Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Invasive aquatic plant species can be devastating. This month the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV series highlights invasives at Caddo Lake. Series Producer, Alan Fisher.

Caddo has an amazing diversity of native plants, but also an amazing diversity of invading plants, unfortunately. Hydrilla is a big problem.

This is hydrilla here, probably the most abundant invasive on the lake, right next to water hyacinth.

And then the newest is giant salvinia.

There’s a piece right yonder. That’s it. Yeah, it’s not very big yet. This one little thing here can expand into acres and acres and acres.

How do you eradicate an invasive?

Well, one of the biggest tool in their toolbox, I guess, to battle invasives is just getting the word out. Letting people know that we’re the one getting these plants around. People with boats pulling them in and out of lakes need to make sure their trailers and boats are clean when they do so. It’s actually a misdemeanor to transport invasive plants whether you know it or not.

And, so, what do you hope the take away is?

I hope that people can just be more mindful after learning about this topic. You know, there are things that we can all do. Average citizens are a really valuable tool in combating all these plants.

Thanks, Alan. Learn about invasive exotics at passporttotexas.org.

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

Are you looking for a unique way to spend time in the Texas outdoors and get active in your local community?

Master Naturalist is a fantastic way for people who are interested in the natural history of Texas to learn more about wildlife, plants, and geology of their local area.

Kelly Bender is an Urban Wildlife Biologist for Parks and Wildlife, and helps train Master Naturalists.

So what we do is we provide a nine-week program, that’s provided by professionals in the field, to learn all about the natural history of their area. And then give them opportunities to participate in volunteer activity.

Volunteer opportunities that include helping scientists.

They have the opportunities to monitor wildlife and record species observations and provide those to scientists. We do native plant rescue. They have the opportunity to do habitat restoration in ecologically sensitive areas. Master naturalists are able to go in and help restore in places that have restricted access. So we really are dependent on people who are interested and who are engaged and excited about wildlife to provide more information than we could possibly gather on our own.

One of the great gifts we can provide future generations is a natural world, preserved in its wild beauty. Become a part of it. Learn how, at passporttotexas.org.

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

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Protecting Texas’ vast habitat and wildlife resources requires effort from all Texans.

Well, as a state agency, we are constrained by our budget, and so we can’t possibly put as many eyes in the sky and boots on the ground as we need.

Kelley Bender, a parks and wildlife Urban Biologist in Central Texas, encourages folks to learn about and conserve resources by becoming a Master Naturalist.

The Texas Master Naturalist Program is a really exciting way for people to get involved in nature and wildlife in the state of Texas. There’s a nine-week course that’s provided by professionals in the field, where they get training that includes classroom training as well as field trips. And then we ask for a commitment back to provide 40 hours of volunteer service a year.

Master Naturalist training prepares you to be a leader in community-based conservation efforts.

Most chapters offer a get-to-know you class where they introduce all the topics that are going to be discussed. They also talk about what the commitment is and what will be expected of the students as well as what will be expected of the program. And all people are welcome and invited to join. We ask that people be 18 years and over.

Find the Texas Master Naturalist chapter nearest you at passporttotexas.org.

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

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Creating school gardens and natural areas for learning and playing is the theme of Get Growing, Keep Going!—a conference planned for educators October 25 at Redeemer Lutheran School in Austin.

It’s for mostly elementary and middle school teachers. And what we hope is to give them tips and we do have the certification to give them professional development.

Kiki Corry, Project Wild Coordinator, says using schoolyard gardens and natural spaces is good education.

I think that there’s research that indicates that children actually prefer natural areas over designed areas. They’re attracted to those wild areas where they can see something completely unpredictable.
Educators attending the October 25 conference will have a chance to get their hands dirty.

(laughs) Some of the sessions, that’s the only way we know how to teach, is to get our hands dirty. So, yes, they’ll be building compost boxes, and garden boxes, and most of the sessions will be active and hands on. And then the facility, itself, Redeemer Lutheran School, has got a tremendous gardening and play area incorporated into one another.

The Get Growing, Keep Going! conference is Saturday, October 25 in Austin at Redeemer Lutheran School. Find more information, registration information and fees at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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Registration information: (copy and paste link into browser)
http://www.redeemerschool.net/links/gardeningconference.html

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Integrating nature into the school environment is as easy as growing a garden.

It can be food gardens; it can be butterfly gardens.

It can also be a wildscape or even a water garden, says Kiki Corry, Project Wild Coordinator. A conference later this month—Get Growing, Keep Going!—shows teachers how to create such spaces for learning…and not just for learning about science.

Well, that’s the fun thing about using the outdoors, is it isn’t just science. It’s very interdisciplinary because perhaps you first do some observations, and then you might need to draw a picture of what you’ve found—and so you bring the arts in—then you might need to write about it a little bit and then that’s language arts. And then you might be curious about what this land was used for in the past, and so, then there’s history. And so, you can use the outdoors for so many different subjects.

A deliberately planted garden, says Corry, has its advantages as a teaching tool over other living things.

One thing—they’re a little more predictable than just wild space. Besides, of the living things that there are to study, plants are a little easier, because they don’t wander away. (laughs) They’re there the next day—usually. (laughs) And, you can use them to attract animals.

The Get Growing, Keep Going conference is October 25 in Austin—details tomorrow. Until then, continue this story online at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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Register online:
http://www.redeemerschool.net/links/gardeningconference.html

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