Passport to Texas

Fawn waiting for mom to return.

Look But Don't Touch Wild Babies Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

This time of year, reports start rolling in to Parks and Wildlife from people who think they’ve discovered abandoned baby animals.

What could have happened is you walked up there, and mama ran off and hid – and baby is hiding there. And, as soon as you leave, mama will come back.

That’s not true in every case, though, says Jonah Evans, Texas Parks and Wildlife mammalogist. If you see an abandoned baby possum, for example, mom could be gone for good.

With 184 some odd mammals in the state, it’s probably pretty difficult to give you a list of which mothers will come back wand which ones won’t. So, what I recommend is before touching and animal – call a [wildlife] rehabilitator.

Licensed rehabilitators know animal behavior and can tell you which critters may benefit from intervention.

If you contact one of the many throughout the state – and there’s a whole long list of them on our website – they are really the experts in this. Not Parks and Wildlife.

Jonah Evans says although—as a mammalogist—he researches and studies warm-blooded animals, rehabilitators are the ones with skills suited to helping citizens’ where abandoned baby animals are concerned.

Find a list of licensed rehabilitators by county on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

The Wildlife Restoration Program supports our series…

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

Northern Cardinal during molt. Image courtesy Kay’s Garden

Bad "Hair Day" for Cardinals Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Imagine the sleek, bright red body of a male cardinal topped with a small, lumpy black walnut-shaped head. That’s what you’ll see mid to late summer when cardinals molt.

Feather molt is really important because feathers fray, they’re fragile.

You don’t want to look, but you can’t look away. Texas Parks and Wildlife Ornithologist Cliff Shackelford says the cardinal’s head feathers fall out over a short amount of time. While a bird with a naked noggin may be shocking, Cliff says “don’t fret.”

All we’re doing is witnessing that annual molt that replaces those old feathers—and he’s about to get new ones.

Their head feathers regrow within a few weeks. And, mercifully for the cardinals, they lose body and flight feathers at a more leisurely pace.

They just lose a couple at a time and they can still fly. So, most of our land birds and songbirds like the Cardinal don’t lose all their flight feathers at once because they would never make it. They wouldn’t be able to flee from predators and keep warm with the weather.

This summer, if you see a red bird that looks like it was put together with spare parts, it’s probably a cardinal suffering the humiliation of molting. Try not to point and laugh.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Palmetto State Park

Palmetto State Park Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If you get the itch to visit a tropical locale, but are short on time, and want to skip all the shots, do the next best thing: visit Palmetto State Park.

Named for the dwarf palmetto palm found around the ephemeral swamp, some areas of the 270 acre Central Texas Park resemble the tropics.

Located in Gonzales County, between Gonzales and Luling, Palmetto State Park abuts the San Marcos River, making it a favorite place for canoeists to put in.

Situated within the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, the park has a reputation as a birding “hot spot.” Birders from across the country flock to Palmetto State Park to view many of the over 240 species of birds observed within the park’s boundaries.

Palmetto State Park has more than 39 campsites – all with water, some with water and electricity. There’s a group camping area and a group picnic shelter complete with kitchen.

If you want to stretch your legs and imagination, trek the park’s 3 miles of interpretive and hiking trails.

State Parks are closer than you think. Find out just how close when you visit the Texas parks and Wildlife website.

That’s our show for today… Funding provided in part by Ram Trucks. Guts. Glory. Ram

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

Inscription on San Jacinto Monument

Cultural Sensitivity and the Battle of San Jacinto Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

The Mexican culture is integrated into the fabric of Texas. So, how do we handle something like the anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto, where we celebrate the Texian Army’s victory over Mexico?

That’s something we’ve been trying to address here at San Jacinto.

Boyd Harris is a park interpreter at San Jacinto Battlegrounds and State historic Site in La Porte.

In the past it has been more of a centric, white Texan kind of history. But, nowadays, we like to commemorate and honor both sides. We’re more about education here, as well as the memory of these soldiers. The Mexican Army, itself—half the army was conscripts—and so they weren’t volunteers. But they weren’t the only people of Mexican decent at the battlefield. There were also Tejanos fighting on the Texian Army side, so we want to talk about them. Juan Seguin and his Tejano company is in the very forefront of the battle, and we want to talk about those guys. Because this is a revolution—and revolutions are messy. They’re complex, and we want to give due respect and due remembrance to all those involved with it.

We commemorate the battle of San Jacinto and all those involved on Saturday April 23 at the San Jacinto Battlegrounds and State Historic Site in La Porte.

Find details in the calendar section of the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Take Me Fishing Hutsell, image courtesy Katy Times.

Celebrating 10 Years of Take Me Fishing Hutsell Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

DUE TO RECENT FLOODING,  IT’S ADVISED TO CHECK WITH THE SCHOOL TO FIND OUT IF THE EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE AS SCHEDULED

This is Passport to Texas

Once a year, Hutsell Elementary school students in Katy ISD, trade school books for rods and reels.

Each year, in the spring, we invite our third, fourth and fifth grade students to Peckham Park. And we have a beautiful pond there. And through Texas Parks and Wildlife, they stock the pond for us. And on a Saturday, the children and their families all attend a fishing event.

That event is Take Me Fishing Hutsell. Principal Margie Blount says this year’s event is special, because it’s the 10 year anniversary of the program in the school.

We are going to be inviting the alumni. And those students will be invited to come back and enjoy the fishing event and enjoy the 10th year anniversary with us.

Over the years, Hutsell educators have seen improvement in the test scores of students who’ve participated in the Take Me Fishing program. Principal Blount says the upcoming celebration on April 23 is for the entire community.

Texas Parks and Wildlife will be there. They have been a great contributor. Game Wardens will be there. We will have angler clubs that will be coming. We’re looking at this to be one of our bigger fishing events.

If you’re in the area of Peckham Park between nine and noon on Saturday April 23, Hutsell Elementary Principal Margie Blount invites you to join in the festivities.

The Sport Fish Restoration program supports our Series.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti