Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

This month on the Texas parks and Wildlife TV show, see how state of the art laser technology saved ancient rock art at Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site, Producer, Abe Moore:

67— Hueco Tanks State Park out by El Paso is really world class when it comes to rock art. There, they have more painted masks than anywhere else in North America. But one of the things that happened to come of this rock art is vandals damaged several of the pictographs with graffiti; and the thought was they could never be restored back to their original glory.

If the conservation is not done properly at this time, the aging and degradation process could actually accelerate.

Now, here’s where it gets really interesting. For the first time ever at the state park, conservators are using this state of the art laser that actually takes away the layer of graffiti and it leaves behind the original pictograph.

The fact that we are able to remove the graffiti and bring back the site to what it was to before the sites were vandalized is quite amazing.

It was amazing, because you could look at the graffiti and this laser literally just eats at it – right in front of your eyes. And it just kind of disappears and then you’re left with whatever the beautiful picture is underneath. This story will air on Texas parks and Wildlife TV the week of October 21st through the 27th. So, it’s some cool technology in action.

Thanks Abe.

That’s our show…For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

This is Passport to Texas

Bastrop State park lost most of its beloved loblolly pines in last year’s Labor Day wildfires. But our State park Guide Bryan Frasier says thanks to the Arbor Day Foundation – and you –the park is getting new trees this fall.

59—Arbor Day Foundation, along with a lot of corporate sponsors, has helped integrate this program where people can sponsor trees. For a dollar a piece, for up to the next five years, it’s a way that people can tangibly get involved and help re-grow Bastrop State Park…and those big, tall, drought resistant loblolly pines that make the lost Pines forest so unique and such a worthy destination here in Central Texas. After we’ve done some erosion management, after we’ve done all the surveys, now we’re approaching the time to get some trees in the ground. And people have really been anticipating this – and Arbor Day Foundation has it all set up. You can go to TPW website, texasstateparks.org, and click on the ‘Help Restore Lost Pines’ banner link, and it will take you right to the Arbor Day site and how to get involved and how to do it. And we are so excited about this partnership and about the future of Bastrop, Central Texas, and the Lost Pines forest.

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.

This is Passport to Texas

Autumn in Texas signals the start of hunting season. And the November issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine offers features about this tradition that are sure to engage; Editor, Louie Bond.

63— You know, when it’s November in Texas, it’s all about whitetails. And we take kind of a different spin on the whitetails this year. We have an essay by Reid Whitliff, who wrote a really wonderful essay on bow hunting. When he first went hunting for whitetails with a gun, it just didn’t do much for him; a friend introduced him to bow-hunting, and that’s where he really found his true inner hunter. So, he wrote this very lyrical essay, and called bow-hunting the fly-fishing of hunting. We also have another take on hunting, which is waterfowl hunting, but ladies waterfowl hunting with our own head of education, Nancy Herron, and the director of this program, Dawn Bello. It’s a really interesting look at women –what they experience and how they feel. And our third feature is something that you may not think goes with hunting, but actually I found it goes very well, and it’s about land conservation. Because where is hunting, of course, without land conservation. So, we present the 2012 Leopold winners, the Mitchell family and their incredible Cook’s Branch Conservancy. And it’s an amazing family; it’s four generations. Fifty of them voted together unanimously to preserve this land. So, it’s all about land and hunting and getting outdoors in November.

Thanks, Louie!

The November issue of Texas parks and Wildlife magazine is on newsstands now.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

This is Passport to Texas Supported by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program

Wensley Guthrie was only eight years old when we met her eight years ago, at a Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo.

We still love her story about quail with her father David. A half lifetime ago, she told us about her role on their quail hunting trips.

51—It was really fun, but my dog didn’t get to come because he’s scared of everything. We left in the afternoon and got there at night time. In the morning we got up real early and went quail hunting. There are two kinds; I think I remember one of the names, and that is the Bobwhite. They’re not really little but they’re about medium size and they like to hide in the bushes, and my daddy shoots them, and if they fall in the bushes I have to go get them. And I think that they should switch dove season and quail season, because when we went dove hunting there were more quail than dove. And then when we went quail hunting there were more dove than quail.

Well, it’s eight years later and sorry to tell you Wensley – the seasons have not changed.

That’s our show… we receive support from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program… funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motor boat fuels.

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

This is Passport to Texas

As we near Halloween, we’re seeing more spider-themed decorations, because spiders can, after all, seem scary. But invertebrate biologist, Michael Warriner, says these arachnids are beneficial in the ecosystem.

11—Spiders are natural pest control agents. So, they’re eating lots of other things, and helping to control the populations of insects that can be pests [to humans].

Still, nobody wants spiders in their homes. Nevertheless, if you find them indoors…

06—They feed on other arthropods – things like roaches, beetles… They need a prey source.

A spider in your house is helping to keep pest populations down. Michael Warriner says spiders will come into the home for another reason as well.

26—They’ll wander into housed – especially during mating season. Male spiders will leave where they were living and they just wander. And they’re searching for females. And that’s what happens with a lot of people, they’ll see spiders in their house during particular times of the year. And it doesn’t necessarily mean you have an unkempt house, and you have lots of vermin. It just means that it’s spider mating season, and these spiders are out wandering around looking for mates.

What would you rather have in your home – a hungry spider or an amorous spider?

[SFX—oh, my darling…I love you]

Hmmm…Tough call.

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