Passport to Texas

State Parks: Park Improvements Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

There’s good news coming from state parks. Money earmarked by the legislature in years past for improvements in state parks is finally being put to use. Our state park guide, Bryan Frazier has details.

61—So, I think people maybe who have not been to a park in awhile—maybe since last year—will find some pretty interesting things that they like. Things that are really important to them. Things like new and improved camp sites, new and improved restrooms. Fifty amp service on electric sites for big RVs in a lot of our parks. Things that really will impact a person’s park experience when they get there.

Money from past biennium that’s just now being spent so that they’re park experience is better. Their campsite is maybe a little bigger. They’ve got a nicer electric hook-up or a full hook-up campsite that maybe a year ago was only water and electricity. We had more than 40 state parks tht got these capital repairs and improvements. And I think when people get out there this outdoor recreation season beginning in the spring, they’ll find some good things they like.

Thanks, Bryan.

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Wildlife: Wandering Otters Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

When you find a plentiful supply of…

04—Crawfish, freshwater mussels, fish, frogs…

…in rivers and streams, you may also find otters, because that’s their preferred habitat and diet.

Texas parks and Wildlife Biologist, Gary Calkins studies otters and says the drought this past year dried up streams and stretches of river forcing the animals to venture far and wide in search of suitable habitat.

40—If we go back to normal rainfall patterns they will go back to their normal habitats, but right now they are popping up in any source of permanent water that they can find that has food in it. And so, folks that have spring fed ponds that may have never seen otters in 20 or 25 years are all of a sudden seeing them. How are they getting to these water bodies? Otters will cross land for miles to get from one spot to another, and so if they end up with no food, or no water or too much competition, they’ll just kind of pack up and go cross country and look for a new home. Somebody might actually see an otter crossing the street. A lot of the reports have been of otters crossing roads or pastures in kind of odd places.

Have you spotted an otter? Go to passporttotexas.org and tell us about it in the comments, and we’ll make sure it reaches Gary Calkins.

We receive support from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program…funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motorboat fuel.

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

Wildlife: Is That an Otter in the Water? Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Every day Texas Parks and Wildlife Biologist Gary Calkins fields calls and emails about otter sightings because—he’s the otter guy.

08—Because of doing otter surveys out here, and then some other research that I was involved in I ended up with that title.

He charts the sightings on a map of the state only after he’s confident that what spotters saw really was an otter, because…

04—Otters, beavers and nutria in the water can all look somewhat similar.

Despite the reports streaming into Calkins’ office, seeing an otter remains a rare occurrence as they’re usually most active when we aren’t. Before calling in with a sighting, take extra time to verify it is an otter.

27—Otters are going to swim with most of their head up out of the water. They’re going to be more inquisitive and a little more likely to come to you; whereas beavers and nutria are going to swim away. Otter will dive, but then they’ll usually dive, but then they’ll usually immediately resurface and turn around and look at you. They also have a tendency to whistle or chirp at you as a vocalization to more or less let you know that you’re in their world. And so, the swimming behavior, whether it’s to you or away from you, and then the vocalizations are really good keys.

Post your otter sighting to passporttotexas.org, and we’ll pass it along to Gary Calkins.

We receive support from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program…funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment an motorboat fuel.

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

Wildlife: Otters in Texas Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Texas Parks and Wildlife Biologist Gary Calkins—the man responsible for coordinating data collection on the state’s otter population—says it’s rare to see an otter in the wild.
When conducting surveys on the species, he and his team search for indirect signs of otter activity.

08—The surveys are done under bridges and looking for scat and tracks. We rarely get to see an otter, so we have to look for indirect sign of their presence.

Calkins had just wrapped up an otter survey the first time he was a guest on the radio show. Nobody could have predicted what happened after the program aired.

06—I started getting a lot of emails and phone calls from folks telling me that they had seen them in various places.

Surprising places, too.

11—There are a lot of sightings coming from a lot further west than I would have expected. A lot of them in the Austin area and the Colorado river drainage. And clear up to near Henrietta [near Wichita falls] was probably the most surprising.

He began plotting citizen sightings on a map.

12—It’s been a lot of fun; in some cases it’s been sort of overwhelming just because of the numbers. But it’s been really interesting and I’ve had a blast plotting them on a map and finding out where they’re showing up and visiting with folks about them.

A new survey began in February. On tomorrow’s show, learn how to distinguish otters from other furry swimming critters, before calling in your sighting.

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

Outdoor Activity of the Month Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

With as many outdoor recreational opportunities as there are in Texas—how does one get started?

08—Outdoor activity of the month is something we created to help folks understand what’s seasonally available to them.

Glenda Beasley is the marketing manager at Texas Parks and Wildlife. With input from staff interpreters, biologists and others, the agency developed a list of seasonal outdoor activities.

16—In March we’re promoting the Wildlife Viewing Trail maps that are produced here at Texas Parks and Wildlife and available online. There’s a lot of wonderful wildlife to be seen, and those trail maps help you to pinpoint where those locations are by region.

In addition to finding a master list of outdoor activities on the Parks and Wildlife website, if you live near one of the state’s bigger cities you can find specific Outdoor Activities of the Month featured on the websites of partner TV stations.

14—So you’ll look on our activities page and you’ll be able to see not only the big picture of where to go and things to do all over Texas on our events calendar, but also a way for you to look near the bigger cities for specific things to do.

Find more information about outdoor activities for the whole family on the Parks and Wildlife website. Remember: Life’s Better Outside.

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