Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Joe Kendall says he knows how to improve the world.

I think the world would be a better place if we spent more time floating and one of the best places to do that is outside on a river. I encourage as many people as possible to spend more time doing that.

Kendall is founder of the Chautauqua Foundation’s Texas River School, the purpose of which is to…

…take kids to the river that normally wouldn’t get a chance to go.

The school targets fourth through sixth graders who wouldn’t normally spend time outdoors, let alone on the water.

The reason why we work with kids who haven’t been out there before is to help them develop a lifelong love affair with the river that I and so many of my friends have. So many of these kids come to us—their parents are afraid of the water—and they pass that on to their children. We want to try to break that cycle and get the kids to be comfortable with the river.

Kendall says after the children have spent time on the water, they’re transformed.

They’re nervous, shaking and scared and when they come back, they’re jumping up and down, screaming and hollering… it’s a remarkable change.

Texas Parks and Wildlife recently awarded The Texas River School a $30,000 grant to continue its work.

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Alanna Jones… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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Visit the Texas River School Website:
http://www.texasrowingcenter.com/trs.htm

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

When Matthew Butler’s youngest daughter returned home from school asking why her Daddy—a lifelong hunter—killed animals he was perplexed.

I thought that’s a rather strange question considering I’ve always hunted and you’ve been exposed to it.

He learned classmates at the suburban Washington DC School she attended had ridiculed the grade-schooler when they discovered she came from a hunting family.

And I thought, well, I know what I’ll do. I’ll go buy a book that would explain it to her in her terms—the environmental reasons and the ecological reasons behind hunting, and why it makes good sense for us as a society. Well, I couldn’t find such a book—it doesn’t exist. So, I decided that I would write it because the story needed to be told.

The book he wrote, Billy Goes Hunting, is a tale of a young boy who, with the help of his grandfather, learns about the tradition and value of hunting. Butler says the book has two audiences.

It’s directed at the children so that they hear the message, and they understand that hunting really has an environmental, economic, and social impact on our society. And the second group is obviously parents. I guess I look at this as a tool for parents to open up dialog, open up discussion, and to communicate with their children.

Learn more about Billy Goes Hunting at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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Billy Goes Hunting Website: http://www.billygoeshunting.com/

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Born in Austin, with his formative years spent on his family’s farm and ranch, Carter Smith, Executive Director of Texas Parks and Wildlife, says he grew up with “one foot in the city and one in the country.” This early foundation serves him well today as he leads the agency on its mission to manage and conserve our natural and cultural resources.

My interest in the out of doors is really shaped by those experiences as a youth. And when I was growing up, all my friends had the privilege of having places that their families still farmed or ranched. And that has increasingly become more of an anomaly, and something that I think we as an agency are very concerned about. People are more disconnected from the out of doors.

And, ultimately, through those experiences growing up, and also, really, with encounters with Texas Parks and Wildlife employees. A couple of wildlife biologists introduced me to the fact that I could make this passion my profession. And so, that was a great epiphany, or “ah-ha” moment that has ultimately lead me to where I am today.

Learn more about Carter Smith and the great Texas outdoors at passporttotexas.org.

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

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Born in Austin, with his formative years spent on his family’s farm and ranch, Carter Smith, Executive Director of Texas Parks and Wildlife, says he grew up with “one foot in the city and one in the country.” This early foundation serves him well today as he leads the agency on its mission to manage and conserve our natural and cultural resources.

My interest in the out of doors is really shaped by those experiences as a youth. And when I was growing up, all my friends had the privilege of having places that their families still farmed or ranched. And that has increasingly become more of an anomaly, and something that I think we as an agency are very concerned about. People are more disconnected from the out of doors.

And, ultimately, through those experiences growing up, and also, really, with encounters with Texas Parks and Wildlife employees. A couple of wildlife biologists introduced me to the fact that I could make this passion my profession. And so, that was a great epiphany, or “ah-ha” moment that has ultimately lead me to where I am today.

Learn more about Carter Smith and the great Texas outdoors at passporttotexas.org.

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

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Davis Mountains State Park and Indian Lodge are popular destinations for travelers.

We’re just about a mile high in elevation, so very good climate all year round. We have mountain biking, and equestrian trails, and miles and miles of hiking trails. And Indian Lodge, it was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps back in the 1930s. Anyway, the lodge has 39 rooms, and it was done in Indian pueblo style, and it’s the only place in Texas that is in that style.

David Bischofhausen (BISH-hoff_howzen) is park superintendent. New funding provided by the Texas Legislature will allow the park to hire new staff.

We’re getting a park peace officer / interpreter position at Davis Mountains SP so, we’re excited about that. We’ll be able to do more interpretive programs to tell folks about the wonderful cultural and natural things that we have out here in our parks. Plus, it’ll get a little more extra measure of security.

This cash infusion benefits the Black Bear restaurant at Indian Lodge, too.

Because of the extra money we received, we’re able to hire an assistant food service manager, and another dishwasher, which is desperately needed. We’re trying to pick up our service in food a notch, and provide better customer service.

Proposition 4 monies make possible repairs to historic buildings, constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Learn more about Davis Mountains State Park and Indian Lodge at passporttotexas.org.

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

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