Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

Parks and Wildlife presents awards to landowners for excellence in habitat management and wildlife conservation on their lands. You’ll meet several winners this month on the Texas Parks and Wildlife PBS TV series; producer, Alan Fisher.

In January we’ll visit three Lone Star land Steward award winners from the Pineywoods to the Panhandle. One is actually a coalition of landowners in the Edwards Plateau who use the benefits of prescribed fire to restore their habitat.

I think sometimes people get the impression that conservation is a luxury. These land stewards can show us that managing for wildlife and making a living off the land are very compatible things.

Find a list of stations that broadcast the series on the Texas parks and Wildlife website.

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

TPW TV: Lone Star Land Stewards Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

One of the most pressing issues facing decision-makers when it comes to the Gulf of Mexico may be how they ultimately balance economic priorities with ecological needs. Producer, Lee Smith, addresses these and other issues in the latest water documentary from Texas Parks and Wildlife.

07—These contradictory interests have to be balanced and dealt with as we go forward.

Smith says this summer’s devastating oil spill in the gulf brought the issues of economics and ecology into the public consciousness as never before and helped him to tell the gulf’s story.

16—To have the BP spill happen you know, was almost—I hate to say this—fortuitous in many respects, because there’s a lot of exposition that I don’t have to do. People are now funded in a lot of these issues.

The documentary doesn’t focus on contentious issues, and it doesn’t take sides about whether we do or don’t want certain industries utilizing the resources of the gulf.

09—We’re getting more into the effects of what’s going on with the activity, which is here and has always been here and will be here for the foreseeable future.

Whether that activity is offshore drilling, fishing, recreation, or even natural disasters… The documentary airs early next year on PBS stations across Texas. Find a station near you at www.texasthestateofwater.org.

We receive support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…working to educate Texans about conserving water for humans and wildlife.

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

Conservation: Texas Water Documentary, 2 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

I had a chance to sit down with Lee Smith last month. He produces the water documentaries for Parks and Wildlife.

06—The next water documentary is going to be on the Gulf of Mexico. That’s kind of like saying “the universe” in many ways.

This is the fifth water documentary in the series; and as Smith says telling this story is no small feat.

15—It’s probably the largest scope for a water documentary that we’ve attempted so far—which is one of the things I’m grappling with. We’re going to try and describe what makes it so unique and so valuable to protect.

Nearly a year and a half into his planning and filming, the British Petroleum oil spill dominated the news and gulf ecosystem.

18—I’m not going to try to retell the story of the oil spill. And in many ways, what it does is it affords us an opportunity to discuss in a much more relevant way the kind of contention between the ecology and the economy.

We’ll have more on the upcoming documentary tomorrow.

The Gulf of Mexico water documentary airs early next year on PBS stations across Texas. At the time we produced our show, the exact date was unavailable.

We receive support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…working to educate Texans about conserving water for humans and wildlife…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Conservation: Texas Water Documentary, 1 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Imagine spring in Texas without roadsides awash in colorful wildflowers. Dr. Damon Waitt, senior botanist at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, says these native plants don’t just make us smile, they serve us in other important ways as well.

Native plants have natural benefits in the natural benefits in the natural landscape. They provide really important ecosystem services for local wildlife, pollinators. They filter storm water and rainwater, so they provide all these services to the ecosystem, and they can provide similar services in the built landscape, and reduce things like water use, pesticide use and fertilizer use. In addition, they have the aesthetic qualities that we want people to appreciate, so they’re not looking for that next exotic ornamental—that they ‘re more interested in finding that next native plant that looks great and functions perfectly in their environment. 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. At the wildflower center, we model different design styles using native plants. 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. When, in fact, 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.

Nature: Wildflowers & Other Natives Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

It may seem counter-intuitive that a wetland—something that’s filled with water—can actually help to reduce the amount of floodwater that reaches the built environment during extreme weather events.

06—Because it holds the water in and then releases it at a much more controlled rate over a longer period of time.

Nathan Kuhn, a wetlands biologist with parks and Wildlife, says flooding may still occur, but…

07—Flooding isn’t as severe, and so there’s less damage essentially being caused by these storm events.

We’re slowing gaining an appreciation for the benefits of wetlands, and we mostly understand that they are not worthless, stinking, mosquito infested swamps, to fill in for future development.

Nevertheless, we’ve lost acres of coastal wetlands due to that thinking and action, and so flooding in parts of Texas can be absolutely devastating during extreme weather events.

15—We’re not normally dealing with extreme events. But, when we do have those extreme events, then we’re getting the flooding that we’ve never really seen before in many cases due to the lack of wetlands. That’s because there’s so much hard surface now, where there used to be exposed soil to soak up that water.

Learn about wetlands on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

Our show receives support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…working to increase fishing, hunting, shooting and boating opportunities in Texas. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Habitat: Wetland Mitigate Flooding Play Now | Play in Popup | Download