Passport to Texas

Aquatic imvasives

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This is Passport to Texas

Record funding approved by the Texas Legislature is launching new fronts in the war on aquatic invasive species.

With $6.6 million dollars in appropriations, this year and next, Texas Parks and Wildlife will ramp up an unprecedented effort to control and stop the spread of aquatic invasive plants and creatures.

Some of the aquatic invasive species that will receive the agency’s attention include: giant salvinia and zebra mussels covering Texas lakes, to giant reed and salt cedar smothering rivers and streams, to exotic fish that compete with Texas natives and alter natural ecosystems.

One major category of work is Aquatic Invasive Plant Management—projects focused on management of aquatic invasive plants on public waters to enhance boater access for recreation, and management of riparian invasive plants in target areas to improve water quality and quantity.

In Texas, the economic impacts of aquatic invasives are far-reaching, costing the state billions of dollars annually, including threatening to undermine a recreational freshwater fishing industry worth more than $4 billion-dollars.

That’s our show. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation supports our series and helps keep Texas wild with support of proud members across the state. Find out more at tpwf.org

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Texas Game Warden on the job.

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Texas Game Wardens became part of the fabric of our state in 1895 with the creation of the Fish and Oyster Commission by the Texas Legislature. The commission evolved into Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Since that time, our mission is to protect the citizens of Texas. Protect the natural resources of Texas. Conduct boating safety—water safety. It really encompasses a lot.

Grahame Jones is chief of special operations for Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Law Enforcement Division. He says Game Wardens are highly trained state peace officers.

We can enforce all Texas law. A big part of what Game Wardens do is public safety.

They’re often first on the scene during natural disasters. Game Wardens are members of the communities they serve, and advocate community policing.

We’re part of the community. We take great pride in outreach and education with schools—elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, community groups… And, we require our Game Wardens to take part in outreach, but we don’t have to. They do it anyway [because they want to do it].

With outreach in mind, we’re starting a new feature on the show called Ask a Game Warden.

We want to hear from the people, and I think this is a great way to do that, because that relates back to community policing.

To ask your question go to the contact page at passporttotexas.org and send us an email.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation supports our series and helps keep Texas wild with support of proud members across the state. Find out more at tpwf.org.

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

During the Toyota Texas Bass Classic at Lake Conroe in Conroe, Texas on October 6, 2013. (Photo by Jason Miczek)

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The 10th Annual Toyota Texas Bass Classic, May 20 through 22, takes place on Lake Ray Roberts, and features family friendly activities at Toyota Stadium in Frisco.

This is a new thing for Bass Classic. The fishing portion is going to take place at Lake Ray Roberts, and then they’re going to come over and do all the awards in the stadium. So, it’s really going to be a little different than it’s been, but almost a little cooler, because usually we’re out in the country, and this time a lot of people that haven’t been able to come out to this event in the past are going to get to come out and try it.

Lacey Estus is outreach and recruitment manager at Texas Parks and Wildlife. The festivities in Frisco offers urban families an opportunity to get acquainted with the agency and the diverse outdoor recreation opportunities available to them.

A lot of times, it’s the first time they see us. They’ve heard about us, but they don’t really know who we are and what we do. A lot of people have no idea we that we even do archery; they think a lot of times we’re just fishing and camping. But, we’re a lot of things. And, it’s a great place for them to touch and feel things. It kind of goes back to when we did EXPO. The idea was ‘Hey, let’s take this on the road and give people that experience—[take it] to places that may not have seen it before or know anything about it.

Enjoy country music concerts all three days of the Toyota Texas Fest. There are plenty of family friendly activities, food, drinks and big bass. Discounted single day tickets or weekend passes are available before the event at toyotatexasfest.com.

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

TPW TV: Balmorhea Fun Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Jeffrey Buras [Byou-ras] is the newest producer on the PBS Texas Parks and Wildlife Television series.

There’s a lot to learn, for sure. Not only just with our production process, but also [becoming familiar with] all of the biology, all of the wildlife management…

The job involves more than knowing where to point the camera. It’s challenging, and also keeps producers on the road for long stretches. Yet, even when they’re done for the day, they’re never really done. As you’ll see when you view an upcoming segment called Balmorhea Fun.

I was actually doing a story with producer Abe Moore—we were out in the Pecos region studying the Pecos Pup fish for another segment. We’d finished in the middle of the afternoon, and we were considering—okay, we could either do the drive back to Austin over six hours, or we could just stay here in Balmorhea, enjoy the afternoon, make a fun little video, and drive back the next day.

And that’s just what they did.

We had a bunch of small Go-Pro cameras, and, we had a Quad-Copter that can shoot video. We spent the afternoon swimming with folks, giving them cameras [to use], and coming up with this fun little video.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife TV segment Balmorhea Fun airs on PBS stations the week of May 15th.

It’s just a fun view of what it’s like to spend a day at Balmorhea State Park.

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

Zika infographic courtesy of Unicef.org

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According to the World Health Organization: Zika virus is an emerging mosquito-borne virus that was first identified in Uganda in 1947.

It’s one of these tropical diseases that was known in the literature, but there weren’t any outbreaks until more recently.

Mike Quinn is an entomologist in Austin who’s been following reports of the virus and its carrier, often called the yellow fever mosquito.

The consensus is that it’s Aedes aegypti that’s the main culprit. The Aedes aegypti being people specific is an effective vector in that it can bite one person with the disease virus, and then bite another person and transmit that virus.

The World Health Organization tells us: Substantial new research has strengthened the association between Zika infection and the occurrence of fetal malformations and neurological disorders. We’ve seen this most markedly in Brazil, with an increase in microcephaly in newborns of infected mothers. Do we need to worry in Texas? Is this mosquito in our midst?

It’s an introduced species. And it is most common around the southeastern gulf coast states, but it’s in the eastern half of Texas.

Direct infection by a mosquito has not occurred in Texas. Reported cases have been in people who traveled to zika hot spots. Tomorrow: what we can do to manage mosquitoes around the home.

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