Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Fifteen years ago, on the sixtieth anniversary of Caddo Lake State Park, a time capsule was buried at the site.

I wasn’t here, so I don’t know what’s in that time capsule; it’s going to be very interesting to dig it up.

Superintendent Todd Dickinson says July 4th, the 75th anniversary of the park, staff will unearth that capsule.

That’s correct. We’ll be unearthing a time capsule which was placed at the sixtieth anniversary, and we’re trying to find as many people as we can that were here at the sixtieth anniversary, so they can participate in this.

They intend to rebury the container with new artifacts, to be opened in 2084, the park’s 150th anniversary; you can help decide what future Texans find.

On this day, we will be gathering items, but we’re not going to actually place [bury] the new time capsule probably until two or three weeks later, once we decide what all’s actually going to go in there.

In addition to images and artifacts from the park and region, Dickinson hopes to add something truly special.

There’s a handful of people that were here at the grand opening, you know, as children, seventy-five years ago. And. We’re going to try really hard to have them be here on that day and maybe—if they will—put some thoughts down on paper about what they remember and what’s changed over the years. And that would be something that we could include in the time capsule.

So what should go into the time capsule? Log onto passporttotexas.org and let us know; we’ll pass along your suggestions.

That’s our show for today… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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July 4, 2009 — Caddo Lake SP & WMA — 75th Anniversary — Originally celebrated on July 4, 1934, the park was the first authorized Civilian Conservation Corps project for a Texas state park. The day s events will include the unearthing of a time capsule buried at the 60th Anniversary, plus we will be gathering items to place in a new time capsule. This new capsule will be opened at the 100th Anniversary Celebration. Also, there will be traveling exhibits depicting historical information about both the Caddo Indians and the CCC. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (903) 679-3351.

Caddo Lake State Park Time Capsule Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Caddo Lake State Park is among 30 Texas State Parks developed or improved by the Civilian Conservation Corps…but this site has a special distinction…

Caddo Lake State Park was the first authorized Civilian Conservation Corps project in Texas…all the way back in 1933. . .

The grand opening took place July 4, 1934, and park superintendent Todd Dickinson says they’re hosting a 75th anniversary event this July 4th.

We’ll have a formal event here at the state park. And there’ll be some speakers and some demonstrations. We will have some traveling exhibits on hand—both for the CCC and then a second set of traveling exhibits on the Caddo Indians.

There’s more happening at the event than we can mention here. But one thing Dickinson wants you to know is that once activities wind down at Caddo, they rev up down the road.

There will also be Fourth of July celebrations down in Uncertain, Texas, which is just about six miles from our park entrance. And, their events start around 3PM, with a boat parade on the lake, and culminates at dark with fireworks.

The activity that interests me most is the unearthing of a time capsule buried in the park. And we’ll have more on that tomorrow.

That’s our show for today… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Caddo Lake State Park Turns 75! Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program

Diversity, your name is Texas. And on the Texas parks and Wildlife TV series in July, viewers will go rock climbing and follow a flock or Sandhill cranes. Producer Abe Moore.

On the show in July, we do some rock climbing and tell people about how to do it and where to go. And a couple of places we go are Enchanted Rock and Hueco Tanks.

Okay guys, today we’re going to be climbing on the back of the main dome of Enchanted Rock. This back area faces North, and the climbing heights range from a hundred foot tall, where we are, down to three hundred feet tall on further down the dome.

Also in July, we’re doing a story on Sandhill cranes. Sandhill cranes are an amazing bird; they’re the oldest surviving bird species in the world. And they come through Texas on their winter migration. And one place you can find them is at Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge NW of Lubbock.

We have significant amount of water that allows the cranes to roost, and the local farming areas around, provide feeding areas for them during the day.

For me, just the sandhill cranes are just an iconic bird, I guess. It’s truly a migrating wonder.

Thanks, Abe.

Find stations airing the series at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… sponsored with a grant from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motor boat fuels.

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

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Mason Mountain WMA Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program

Located in the central mineral region of the Texas Hill Country, about six miles northwest of the town of Mason, is Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area.

It’s a pretty unique region in Texas, where you have the huge granite boulders that have uplifted; it’s an extension of the same uplift that created Enchanted Rock.

Mark Mitchell is a biologist at the 53-hundred acre site.

We’ve got some bottomlands, we’ve got the granite gravel uplift. We’ve got the more traditional hill country habitat such as the limestone hills.

The site supports diverse native flora and fauna, including: six hundred fifty identified plant species, spiny crevice lizards, black bellied tree ducks, white tailed deer, javelina, and black-capped vireos, just to name a few.

I think for the hill country and a 53-hundred acre management area, we may have as much diversity as you can possibly find.

Because of exotic species like gemsbok and impala and outstanding facilities on the site when the agency acquired it, the WMA is self-supporting.

We don’t receive tax dollars for operation and maintenance of the area; we have to generate our own income. And we do that through — primarily – guided hunts. And because of the facilities that were here when we obtained the place, we can host conservation meetings.

Access to Mason Mountain WMA is limited to hunters with  a Special Permit, or to groups that make prior arrangements. That’s our show… made possible by a grant from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program

The Hill Country is the crown jewel of Texas. And the Kerr Wildlife Management Area teaches landowners how to keep it polished.

We’re a 65-hundred acre wildlife research and demonstration area for the Edward’s plateau ecological area. And it serves as our experiment station for private landowners to come out and find out more about the basic tools of wildlife management.

Donnie Frels is the area manager. While wildlife species at the Kerr WMA are typical for the region, plant diversity is unique by Hill Country standards.

We keep animal numbers in check, and we make sure that we maintain our grazing animals within the carrying capacity of the range, and our plant species and diversity reflect that now.

Research on the site also protects three endangered species: the golden-cheeked warbler, black-capped vireos and the tobusch fishhook cactus.

And we do surveys for all three of these species; and our management program benefits not only white-tailed deer but those endangered species as well.

The site is open to the public for wildlife viewing during daylight hours when public hunting is not underway, and offers a driving tour brochure for those visiting the site. Learn more at passporttotexas.org.

That’s out show… made possible by a grant from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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