Passport to Texas

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

(bird call under open) Thirty-nine years ago, the soil conservation technician told me I bought the worst piece of land in Blanco County.

J. David Bamberger and his wife Margaret have dedicated themselves to restoring ecological balance to their fifty-five hundred acre Blanco County ranch. The land, previously misused, was dry when they bought it.

We embarked on a five-year plan to do habitat restoration. In no time at all—in two and a half years—after we began, the first spring came to life.

The restoration process included the removal of cedar trees, and planting native grasses. Since the rebirth of the first spring, ten others have come back to life.

And, seven and a half years after we began, two creeks began to run. So, this is really a story of grass. And grass means water, and grass means healthy cattle, it means healthy hunting. It means a happier, healthier life for those of us who live here.

The Selah, Bamberger Ranch,http://www.bambergerranch.org/, is this year’s regional winner of the Lone Star land Steward (LSLS) Award for the Edwards Plateau.

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.

Land Steward Regional Winner for the Edwards Plateau, 1 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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

Fishing is a very family oriented activity.

That’s why it will be featured prominently at this year’s Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo, October 4 and 5. Ron Smith with Inland fisheries is coordinating the new Fishing FUNdamentals area at this year’s festival. He says fishing is a multi-faceted activity.

It promotes conservation, stewardship, time with the family, time with good friends, time outdoors. All of the things that Parks and Wildlife represents, fishing has a big part in.

It used to be folks interested in fishing had to go to several locations around Expo grounds to get their questions answered—but not this year!

This time we’re going to try to bring everything into one place. So that someone at Expo—if they have any kind of question whatsoever about fishing—or are interested in any kind of fishing activity, or going anywhere in Texas to go fishing, we can answer those questions in one spot.

Expo gives visitors of all ages the opportunity to actually catch a fish, and if it is your first fish, we’ll make a big deal about it. In addition, the husband and wife professional angling team of Hector and Diane de la Garza will be on hand to demonstrate techniques and answer your questions.

We have more information at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… providing funding for the operations and management of the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

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

Expo: Fishing FUNdamentals, 2 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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

In less than a month, tens of thousands of visitors will converge on Texas Parks and Wildlife Headquarters in Austin for a weekend of outdoor enjoyment at the annual Expo. Ron Smith invites everyone to the Fishing FUNdamentals area.

Fishing fundamentals is a little bit of everything fishing.

Smith, with Inland Fisheries, is managing this area for Expo.

So, whether they haven’t fished before, or whether they’re going to try a new specialty type of fishing, or they want to just know where to go, or where the fish are biting, or about conservation, or safety—we’re going to have a little bit of everything at this booth. Hopefully, to provide them with the next step that they can take in enjoying fishing in Texas.

Visitors who come from urban areas may be surprised by what they learn at Fishing Fundamentals.

Many of the ones that live in urban areas have never been fishing and they don’t realize they may have a fishing hole right close to their home that they can get to very easily, and they don’t have to go many miles to get to a fishing spot. So, that’s one of the things that we’re trying to do—inform folks that they don’t have to go far to fish.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo is October 4 and 5 from 9-5 both days, and it’s free.

That’s our show… with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… providing funding for the operations and management of the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

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

Expo: Fishing FUNdamentals, 1 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

You will meet some unusual critters in the October issue if Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine. Managing editor, Louie Bond.

In one feature we’re going to be talking about ringtail cats. Which are on of my favorite animals. A lot of people here in Texas actually have never seen a ringtail cat, but they’re really pretty common. It’s just being at the right place at the right time, I guess. Our author, Wendee Holtcamp, goes trying to trap some and seem them for herself. But they loaded their live trap with sardines, apples and bananas.

For example, certain species who depend on the Blackland prairies, if the Blackland prairie is disappearing, what is the future of these species. They haven’t even completed a list of what we have yet, much less of what we’re losing. So, this is probably one of the most vital subject that we cover all year long.

Thanks, Louie. The October issue is on newsstands now.

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

Texas Park and Wildlife Magazine October Update Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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

We get about 20-dollars per plate. And, on average, we sell about ten thousand plates, and that generates around 200-thousand dollars a year.

Matt Wagner, program director for wildlife diversity, is talking about the horned lizard conservation license plate. The money it generates supports the projects of the wildlife action plan.

The wildlife action plan is a strategy for conserving non-game wildlife and fish.

Most wildlife in Texas is non-game and the wildlife action plan will help us to understand them better.

We’ve discovered that there’s quite a demand for our freshwater turtles in terms of their value as meat, being sold to other countries. And so we have a statewide study to look at our freshwater turtle populations. We also are putting money into the conservation of the horned lizard. We’re about the decline of the horned lizard in parts of our state. And, we have some genetic work going on, and some other population analysis going on in the state that will hopefully reveal some answers to some of those questions.

Funds also support work with landowners to restore native habitat. Learn more at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…with support from the Wildlife restoration program… providing funding for the Private Lands and Habitat Enhancement Program … For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Wildlife Action Plan, 2 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download