Passport to Texas

Wildlife: Is That an Otter in the Water? Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download

Every day Texas Parks and Wildlife Biologist Gary Calkins fields calls and emails about otter sightings because—he’s the otter guy.

08—Because of doing otter surveys out here, and then some other research that I was involved in I ended up with that title.

He charts the sightings on a map of the state only after he’s confident that what spotters saw really was an otter, because…

04—Otters, beavers and nutria in the water can all look somewhat similar.

Despite the reports streaming into Calkins’ office, seeing an otter remains a rare occurrence as they’re usually most active when we aren’t. Before calling in with a sighting, take extra time to verify it is an otter.

27—Otters are going to swim with most of their head up out of the water. They’re going to be more inquisitive and a little more likely to come to you; whereas beavers and nutria are going to swim away. Otter will dive, but then they’ll usually dive, but then they’ll usually immediately resurface and turn around and look at you. They also have a tendency to whistle or chirp at you as a vocalization to more or less let you know that you’re in their world. And so, the swimming behavior, whether it’s to you or away from you, and then the vocalizations are really good keys.

Post your otter sighting to passporttotexas.org, and we’ll pass it along to Gary Calkins.

We receive support from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program…funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment an motorboat fuel.

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

Wildlife: Otters in Texas Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download

Texas Parks and Wildlife Biologist Gary Calkins—the man responsible for coordinating data collection on the state’s otter population—says it’s rare to see an otter in the wild.
When conducting surveys on the species, he and his team search for indirect signs of otter activity.

08—The surveys are done under bridges and looking for scat and tracks. We rarely get to see an otter, so we have to look for indirect sign of their presence.

Calkins had just wrapped up an otter survey the first time he was a guest on the radio show. Nobody could have predicted what happened after the program aired.

06—I started getting a lot of emails and phone calls from folks telling me that they had seen them in various places.

Surprising places, too.

11—There are a lot of sightings coming from a lot further west than I would have expected. A lot of them in the Austin area and the Colorado river drainage. And clear up to near Henrietta [near Wichita falls] was probably the most surprising.

He began plotting citizen sightings on a map.

12—It’s been a lot of fun; in some cases it’s been sort of overwhelming just because of the numbers. But it’s been really interesting and I’ve had a blast plotting them on a map and finding out where they’re showing up and visiting with folks about them.

A new survey began in February. On tomorrow’s show, learn how to distinguish otters from other furry swimming critters, before calling in your sighting.

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

Outdoor Activity of the Month Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download

With as many outdoor recreational opportunities as there are in Texas—how does one get started?

08—Outdoor activity of the month is something we created to help folks understand what’s seasonally available to them.

Glenda Beasley is the marketing manager at Texas Parks and Wildlife. With input from staff interpreters, biologists and others, the agency developed a list of seasonal outdoor activities.

16—In March we’re promoting the Wildlife Viewing Trail maps that are produced here at Texas Parks and Wildlife and available online. There’s a lot of wonderful wildlife to be seen, and those trail maps help you to pinpoint where those locations are by region.

In addition to finding a master list of outdoor activities on the Parks and Wildlife website, if you live near one of the state’s bigger cities you can find specific Outdoor Activities of the Month featured on the websites of partner TV stations.

14—So you’ll look on our activities page and you’ll be able to see not only the big picture of where to go and things to do all over Texas on our events calendar, but also a way for you to look near the bigger cities for specific things to do.

Find more information about outdoor activities for the whole family on the Parks and Wildlife website. Remember: Life’s Better Outside.

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

State Parks: Spring Break Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download

Throughout the month of March, students and families will take time away from school and work to enjoy a week-long spring break. And most want to spend that time on or near the water. Our State Park guide Bryan Frazier says state parks offer plenty of wet and wild fun.

61—People are anxious to get outside; they’ve got some cabin fever. And so they want to go to the beach, or they want to go to the coast. And we’ve got Galveston Island SP there, on the upper Texas coast down to Goose Island SP in the middle Texas coast.

And they don’t just like to fish. A lot of times people just want to canoe or kayak. And we’ve got places where you can rent those in our state parks, which is great for spring breakers who go there. Places like Inks Lake State Park, or Village Creek, or Buescher SP, or Palmetto SP. We even have hydro-bikes. Pedal boats at lots of pars…so whatever your brand of water recreation for Spring Break—visit a state park and I think we can accommodate you.

Thanks, Bryan.

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Recreation: Off Highway Vehicles and Nature Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download

Since the creation of the Texas Off Highway Vehicle program 6 1/2 years ago, Texas Parks and Wildlife has worked with communities and nonprofit groups to identify and develop safe and legal venues for Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts to utilize. Steve Thompson manages the program for the agency.

21—The OHV program at Texas Parks and Wildlife tries to create or improve existing OHV venues that have legal access to the land; that have common sense rules about park patron safety; that promote the safe and responsible use of the vehicles themselves; and have rules that manage the park in a way that protects the cultural and biological resources of the park.

Most of us spend time in the natural world to distance ourselves from urban realities—such as the seemingly unending drone of traffic. Therefore, the sounds made by two and four wheeled motorized vehicles rolling through a state park or natural area may seem unappealing. This is something taken into consideration when developing an OHV site.

25—One of the national best practice standards for OHV recreation is the limit on sound. The National standard for sound emitted from an OHV is 96 decibels. Every recreational use from public lands comes with some impact. And it needs to be managed in a way that protects the resource and the other folks that share it. And sound is an important issue; and we try to minimize sound by having standards like the 96 decibel limit.

Find additional information about Texas’ OHV program on the Parks and Wildlife website.

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