Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

A few conservation methods can go a long way. Gretchen Mahan tells us more.

It doesn’t take much to conserve water. My family and I conserved about 3,000 gallons this summer by changing a few habits. Right after we began the project, the city implemented water restrictions. So we followed the rules and only watered by sprinklers once a week in the early morning.

In Texas, watering the lawn can account for 50 percent of residential water use in the summer. So to make sure our sprinkler system was efficient, my dad and I hammered rocks behind them so they would shoot closer to the ground to prevent unnecessary evaporation.

Yeah, that’s pretty low to the ground.

My mom, René, tends to beautiful gardens, but, unfortunately, gardens require water. And she says since we’ve been in a drought, the plants aren’t looking their best.

Most of them are real yellow and dry. I got several that are just absolutely crying. They’re just laying on the ground begging me to come water them.

Fortunately, none of our plants died, but we might need look into replacing some of our gardens with more native plants that use less water. The 3,000 gallons we saved was 13 percent of our total water use. If every Texan saved that much, we could put a major dent in the amount of water we use.

Thanks Gretchen. That’s our show…Find more information about water conservation at passporttotexas.org. 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

Estuaries act as nurseries for juvenile species of saltwater fish. And freshwater inflows keep estuaries in top form.

Freshwater brings sediments which builds nursery areas. Freshwater also brings nutrients which feed the plants and animals that grow and form the basis for the food web in the estuary.

Former TPW Coastal Studies Team Leader, Dave Buzan, says since the 1950’s we’ve restricted water flow to the gulf by building reservoirs and flood control structures.

Historically we have controlled water because we know we need water for people to drink, for industries, and for agriculture.

Human need has effectively changed Texas from a land of rivers and streams into a land of impounded water, meaning less fresh water reaches our estuaries.

In hindsight, we’re able to see that the more of these reservoirs and flood control structures we’ve built have really reduced our ability to get water to the estuary on a consistent basis.

And when fresh water doesn’t flow consistently into estuaries, the health of these ecosystems as well as the health of a significant segment of our economy suffers the consequences.

We’ll look at that tomorrow.

That’s our show … made possible by 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.

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

Before Houston and surrounding communities took root, and farmers turned wild land into farmland, the area was covered in tall grass prairies.

We’re restoring these croplands back to the historic tall grass prairies that they were fifty, a hundred years ago.

Robert Comstock is superintendent of Sheldon Lake State Park, outside of Houston. Four hundred acres in the park have been identified for restoration, and volunteers have already replanted 100 acres with native grasses.

And they’re what we call rescuing grasses from, say, highway projects, construction projects all throughout the city. They bring them out here, and cut them up, and pot them into smaller pots, and then grow them out, and then transplant them into the prairie.

Comstock says he’s already seen an increase in wildlife.

That’s what’s most exciting about this. A year or so after we did the first one hundred acres, our bird census has already documented close to a dozen species of birds that we’ve never seen before in the park. So there’s tangible results right then and there that we’re doing is good and is improving the environment and the habitat in the area.

Volunteers are always welcome to help with this project. Find more information at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…made possible by a grant from the sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program…working to restore native habitat in Texas.

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

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August 2009 — Sheldon Lake SP — Prairie Restoration — Every Tuesday. Volunteers are needed to help with the ongoing restoration of 80 acres of tall grass prairie. Activities include separating and potting rescued grasses, planting mature grasses and collecting seed. No training necessary, work gloves and boots recommended. Meet at the Park Office. 8-11a.m. (281) 456-2800.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife…

Wind turbines are a popular form of alternative energy, but it’s not without disadvantages. Gretchen Mahan tells us more…

Wind turbines kill tens of thousands of bats each year like the Brazilian free-tailed bat in Texas. It’s often killed by running into the turbines or because of a sudden drop of pressure near the turbine blades.

Ed Arnett is a conservation scientist for Bat Conservation International and project coordinator for the Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative. He says he expects bat fatalities to increase in the future.

I do believe the threats to threatened and endangered species will increase as we enter into the range of those creatures.

Arnett also says bats hunt for insects during low-wind periods. So turning off the turbines during these times will save many bats.

By reducing the amount of operating hours during those low wind periods we reduce the fatalities of bats at least half and up to as high as 87 percent of the fatalities can be reduced.

Other solutions being developed include a white noise that could be emitted from the turbine to keep the bats away from the turbines altogether.

Bat Conservation International certainly supports the development of renewable energy resources. But we want to do that wisely. And we don’t want to develop at the expense of today’s resources for tomorrow’s hopes.

Ultimately, Arnett says, animals need to be taken into consideration as we develop renewable energy.

Thanks Gretchen. 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

When you hear the word tilapia, you may think of a savory meal with lemon butter sauce, but you probably don’t think of the term “invasive species.”

The tilapia are great to eat. They’re raised as a food fish, and they’re quite tasty. They’re quite popular in restaurants. But the problem is when they’re in our natural waters they are upsetting the ecosystem.

Tilapia have been in Texas for decades. They were originally brought in as a food source to be raised in fish farms, but eventually made they’re way into Texas waters.

Gary Garrett, a Texas Parks and Wildlife fisheries biologist, says tilapia can be a threat to large mouth bass and other native species.

They build big pit nests and in doing that they stir up a lot of the settlement. And it’s been shown, for example, with large mouth bass, all that sediment stirred up and settling back down will often kill large mouth bass eggs.

When tilapia do this, they can potentially damage the entire ecosystem because of the intricate food chain.

Texas Parks and Wildlife does have state regulations for tilapia, but because tilapia are found all over the state, they are difficult to control. But if you like to fish, Garrett says you can help.

Don’t throw them back. If you catch them, keep them.

So next time you catch a tilapia, turn on the grill and get cooking. You’ll be doing yourself and the Texas ecosystem a favor.

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Gretchen Mahan. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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