Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

This school year, fourth grade teachers have a new tool—Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine.

Exxon Mobile generously gave us a donation to buy subscriptions for classrooms across Texas.

Managing editor, Louie Bond, says the issues will include a special section called Keep Texas Wild, which encourages curiosity about nature and conservation, using an interdisciplinary approach that goes beyond the obvious connection between nature, science and math.

How many great naturalist artists and nature photographers start out with a love of wildlife—and it’s just expressed through art. So, we want to tie in all curriculums: social studies, English, everything. In fourth grade you’re learning everything at once, so it’s really great to be interdisciplinary.

Teachers who log onto the Parks and Wildlife website will find additional resources.

Here at Texas Parks and Wildlife, we have an excellent outdoor education department, and they will be posting online some additional teacher resources for additional activities, more background information. So, if the teachers would like to expand the lesson even further, they’ll have plenty of guidance online.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation also helped make this yearlong pilot project possible.

We have additional information about Keep Texas Wild 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

Keep Texas Wild, a new section in Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine, brings a multidisciplinary approach to learning about the outdoors.

We wanted to offer something special that these students could really sink their teeth into every month. So, all of the fourth grade classrooms across Texas, public and private schools, will now begin receiving the magazine for a year.

The special section is made possible by a grant from ExxonMobil through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation. Managing editor, Louie Bond, says each fourth grade classroom will initially receive one subscription.

But we are making additional copies available at a very low cost, as well as additional subscriptions. Also on line, we’ll have a downloadable, printable PDF, so that teachers can print it out and hand to the class if they like.

During fourth grade, says Bond, children tend to be highly imaginative and open-minded.

Fourth grade is when reading skills become less labored and more comprehensive. They begin to really read for meaning, and explore deeper into the world. Also in Texas, the TEKS, the standards for learning, include a lot about the natural world and science in fourth grade, and getting out and investigating the natural world and learning more about it. So, it really fits into the curriculum of fourth grade.

We have additional information about Keep Texas Wild 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

If you have a bucket list—that’s an inventory of activities to accomplish before departing this mortal coil—be sure to include a fall camp out at a Texas state park. It’s heavenly. And this month Parks & Wildlife Television highlights state parks. Series Producer, Abe Moore.

Some of the parks we’re going to profile is Lockhart State Park, Purtis Creek State Park, which is between Dallas and Tyler, Lake Casa Blanca State Park, which is down by Laredo, and Ray Roberts Lake State Park north of Dallas.

Some of the aspects of Lockhart State Park, for example, is there’s actually a golf course there, which is kind of unique. And of course, you have your BBQ and camping, but it’s a nice little park.

We’re quite pleased we found this place; to me it’s a hidden gem in the State Park system.

And for folks in South Texas, down by Laredo, we have Lake Casa Blanca International State Park. And, it’s also great for camping and also great just the quiet.

Lake Casa Blanca SP offers people the opportunity to come and enjoy a piece of quietness and enjoy the sounds of nature and just relax.

So, every week on Parks and Wildlife Television we’ll have a park piece, so people can kind of get geared up for fall camping.

For more information go to 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

If you have a bucket list—that’s an inventory of activities to accomplish before departing this mortal coil—be sure to include a fall camp out at a Texas state park. It’s heavenly. And this month Parks & Wildlife Television highlights state parks. Series Producer, Abe Moore.

Some of the parks we’re going to profile is Lockhart State Park, Purtis Creek State Park, which is between Dallas and Tyler, Lake Casa Blanca State Park, which is down by Laredo, and Ray Roberts Lake State Park north of Dallas.

Some of the aspects of Lockhart State Park, for example, is there’s actually a golf course there, which is kind of unique. And of course, you have your BBQ and camping, but it’s a nice little park.

We’re quite pleased we found this place; to me it’s a hidden gem in the State Park system.

And for folks in South Texas, down by Laredo, we have Lake Casa Blanca International State Park. And, it’s also great for camping and also great just the quiet.

Lake Casa Blanca SP offers people the opportunity to come and enjoy a piece of quietness and enjoy the sounds of nature and just relax.

So, every week on Parks and Wildlife Television we’ll have a park piece, so people can kind of get geared up for fall camping.

For more information go to 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 and the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program

Dove season ushers in the fall hunting season. The question is: will you be ready?

Those hunters need to be thinking about some primary things that deal with safety.

Terry Erwin oversees Hunter Education programs at Texas Parks and Wildlife.

They need to make sure they have their hunter education class completed; they need to make sure those firearms are in good, operable condition; and one of the most important things is to get out there in the field and practice.

And Erwin says dove and quail hunters would do well to get in some practice with sporting clays, because nothing is more frustrating to a hunter than to spend a day in the field with only missed shots to show for it.

Sporting clays typically simulates the shooting scenarios that you’ll find in the dove field, or out in the quail fields. So, take advantage of this time and get out there an practice.

Erwin also offers some sobering advice to hunters.

And don’t forget. It’s really hot out there this time of the year. Keep hydrated. Keep the liquids flowing. But remember, don’t drink that alcohol.

That’s our show for today…supported by the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program. Working to increase fishing and hunting in Texas.

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

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