Passport to Texas

Nature: Why Wildflowers? Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Texas roadsides will be awash in colorful wildflowers soon. Dr. Damon Waitt, senior botanist at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, says these and other native plants have a place in the built landscape as well as nature’s landscape.

61—Natives provide really important ecosystem services for local wildlife, pollinators.

There are a lot of people who might look at wildflowers and native plants and say, gosh, how do those fit into my idea of a formal landscape. That’s something we’re really trying to fight—that concept that if you’re a native plant enthusiast, then your yard must look wild and unkempt. At the wildflower center, we model different design styles using native plants, and you can use native plants in very high designs and very formal designs if that’s the look you’re going for.

Find plants that are right for you at wildflower.org.

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

Recreation: Off Highway Vehicles and Nature Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Since the creation of the Texas Off Highway Vehicle program 6 1/2 years ago, Texas Parks and Wildlife has worked with communities and nonprofit groups to identify and develop safe and legal venues for Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts to utilize. Steve Thompson manages the program for the agency.

21—The OHV program at Texas Parks and Wildlife tries to create or improve existing OHV venues that have legal access to the land; that have common sense rules about park patron safety; that promote the safe and responsible use of the vehicles themselves; and have rules that manage the park in a way that protects the cultural and biological resources of the park.

Most of us spend time in the natural world to distance ourselves from urban realities—such as the seemingly unending drone of traffic. Therefore, the sounds made by two and four wheeled motorized vehicles rolling through a state park or natural area may seem unappealing. This is something taken into consideration when developing an OHV site.

25—One of the national best practice standards for OHV recreation is the limit on sound. The National standard for sound emitted from an OHV is 96 decibels. Every recreational use from public lands comes with some impact. And it needs to be managed in a way that protects the resource and the other folks that share it. And sound is an important issue; and we try to minimize sound by having standards like the 96 decibel limit.

Find additional information about Texas’ OHV program on the Parks and Wildlife website.

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

Stewardship: Land Management Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Al Brothers, of Berclair, Texas, views hunting as an outdoor experience; the opportunity to harvest deer is simply bonus.

Mr. Brothers, a ranch manager, values thoughtful white-tailed deer management on private land, and recognizes that sound conservation practices lead to sound economics.

52—The whole idea of quality deer management is: let’s maintain a healthy herd; and what you would term as a trophy animal is basically a by-product of maintaining a good, healthy herd. When you have a good herd, and have good buck doe ratios, good age structure, good recruitment, and the numbers are in tune with the habitat, and then you have quality animals out there.

I have a quality experience every time I go out. And occasionally I’ll fire a shot.

Find landowner assistance programs on the parks and wildlife website.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series, and is funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motorboat fuel.

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

Great Texas Birding Classic Goes on for Some Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Great Texas Birding Classic—a yearly week-long birding competition on the Texas coast is taking 2012 off to reevaluate, says Shelly Plante, nature tourism coordinator for Parks and Wildlife.

06—With this down economy, and some of the cutbacks we’ve had at parks and wildlife, this year was a tough year.

The 15 year old competition attracted dedicated birders from around the globe, who donated more than three-quarters of a million dollars to habitat projects. And some of those birders aren’t about to let the fact the classic is on hold keep them from their yearly tradition.

37— This is true. We sent out letters in January letting past participants and supporters know that 2012 was the year that we were taking off on the birding classic to really plan for 2013. And, so far we’ve heard from a few teams out there who are just going to do the classic anyway. This is their passion, this is what they do every April with their families and their friends, and they really are passionate about bird watching and Texas habitat conservation. They said they are going to do their own teams; they’re going to go out informally and keep checklists. And they’re going to donate money to habitat projects on behalf of the birding classic even though formally we’re not existing.

Shelly says the agency will support the birders via the birding classic website and Facebook page.

11—Teams are going to be able to talk about what they’re seeing, post photos, post their species totals for their count days, and really have a forum for their bragging rights of what they’ve done out on the Texas coast.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Great Texas Birding Classic is On Hold Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This year will be an interesting one for the annual Great Texas Birding Classic, which is a week-long birding competition in April on the Texas coast.

20—After 15 years of a really successful run, donating a lot of money to on the ground projects in Texas for habitat conservation for birds, we are going to be taking the year off and spending this year re-envisioning the classic, and coming back in 2013 with a newly re-energized and exciting event with some new twists.

Shelly Plante is nature tourism coordinator for Parks and Wildlife. For nearly half of the classic’s 15 year run, it partnered with the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory. But because of the down economy, the observatory decided to hold a yearly auction instead, with proceeds benefiting habitat conservation.

11—Parks and Wildlife is going to be taking back the birding classic and try to figure out ways to streamline it financially and logistically; keeping costs down yet still keep to the mission of the classic.

The mission includes outreach and education, engaging new birders, nature tourism in Texas and conservation fundraising.

16—So, that will be our focus moving forward. And we think by giving ourselves 2012 to really think about this and meet with partners and meet with past participants who have a passion for the event, we can come up with something really great for 2013 that will make a lot of sense in this economy, while still accomplishing those missions.

But for some…the classic goes on…details tomorrow.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.