Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas parks and Wildlife

The Natural Wonder of Texas: Palo Duro Canyon is a new sixty-minute documentary by Amarillo PBS affiliate KACV-TV; it tells the story of the canyon from prehistoric times until today.

[It’s] a Jam-packed hour.

Marcie Robinson is a producer at KACV-TV. The program which airs September 12 not only digs into the canyon’s ancient past, it also highlights when Palo Duro became a state park.

There weren’t any national parks [in Texas] to speak of when Texas was annexed, and so state parks came into play. And Palo Duro Canyon was basically all privately owned and people were really interested in the community to get a state park because Palo Duro was so beautiful and so interesting. They wanted to preserve this land. The land was sold to the state of Texas after a long, drawn out process. And the state park was born. Fourth of July, 1934, was the grand opening of Palo Duro Canyon State park.

Robinson says you will always remember the first time you set eyes on the canyon.

We’re flat here in the Panhandle. We’re flatlands and you’re driving, and you’re driving, and it’s flat and it’s flat and it’s flat, and then all of a sudden the ground opens up, you know, and it’s wow, what is this? And it’s mind-boggling. And Randy Ferris, Palo Duro Canyon Superintendent, he talks about it as a mountain in reverse.

The Natural Wonder of Texas: Palo Duro Canyon airs on KACV-TV in Amarillo, September 12; and later on their website for all Texans to enjoy.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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Calendar of events at Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

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Passport to Texas from Texas parks and Wildlife

Ken Burns’ six-part documentary The National Parks: America’s Best Idea airs on PBS stations nationwide this fall. Inspired by Burns’ series, Amarillo’s PBS affiliate, KACV-TV produced a one-hour documentary The Natural Wonder of Texas: Palo Duro Canyon, set to air September 12.

We’re going to try and hit the highlights. And hopefully, people will see that small part of it and do some research of their own, or come visit the canyon.

Marcie Robinson is a producer at KACV-TV. She says viewers will experience this magnificent, historic canyon from the ground up.

We delved really, really deeply into the geology of Palo Duro Canyon; the lowest layer of the canyon is 250-million years old. And then on into the Indian, early civilizations, primitive Indian cultures. And then, into the Apaches, Comanche, Kiowa, Cheyenne. And then, another thing I had no idea about was that the CCC [Civilian Conservation Corps], during the depression, built a road into the canyon, and built cabins in the canyon, the El Coronado Lodge, and most of the buildings that you see now that people use in the Palo Duro Canyon were built by the CCC during the depression.

Once The Natural Wonder of Texas: Palo Duro Canyon airs locally, it will be available for all Texans to enjoy on the KACV-TV website. We have a link to it on our website, passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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Texas Outdoor Family Workshop at Palo Duro Canyon September 19-20, 2009

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo is on hiatus for two years until the economy picks up. Until then, a regional mini-Expo called the Life’s Better Outside Experience will take it’s place.

The purpose of the regional expos is to reach what we refer to as the unengaged Texans—people who don’t really spend time in the outdoors. Whether it’s bird watching or camping or hunting or fishing or mountain biking or whatever. So, those are the folks that—families especially—that we hope to reach with these Life’s Better Outside Experiences.

Ernie Gammage is Director of Urban Outdoor Programs. The Life’s Better Outside Experience will piggyback onto existing events throughout the state, reaching people that would not have made the trip to Austin for Expo.

I think if there was ever a single complaint about Expo, it was that it always took place in Austin and Central Texas. And so now, we’ll be able to visit other parts of the state and introduce opportunities in the outdoors to folks that live there.

Gammage says putting Expo on hiatus for two years was a hard decision to make, but it was the right thing to do.

The Expo was an enormous event—40,000+ people every year. So, we know we’re not going to reach the number of Texans we did in that single weekend in Austin. But, there are certainly going to be other benefits that we’ll evaluate. And then in a couple of years we’ll look at it and say do we want to keep doing these regional expos, or do we want to go back to the big Expo here in Austin.

Find information about the Life’s Better Outside Experience at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… remember…Life’s better outside…for Texas parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

For the past 17 years, the first weekend in October has been reserved for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo—but not this year.

Well, like many, many other events around the country, we have been a victim of the economy. It’s just been very difficult to raise the money that it takes to put the Expo on.

Ernie Gammage, Director of Urban Outdoor Programs says because of the economy, Expo is on hiatus for two years. The event cost a half million dollars to produce and most of that came from sponsor underwriting.

With every challenge comes and opportunity. And our opportunity now is to find places to take an Expo-like event—and we’re calling this the Life’s Better Outside Experience. And we’ll actually be taking these regional events on the road starting next year, and we’ll be holding them in San Antonio, Houston, Corpus Christi and Longview.

The Life’s Better Outside Experience will become part of existing events around the state, such as festivals and rodeos, and will be like regional mini-Expos.

They’ll be very much like a mini-Expo. There’ll be rock climbing, and archery, and fishing activities…and information about state parks, and a chance for people really to find out what’s in their own backyard.

We’ll have more on the Life Better Outside Experience tomorrow.

That’s our show… remember…Life’s better outside…for Texas parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Wildlife Restoration Program

Fall hunting season has finally arrived. But before you grab your camouflage and hunter’s orange, make sure your gun is in top working order. Terry Erwin, hunter education coordinator for Texas Parks and Wildlife, says a properly maintained firearm is a safe firearm.

Once your firearm has set up all year, you need to take it out and make sure its clean, and make sure its operating properly. Make sure everything is functioning and that all the springs and screws are tight and in order. You wouldn’t want to get out there and have that shotgun misfire or malfunction.

A properly functioning firearm is only part of the safety equation when out in the field. During dove season, for example, hunters need to be aware of their surroundings, especially when it comes to who’s around them when they pull the trigger.

I would say that when you’re in the dove field, at least be aware of your zones of fire. Make sure that you’re not crossing over or shooting into someone else’s zone. And, doves can see color, but be sure and wear a blaze orange hat, at least to let your hunting partners know the proximity of where you are in relation to them. And always be safe out there in the field.

Find links to hunting safety and other hunting information at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show. Made possible by a grant from Wildlife restoration Program…working to create more shooting and hunting opportunities in Texas…for Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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