Passport to Texas

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.

2012 Spring Outdoor Woman Workshop Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The popular Becoming and Outdoors Woman Program from Parks and Wildlife offers weekend workshops to help women 18 years and older to develop or hone their outdoor skills.

05—The fall workshop—when registration opened—it filled up within 10 days.

Heidi Rao coordinates the program. March 23 through 25 is the date of the next workshop in Brownwood. Heidi says a trained staff guides participants through a variety of activities.

17—A third of the activities that we offer are hunting and shooting and wildlife based learning. A third of the activities are fishing and boating and water based activities. And the final third of the activities are the non-consumptive such as bird-watching, astronomy, camping and backpacking.

Attendees choose activities in which to participate. Heidi adds it is a safe, supportive environment where women engage the natural world. And if the March Becoming an Outdoor Woman Workshop interests you, better contact Heidi soon.

09—From the people that could not make it into the fall workshop, we already have a waiting list growing by the day to get into the March event.

So what makes this such a popular program?

02—It’s fun. It’s absolutely fun.

Find information about BOW on the TWP website.

The Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program supports our series, and is funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motor boat fuel….For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Butchering and Curing Program Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

They’re going whole hog at Barrington Living History Farm next month. On January 14 & 15 they’ll present a hog butchering and curing program to the public.

05—Butchering is just one part of many things that we do seasonally throughout the year.

Barb King is a park interpreter at the farm, located at Washington-on-the-Brazos SHS. The program takes place outdoors in January just as would have happened in 1850s rural Texas.

15—So, all the meat that will be produced, and the sausage and the fat that we will save for soap or cooking all needs to be at a constant temperature, which is cold—like your fridge—so that we can start the curing process without worrying about it spoiling.

The public will not witness staff dispatch the Ossabaw Island Hog: a heritage breed. But after that, Barb says the rest is for public view. And while this is primarily a demonstration…

18—People are able to do a tiny bit if they choose—like helping us scrape the hogs. But cutting up the carcass into specific portions of meat is only done by staff. A lot of people come right at 10, and we normally have a big group waiting. And then on Sunday, we focus on more of the preservation aspect.

Visitors may return Sunday to see how staff cures the meat for storage. The butchering and curing program at Barrington Living History Farm is January 14 & 15, beginning at 10 a.m. both days. Find complete details at texasstateparks.org.

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

The Drought and Rainbow Trout Stocking Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The plan: stock more than a quarter million rainbow trout in over 120 locations statewide through March. The challenge: the ongoing drought, which has caused…

07—A combination of low water that doesn’t cool and doesn’t get enough oxygen in it and a combination of access to those sites.

Carl Kittle, who oversees the trout program for inland fisheries, says those two factors will probably mean stocking fewer fish in fewer locations. He adds there are locations statewide able to sustain this winter fishery.

16—We do feel confident there will be some trout stocking. The large reservoirs with tail races, particularly the Guadalupe River coming out of Canyon, are looking good. And, we have a pretty good level of confidence those will be good places to stock trout this year.

Kittle says if inland fisheries is unable to stock all the sites it usually supplies with rainbow trout, then it will put more fish in locations that are suitable. Kittle’s best advice: monitor the website for the most up to date information on the stocking situation.

16—That’s what I would say: watch the website very closely this year. We will identify stockings that look safe; stockings that can’t happen or won’t happen. And those notifications may happen close to the time of stocking and they may change frequently depending on weather conditions.

Find the stocking report on the Texas parks and Wildlife website.

We receive support from the Sport Fish Restoration Program, which funds trout stocking programs in Texas…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.