Passport to Texas

Dinosaur Exhibit at Dinosaur Valley State Park

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Folks like you are participating in the Citizen’s Park Ranger Academy at Dinosaur Valley SP. They’re learning skills needed to run a state park.

05—We actually go into the field and put those skills to the test.

Tracy Mays, with Park Operations, says participants learn in a classroom what it takes to assume the various park jobs before going into the field.

16—Last year – our search and rescue – we went over what you do when you do find a lost person. We had four different activities set up, and we had different search parties going out to those different activities, and they were able to actually go into the field and rescue somebody.

Cadets range in age from 16 on up and must be physically able to handle the nature of the work.

18—They have to be able to climb; we have some very advanced trails. There’s some lifting. And, they have to be able to withstand heat, because that’s pretty much the part of being in the park and having on the trails and working on stuff. You are out in the elements, so they have to be able to withstand that.

The Citizen’s Park Ranger Academy takes place only at Dinosaur Valley, but other parks may offer it in the future. Meantime, Tracy says participants leave with a deeper appreciation of what it takes to keep their state parks running.

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

Dinosaur Footprint at Dinosaur Valley State Park

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There’s more to being a park ranger than putting on a uniform. That’s why the Citizen’s Park Ranger Academy exists at Dinosaur Valley State Park.

07— The academy is the brainchild of our then assistant manager Robert Enckhausen.

Tracy Mays is with Park Operations at Dinosaur Valley SP.

19—He came up with this idea so the citizens of the state could come and see firsthand what park rangers do. Not just park rangers, but police, EMTs, the wildland firefighters… and be able to be hands-on with the activities that we do day-to-day.

Tracy says the purpose of the academy is two-fold.

10—The academy basically is to get people intrigued about being a park ranger, and hopefully making more stewards for our future.

Last year was the first year for the academy, and one of the highlights happened after the helicopter landing zone class.

20—The day that they landed the care flight helicopter so that they could see what it was like to land a helicopter inside the park, well, maybe 30 minutes later we got a call that somebody had fallen, and we needed to land the bird again. And three of our Citizen’s Park Ranger Cadets were able to help us actually land the bird, since they had already done it.

I’ll have details about the academy tomorrow.

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

Camping with the Family

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This is Passport to Texas

It’s fall camping season, and Robert Owen with the Texas Outdoor Family program says if you keep the following suggestions in mind, you’ll have a great time on your next campout.

57—Plan ahead for your activities. Make sure you have a good pair of comfortable shoes to go along with your weekend; while you’re spending time on the trail you’ll want to keep your feet comfortable.

And also [bring some] binoculars – the winter months provide great opportunities for bird watching at Texas State Parks, and wildlife watching as well.

Would you say that going to texasstateparks.org is a good place for people to begin their camping trip?

Absolutely. It’s broken down into a map view, so you can find a park that’s nearby home or if you’re looking for a reason to get out and explore someplace new. It will tell you all about what the park has to offer; you can check out the park map there, and get a feel for what each campsite may offer. And, there may be a schedule of interpretive activities as well.

Thanks, Robert.

That’s our show for today. .. Funding provided in part by Ram Trucks. Guts. Glory. Ram

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