Passport to Texas

TPW Magazine April Cover

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April is a gorgeous month in the state. The blue skies and mild weather always gets Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine Editor Louie Bond thinking about the outdoor places she’d like to be.

61— This inspired our first article a couple of years ago called best of Texas Naturally. And that first year we just did staff picks. Last year we decided to expand that a little and we went throughout Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and asked for their nominations for their favorite natural things in Texas. So, this year, we’ve spread our circle even a little wider, and we’ve gone to the natural partners for Texas Parks and Wildlife. We have one called the best historical font, that’s not Times Roman, nominated by Andy Sansom, former Executive Director of the agency. And he nominated Aquarina Springs Resort, which is now called the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. Another one is from another former TPWD guy, Larry McKinney at the Hart Institute. And he nominated the Devil’s River as The Best River to Know Where – which is the K-N-O-W kind of know where. So, you get where we’re going with this. And it’s all meant to inspire you for some new places to go and visit in this great state ours. So, we hope April inspires you to get out the rest of the year and enjoy Texas.

Thanks, Louie.

The April issue of Texas parks and Wildlife Magazine is on newsstands now.

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

Tree planting in Bastrop State Park

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About 96% of Bastrop State Park burned in the 2011 Labor Day Wildfires. Since then, Texas Parks and Wildlife has been restoring the park with the help of various groups. Texas Parks and Wildlife TV producer Alan Fisher followed one group of young people from American Youth Works as they pitched in.

54 – The have a program called the Texas Conservation Corps. These young people are basically at a point in their life where they can take on a long-term stint working outdoors on public lands, doing various kinds of work, and getting a small stipend. But, they’re mostly there because they want to pitch in and contribute. I’m here because I used to come here as a kid, and I really enjoyed it; I want to give back to it. So, I followed them doing a variety of work; they were marking and clearing trees. They were also constructing bridges using materials from the park – using drought-killed and fire-killed trees. They can make lovely bridges, and they fit right in the with the CCC [Civilian Conservation Corps] look. Somebody referred to it as the CCC with tattoos and piercings. They are tattooed, they do have long hair and they have piercings — but they are such kind, wonderful people. When they go out people recognize them and know the work that they’re doing, and they get thanked almost everywhere they go. I think it makes the long days a little easier for them.

This segment airs on the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV Series during the last week of March on PBS stations; check your local listings.

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

Kids out birding

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Competitive and casual birders are putting together teams for the Annual Great Texas Birding Classic; they’ll compete for a chance to help save avian habitat. Coordinator, Shelly Plante says the tournaments for all skill levels and ages, and can be great fun,

51—There have been people who do a big sit in their backyard. They get their friends to come over, they hang out; they make a day of it. This really is the tailgate party for birding. You can hang out and just have fun in a very small area and have friends visit throughout the day and see what birds you see, submit your checklist, and who knows – you might win.

The winning team is the team in each category that sees or hears and identifies the most species of birds. What does that get you? For the kids, it will gets you some prizes. The rest of the teams are going to win winner’s certificates that recognize them as the winners of their tournament category. We’ll post it on the website. And then, some of the winning teams are going to select a conservation project that receives all this grant money. This event is self-funded; all registration fees that come in go into a pot of money for grants.

Registration deadline is April 1st. Find tournament details at birdingclassic.org.

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

Great Texas Birding Classic

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This is Passport to Texas

The Great Texas Birding Classic is statewide this year, runs April 15 through May 15, and offers tournaments, for all skill levels. Coordinator, Shelly Plante.

57—You can be a beginning birder and you can take part in just a Big Sit – that’s birding from a 17-foot-diameter circle. It’s really for fun; we call it the tailgate party of birding. Then there are the big days. Those people who want to go for 24 hours, be super competitive, see as many birds as they can, go as many places as they can, in a 24-hour period. In between these two extremes, you have the Sunrise to Noon Birder – a new tournament where you start at dawn and your bird until 12-noon. So, maybe you can’t get around as easily; maybe you don’t want to go to as many spots. But you do want to hit a handful of your favorite spots. This is the tournament for you. You don’t have to be running around all day. You can just have a lot of fun and go out with your friends. We also have kids tournaments, teenaged tournaments, tournaments for the blind. There really is something for everyone. I encourage you to go to the website to look at all the different kinds of categories and ways you can participate, because you do not have to be really competitive – you can go out and have a lot of fun. But, if you are competitive, there’s something for you, too.

Registration deadline is April 1st. Find tournament details at birdingclassic.org.

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

Assisting a child put up a tent

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It’s spring and folks are heading to state parks for outdoor fun. Our State Park Guide, Bryan Frazier, has tips to keep your family safe and comfy while outdoors.

58—A modest amount of common sense can really make that trip safe, enjoyable, and memorable so you’ll want to come back and do it again and again. Wear sunscreen, even in early spring; that old Texas sun can get pretty strong. Take extra precaution if you’re going to be around water. The warmer weather brings out all sorts of water critters like amphibians, snakes and turtles – and we want to take photos of them and observe them, but we don’t want to get too close. If you’re going to do paddling sports, check the water levels before you go. We’ve had drought in lots of areas. Check for burn bans before you go on your trip; a lot of people want that campfire experience, so check those burn bans. Spring is a great time for fishing, but make sure you take life jackets. There has to be a life jacket in a watercraft for everyone in the boat; children always have to wear theirs when they’re out on the water. So, keep these things in mind, and get outside and enjoy what spring is like in Texas.

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.