Passport to Texas

State Park Volunteer patch

State Parks: Become a Volunteer Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Maximize your time outdoors when you volunteer at a Texas State Park.

03—We basically have three different categories of volunteers.

These categories include locals who sign up for special projects, friends groups that fundraise for specific sites and—says Lori Reiley—the third category is park hosts.

13—And that is a program designed for—traditionally—retirees who travel around the state and in exchange for a campsite, they do twenty-five hours of labor in the park every week.

Reiley coordinates the state park volunteer program, and says people accepted as hosts, are required to make a time commitment.

12—The time frame is a minimum thirty-day commitment. And, the maximum is typically three months, but it can be extended depending on the park needs. The superintendent has the authority to extend that.

Most Texas State Parks offer host programs with plenty of work to help fill the twenty-five hour labor obligation.

17—We have everything from general grounds maintenance, or it could be cleaning the restrooms. What we really like is when we find people with special skills: carpentry, or graphic artists, or educators doing interpretive tours or education programs. So, it’s a variety.

Find more information on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Website.

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

Garner State Park overlook.

Recreation: Take Dad Outside for Father's Day Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Few people on our gift giving lists are harder to buy for than our fathers. Most men don’t want friends and family to make a big fuss over them on special days – but we’re going to do it anyway.

And on Father’s Day – June 16 — you can show Dad what he means to you by giving him the gift of the great Texas outdoors.

So how do you do that? You could buy him a Texas State Parks Pass (which is really like a gift for the whole family); it allows Dad unlimited access to all state parks for a year, discounts on camping, as well as discounts at state parks stores.

You could take Dad on a picnic at a state park or natural area. We have suggestions for creating a memorable picnicking experience – including recipes to try out — at texasstateparks.org/picnic.

If your dad likes to get out on his own for some quiet time with nature – because let’s face it, you can be a handful — and doesn’t already have a limited use permit from Parks and Wildlife, getting him one gives him access to a million acres of public land in Texas, where he can hike, mountain bike, watch wildlife, fish, and in some cases do a little primitive camping.

Texas is a big state that offers a wide range of recreational opportunities. Doesn’t your dad deserve Texas? After all: Because Life’s Better Outside.

Support for our series is provided by Ram Trucks; doing what’s right and good regardless of the degree of difficulty — takes guts. Those are the people who build Ram trucks. RAM.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Concrete pyramids for near shore reefing

Conservation: Public Reefing Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

An artificial reef is marine habitat created by man and placed on the ocean bottom for the benefit of marine life.

06 – Fish like structure. And just about anything you put overboard will attract fish.

Paul Hammerschmidt, with coastal fisheries, says a program called public or near-shore reefing allows the public to deposit reef materials into the gulf.

12 —We’re going to allow the general public to reef material within state territorial waters, and that will expand the number of artificial reefs that we have out in the Gulf of Mexico off of Texas.

You shouldn’t think of this as an invitation to dump your garage sale rejects into the gulf.

13 – We have certain criteria for the material. It has to be stable; it can’t fall apart, it can’t wash up on the beach, it can’t float…all of those things, which is just exactly what we comply with when we do our own reefing.

More reefs in the Gulf of Mexico will mean better fishing for coastal anglers.

03—Our charge is to increase fishing opportunities, and this is a really good way to do it.

Find details about near shore reefing on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

The Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series and provides funding for the operations and management of Sea Center Texas.

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

Alligator, Image by Earl Nottingham, © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Wildlife: Alligator in the Hood Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

With more alligators spotted by the public in residential areas, you might think you’d be better off selling your home. The fact is… there’s no need to panic if and when you see a gator in your neighborhood.

10 — We’re just trying to help people put it in perspective. People will begin to see more and more alligators in the future and not every alligator is going to be a problem.

Greg Creacy is a wildlife biologist currently based in Bastrop. He says horror movies and attacks by the more dangerous, and non-native crocodiles have caused people to be afraid of Texas alligators.

16 — The number of attacks by alligators in the US each year is less than injuries and fatalities from dogs, scorpions, snakes and sharks…all of those are much more dangerous to people than alligators.

So what do you do if you see an alligator? Keep a safe distance from them and keep pets away from them. Don’t swim in an area where there are alligators…and don’t feed them.

07 — Because people have fed that alligator they’ve broken down their natural fear that alligator has for people.

That’s our show for today…For information on living with alligators, as well as research reports and basic natural history, visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Website.

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

Palo Duro Canyon State Park, © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

TPW Magazine: Celebrating 50 Years of Texas Parks and Wildlife Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Fifty years of stewardship is something to celebrate…and Editor, Louie Bond, says TPW Magazine is pulling out all the stops for the July edition: a commemorative issue celebrating fifty years of Texas Parks and Wildlife.

59 – We are putting out a commemorative issue. We are so excited about our July issue; we feel it’s going to be the kind of issue that’s going to sit on your coffee table maybe for a year or so. We’re going all out to celebrate TPWD’s 50th anniversary as an agency by adding extra pages, upping our paper quality so the photographs will be more beautiful, and putting more photos than – I believe – we’ve ever put into any issue. And of course there are going to be those usual, stunning, great photos that just make you say ‘wow’ when you turn the page. So, we’re going to be talking about the great partnerships the agency’s had with all different groups across the state – which is really how we get a lot of work done. We’re going to be, of course, touring, our own accomplishments over the past 50 years. And out executive director, Carter Smith is going to write a piece about what we might expect in the next 50 years for Parks and Wildlife. I can’t wait to read that one myself. So, we’re hoping everyone will come and get this issue and share it with their friends and family and help us celebrate this wonderful 50th anniversary.

Thanks, Louie.

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.