Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Wildlife Restoration Program

[wind] People from the city might think, this is God-forsaken country, and how could anything live off of this. But in reality, it’s a smorgasbord for the deer and the wildlife. [truck pulling away]

The High Lonesome Ranch covers 43-hundred acres of arid South Texas brush land in McMullen County. Charles and Nancy Hundley own and operate the ranch.

We’re in the middle of a big transformation that’s taking place in Texas. I was born and raised on a dairy farm, and I watched the family farm die as we know it. [cow moos] The beef industry is pretty much in the same position, and money is what drives it. There’s a lot more [money] in wildlife than there is in cattle.

The Hundleys have spent over ten years transforming their ranch from a parched patch of land into a premier hunting destination.

Any time you develop a herd that’s better: more deer, bigger deer, bigger horns… You take care of the doves and the ducks…it’s always better for wildlife if they come and thrive here than it was when they couldn’t.

The High Lonesome ranch is the regional winner of the Lone Star Land Steward Award for the south Texas eco-region.

That’s our show… with support from the Wildlife restoration Program… providing funding for the Private Lands and Public Hunting Program.

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

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Horse rides and cattle trails…a dime a dozen in Texas…but saddling up camels?

In 1857, there was one very glamorous expedition, so to speak, that left San Antonio and took 24 of the US Army camels and made it all the way to Los Angeles.

Doug Baum became fascinated with the historic US Camel Corps and established a unit of his own: the Texas Camel Corps. It’s up for hire—not to the military—but to folks interested in trekking alongside camels on an educational and breathtaking camel-assisted excursion through Monahans Sandhills State Park.

It fits exactly what everyone’s image, the romantic ideal is, of a desert. What we do out there guiding camel treks is overnight. We actually start in a public area and head way out into the dunes. There’s some coyotes up there, feral hog, deer. The wildlife is beautiful, but we go into areas where most folks simply don’t go. And you can thank the camels for that: they’re carrying all the supplies for us.

True, it’s a literal walk in the park, but don’t expect a walk in the park.

Just moving through the terrain, working with the camels. I teach these folks how to the hobble camels, how to lead the camels, how to kneel them down so they can load and unload gear. This may push some folks limits, and I think that’s fabulous.

Trek to our website for more on camel tours at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Sarah Loden… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Joke all you want that Texas doesn’t have four seasons; you can witness some amazing autumn scenery at Lost Maples SP.

Autumn’s a good time to come to Lost Maples [State Park] cuz of the Fall foliage and brilliant colors we have here.

John Stuart is Park Superintendent. He explains that the leaves are charmed into changing color by the season’s weather, but where the real magic occurs is inside them, where a chemical process takes place.

Most of the year, when the leaves are green, you have a lot of chlorophyll in the plant; and that’s what actually feeds the tree and keeps it growing. And if the water supply is cut off and cold weather comes around, then the chlorophyll breaks down and leaves the other pigments remaining. On cloudy warm days, starches form tannins and they make it brown. And If it’s cold and sunny, then the sugars come to bear on the leaf, and they form with the proteins and it makes the beautiful colors we enjoy when we come out here.

It’s not just the colors that are special. They call them Big Tooth Maples because their leaves, though smaller in comparison to others, have deep cuts between its fingers. And you don’t find them many other places.

The Ice Ages wiped out most of the Big Tooth Maples across the continent. These are just surviving pockets. So they’re lost simply because what are they doing out there by their selves.

More on these magnificent trees at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Sarah Loden… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

The truth about Texas is…

We can’t state this enough: twenty-first century Texas is very different than twentieth century Texas.

Those differences, says Texas Parks and Wildlife Executive Director Carter Smith, include a state that has become mostly urban.

Eighty percent of our population lives in urban areas. Three out of the top ten cities in the country, with respect to size, are found here in Texas. We’re the fastest growing state in the country.

In addition, the state also has a rapidly growing Hispanic population. Smith says being responsive to urbanites and Hispanics will help to engage these populations in the agency’s conservation mission.

I think that if we, as an agency, are going to be as responsive to what’s happening demographically in this state, we have to think very strategically about how we reach out with our programs and actions to urban audiences, and also those that are of Hispanic origin. So, I think we have some opportunities there to help share our mission, and to help engage more people in our work, but that’s going to take some focus.

Smith adds he is mindful the agency must not alienate its current constituency while reaching out to new groups.

Learn about Texas Parks and Wildlife outreach initiatives at passporttotexas.org.

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

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

The opening of Bastrop’s new paddling trail was a bang and splash!

On your mark, get set. [horn blast and buzz] Whoo! The race has started. Go get ‘em guys!

At the sound of his siren, conservation coordinator for coastal fisheries, Bob Spain set loose the national championships for aluminum canoes and marked the opening of the new, inland Wilbarger Paddling Trail. It’s accessible to all levels of paddlers, so you can come out to enjoy the scenery that the racers passed up for the finish line.

The new trail is on the Colorado River, of course. It starts about 14 miles from the city of Bastrop. It’s a meandering stream with no real difficulty; no major rapids. It’s just kind of a unique area. There’s a few islands in there, a few little rock gardens, and a lot of bird life there. It’s just a fun thing to do. You can go to areas you can’t get with a car, you can experience wildlife you’ll never get to see, and until you’ve experienced a float trip, you just don’t know it’s out there.

And that perch from your boat—gliding past the landscape, feeling the spray of water—offers a personal connection with nature. [canoe gliding in water_sfx]

It just gives people an opportunity to know about a segment and to appreciate the river. We’ll all be more conscious of trying to save and preserve as people know it’s out there.

Learn more at passporttotexas.org. See you on the river!

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Sarah Loden… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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