Passport to Texas

Government Canyon State Natural Area’s new Naturescape.

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This is Passport to Texas

As San Antonio families with young children discover the close proximity of Government Canyon State Natural Area to their homes, more of them visit the site.

We were here, and folks just didn’t realize it. Now, we are being discovered. Folks are coming out from the local neighborhoods—and the word’s getting out.

Superintendent Chris Holm says the site offers 40 miles of rugged trails for hiking and biking. Yet, during periods of heavy rain, staff close the trails until they dry out. What’s a family with kids to do? Since March, they’ve enjoyed a new ADA accessible playscape.

Being that we are a natural area, we went more for not the regular swings and slides and monkey bars kind of playground—we wanted something that blended more with the natural area. And so, being able to offer things like logs and big boulders and rock steps and a little creek bed that kids can play in. It’s been real popular.

Last month Government Canyon State Natural Area also opened an all-weather, one and a quarter mile accessible interpretive nature trail.

You can take a wheelchair on it. We don’t allow bikes or dogs back there. Over the next year, we’ll be adding in interpretive education signing to the trail as well. It’s a really nice trail.

Find more information about Government Canyon State Natural Area at texasstateparks.org.

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

One of the many wild spaces at Government Canyon State Natural Area.

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This is Passport to Texas

Comprised of more than 12-thousand acres of mostly undeveloped land, Government Canyon State Natural Area, outside of San Antonio, is not a state park.

Although we’re part of the Texas State Park system—we’re actually a natural area. So, our focus is primarily natural and cultural resource management. However, we do provide recreational opportunities here. We have about 40 miles of hiking and biking trails.

Superintendent Chris Holm says guests experience something entirely unique when they visit the site.

It is a unique experience, as we’re so close to the city of San Antonio. But yet, when you get out here and start hiking or biking into what we call the backcountry area, you think you’re out in the great wilderness of the North or something.

Open for visitation Friday through Monday only, Government Canyon frequently reaches maximum site occupancy on weekends.

Almost every weekend we’ll have a capacity closure because we get too many people coming out. We want people to experience Government Canyon. We want them to develop a love of the place. Stewardship. But at the same time we don’t want it to be destroyed [from overuse]. And, so, there’s a balancing act.

Tuesdays through Thursdays, site staff focus on resource management. There’s more info on Government Canyon at texasstateparks.org.

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

Enjoying a Mother’s Day picnic at a Texas State Park.

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A card and breakfast in bed is a fine way to show mom your appreciation on Mother’s Day; but what about packing a picnic and taking mom to a state park instead?

With more than ninety Texas State Parks, there’s one close to you with plenty of outdoor opportunities for the entire family. But remember: keep the focus on mom.

Do you have an active mom? Then don some sturdy footwear and sunscreen and take to the trails for an invigorating hike [or nature walk]. Or, bring your bikes and take a freewheeling whirl around your favorite—or new favorite—park.

Remember the binoculars for wildlife viewing, and a camera so you can snap selfies with your mom in nature.

And that picnic? I have a link at passporttotexas.org to recipes that are perfect to take along on your Mother’s Day outing.

It doesn’t get much better than a picnic lunch surrounded by family and nature’s beauty.

Oh, and you know that Mother’s Day card you’re going to give to mom no matter what? How about tucking a State Park Pass into it so she can visit Texas State Parks all year long for free. Do that, you’ll be her favorite, for sure.

Find more information at texasstateparks.org.

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

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

Don Cash’s frog pond.

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This is Passport to Texas

Don Cash is one of the producers of the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV series on PBS. At work, he creates the shows. At home, he creates wildlife habitat.

As a matter of fact, when I leave here and head home, I have my own little nature preserve waiting for me.  This…is my frog pond.

Don, who lives in southwestern Travis County, started his pond about 10 years ago, first filling it with goldfish.

Now, the goldfish are really nice, but the pond attracts other animals as well. Every spring it seems every frog in the neighborhood hangs out here.

Don wanted to know how frogs find his pond, when the nearest creek is three miles away, so he asked Andy Gluesenkamp, Director of Conservation at the San Antonio Zoo, to explain.

Part of it is random chance, frogs finding it. But also, once a frog finds it, and there’s a male calling, other frogs are going to be attracted to that.

Andy says frogs aren’t the only ones using the pond.

When you build a fish pond you can expect other wildlife to show up. Birds will come and drink and bathe. Frogs will show up and breed and feed. And then snakes and other predators may show up and feed on those frogs.

Leopard frogs, Gulf Coast toads and myriad other critters call Don Cash’s frog pond home. And it’s featured on the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV show next week. Check local listings.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series.

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

Fungus that causes White Nose Syndrome discovered in six Caves in the Texas Panhandle.

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This is Passport to Texas

Texas has the highest diversity of bats in the nation: 33 documented species in 4 families.

And [Texas] is where a lot of eastern and western bats comingle.

That’s a problem, says mammologist Jonah Evans, now that the fungus that causes the bat killing disease White Nose Syndrome was discovered this year in six Panhandle counties.

The other big concern is our Mexican Free-tailed bats, because they migrate and do not hibernate, they are not expected to suffer the same level of catastrophic impacts from the fungus. However, because they don’t die when they are exposed to the fungus—potentially—that would make them even better at spreading it. It is sort of a bat Armageddon situation.

Mexican Free-tail bats migrate in huge numbers across the Americas, creating concern they may spread the fungus.

When really susceptible species get the fungus, usually about 80 percent of the mortality happens in the first year that the disease turns up. What that tells us is that we have to be very proactive on the front end. We have to really start doing something soon. If we wait, we’re going to be trying to treat these stragglers that are left over, and the bulk of the population will be lost.

Researchers continue searching for treatments and cures. Find information about White Nose Syndrome, and decontamination protocol for cavers, on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

The Wildlife Restoration program supports our series.

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