Passport to Texas

Texas River School; image courtesy of www.texasriverschool.org

Outdoor Education: Texas River School Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

About twenty years ago, Joe Kendall and some of his friends decided to help protect Texas Rivers by getting people involved in their care.

05 –We started doing cleanups, and started the foundation with the idea of having an adoption program.

Kendall is the founder and executive director of the Austin Chautauqua Foundation.

13 – We did festivals and Chautauquas—which is to combine entertainment and education and races. We ended up doing a program with some fifth graders, and we discovered that was probably the most rewarding thing for us; and we thought, also, for the rivers.

Rewarding for the rivers because the more people who know and love rivers, the more people there will be to protect them in the future. The Texas River School, borne of Kendall and company’s original idea, gets a diverse group of kids on the water.

23 – Fortunately, we have Texas Parks and Wildlife to thank for that. They have provided us with a grant every other year to take kids to the river that wouldn’t normally get a chance to go. They identify them as their non-traditional constituents…people that don’t use the parks. And they see that’s the minorities, economically disadvantaged, females and at-risk kids. So, we target all those areas and have taken over four thousand through our discover the source program.

The source, in this case, is the spring that feeds Barton Creek in Austin. We’ll tell you more about River School activities tomorrow.

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

Kevin Fowler with Texas Parks and Wildlife video crew shooting Take Care of Texas PSA

Conservation: Take Care of Texas Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

[Radio PSA – Kevin Fowler]

Country rocker, and native Texan, Kevin Fowler jumped at the chance to write and donate the jingle for the Take Care of Texas public service campaign.

09— You know, I’ve always been a big outdoorsman – a big hunter, a big fisherman – and I’m big into land stewardship and water conservation. Just Texas and the environment; and it just seems like the perfect fit.

The campaign, from the Texas Commission on Environmental quality, with support from Texas Parks and Wildlife, encourages personal responsibility when it comes to conserving our natural resources.

09— You know, I’m a born and bred Texan. And I love Texas and I love Texas outdoors. And I think we should all do the best we can to take care of it, and pass it on for future generations.

Fowler recorded both a television and radio PSA for the campaign, which you can find on the Take Care of Texas website. The site provides helpful tips for conserving water, energy and reducing waste around the house and office.

09— [music] You’ve got to take care of Texas; it’s the only one we’ve got. For more tips on keeping Texas great, visit Take Care of Texas dot org.

Take the Take Care of Texas Pledge on Take Care of Texas dot org and receive a free Texas State Park Guide and a Take Care of Texas sticker in the mail.

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

Divers exploring artificial reef in Texas Gulf

Fish/Conservation: Value of Artificial Reefs Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

We call outdated oil rigs, decommissioned ships and other materials placed in the Gulf of Mexico (where they become marine habitat) artificial reefs.

06— Smaller type of organisms will attach to that and begin the basics of a food web.

Dale Shively oversees the Artificial Reef program for Texas Parks and Wildlife. Small marine organisms — which are always in the gulf, but diffuse — become concentrated on reefed materials, which in turn attract a variety of fish species.

06— So, you’re basically giving the marine environment a base, or foundation to get started on.

Artificial reefs – in federal and state waters – create improved angling and diving opportunities; that brings dollars to coastal communities.

13—By creating artificial reefs, we’ve helped to increase those populations of marine life, and basically give divers and anglers more opportunities to experience those types of things out in the gulf.

These man made reefs will last for many decades, enhancing the ecosystem and angling for generations to come.

11— Unless they’re a migratory species, once fish and marine life have acclimated to that area, and start to reproduce, then they’ll stay there and will spend most of their life in that one particular area.

The Sport Fish restoration program supports our series and is funded by your purchase of fishing equipment and motorboat fuel.

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

Fish inhabit reefed oil platform.

Fish/Conservation: Artificial Reef Program Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

All year long we’re highlighting milestones achieved by Texas Parks and Wildlife during its 50 year history as an agency. Today, we recognize the Artificial Reef Program.

09— The program officially started in 1989 when the Texas Legislature tasked Parks and Wildlife to preserve marine life out in the gulf of Mexico.

Program leader, Dale Shively, says the Artificial Reef program started in earnest following approval of its management plan in1990.

14—An artificial reef is an environment where we take man made materials like concrete and steel, ships and oil platforms…and position those within a reef area to mimic a natural reef environment.

Artificial reefs provide hard substrate otherwise lacking in the gulf. The materials immediately attract marine life.

16—In most cases, marine organisms will attach and create an ecosystem within a few days. In some cases such as oil platforms, those platforms have been out there for thirty some years. So, they’re pretty well covered with marine life before we do anything to them.

Artificial reefing benefits sport fishing and the Texas economy – that’s tomorrow.

The Sport Fish restoration program supports our series and is funded by your purchase of fishing equipment and motorboat fuel.

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

Texas Water Smart

Conservation: Texas Water Smart Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Despite recent rains in some parts of the state, Texas continues to suffer from withering drought conditions, which could worsen as summer continues.

While we can’t control Mother Nature, we can control our water use by developing water-conscious habits – especially when it comes to our lawns and gardens, where most home water use and waste occurs.

A new effort called Texas Water Smart provides water-conserving guidelines to help Texans reduce their water use.

Texas Water Smart tips include: Water your lawn or garden in the morning when temperatures are cooler to minimize evaporation. Adjust sprinklers so you water only your lawn and not the driveway or street.

Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway and sidewalk. Install a rain sensor on your irrigation system so it won’t run when it’s raining. When necessary, replace ornamental plants with water conscious varieties…and periodically check outdoor faucets, sprinklers and hoses for leaks.

These simple acts can save thousands of gallons of water annually for your household, and for Texas. Plus, it helps keep more money in your pocket…and that’s no drop in the bucket. More tips at texaswatersmart.com.

Support provided by Ram Trucks. Doing what’s right and good regardless of the degree of difficulty — takes guts. Those are the people who build Ram trucks. RAM.

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