasive exotics at www.texasinvasives.org.

That’s our show… with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…working to increase fishing, hunting, shooting and boating opportunities in Texas.

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

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This is Passport to Texas

Carp is the Rodney Dangerfield of the fish world—at least in the US, where many anglers consider it trash. But in other parts of the world, carp is highly sought-after. It may surprise you to know Texas has some of the best carp fishing in the country.

:04—This is one of the three best carp fishing waters in the whole of America.

Steven Bates is talking about Lady Bird Lake in Austin, where he and his brother Michael took part in the Austin Team Challenge carp angling competition.

:03—We’ve been lucky today. We’ve caught about five; right here.

The competition aims to change angler’s perception of carp. Casey Crawford cast in the competition, too, and reeled in a huge 43 pound 12 ounce carp. [:03 ambience]

:11—People that ride [bike] around this, run around it, row in this lake all the time never have any idea that there’s something that big under there. I caught that one ten feet off the bank. Your dog might have been swimming next to it—it’s bigger than your dog. [:01—laughs]

The team with the highest total catch weight went home winners.

:06—The Bates brothers with 550.69 pounds—congratulations on your ATC victory. [whoop]

That’s our show …made possible in part by the Sport Fish Restoration Program…working to increase fishing and boating opportunities in Texas.

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

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This is Passport to Texas State Park Getaway

Bluebonnets started blooming along roadsides in mid-March around much of the state, and have since been joined by other wildflowers for what should be a remarkable display. Our SP Guide, Bryan Frazier says a great place to get an eyeful of colorful native blooms is at a state park.

And interestingly about that: it’s spectacular across the state. You have pockets that are more traditionally known like Washington Country where Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site is…or places like Inks lake or LBJ in Central Texas. But really, you’ve got great wildflowers from the Rio Grande Valley all the way up even to Palo Duro Canyon, all the way out even to the Big Bend Area. Depending on the time of year, depending on the amount of rain…and it’s looking like this year…the expectation is at least…that it’s going to be good. We had some late winter rains that have really made it lining up to look like it’s going to be a really good wildflower season. And so, whether you’re talking about bluebonnets, or whether you’re talking about the evening primrose, or even things like the bluebonnets out in far west Texas, which are different than the others, it can just be a spectacular splash of color. Texas is THE place for wildflowers, and state parks are great places to see them.

Thanks, Bryan.

Find the wildflower hotline at passporttotexas.org.

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

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