Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

April 22, 1970 marked the first celebration of Earth Day, the goal of which was to highlight the needs of the planet, and to instill a sense of planetary stewardship among citizens. The message continues. This month, you can participate in Earth Day events at state parks throughout Texas.

On Saturday, April 14th, from 9 to 5, Brazos Bend State Park offers a full day of family fun. Participate in nature hikes and attend historical interpretations. You can experience hands-on activities and demonstrations from local and national conservation groups.

Colorado Bend State Park hosts an Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 21st from 9 to 5. Bring a friend and a picnic lunch and enjoy the beauty of this unique area of the Texas Hill Country. Take a guided tour along one of the many trails, and visit Gorman Falls and Gorman cave.

Finally, spend Tuesday, April 24th learning in the outdoors at Lake Texana. Study the wide array of native trees, and make leaf prints. Afterwards, plant a native tree you’ve brought or plant one provided by the park. Relax with a cool night hike in the woodlands of the Navidad River.

Information about Earth Day events can be found on the Texas Parks & Wildlife website.

That’s our show for today…with research and writing help from Loren Seeger. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

If you’re wondering what people do in the great outdoors, consider spending a little time indoors watching the Texas Parks and Wildlife Television series and find out. Series producer Abe Moore…

The first week of April, one of the main stories we’re working on is Pedernales Volunteers. It’s a story on how important our volunteers are to the state park system.

The work they do is a tremendous benefit to the staff, because it saves them a lot of time. It allows us to actually provide a higher level of customer service.

The second week of April, we’re doing a story on the Guadalupe bass – our state fish – and folks at the Texas Heart of the Hills Fisheries Science Center are working to save our state fish from going extinct.

We began work to raise thousands and thousands of pure Guadalupe Bass, and put them back into the system, and simply overwhelm the hybrids.

The third week of April, we’re heading out with the game wardens of the Texas parks and Wildlife department. They’re heading out to Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.

Lots of chaos. But when we were given a mission, we brought order to that chaos. We had a command staff. We had game wardens that were organized, knew how to work the boats, and knew how to fit into a team effort.

And, finally, on the fourth week of April on our TV program, we’re doing a program called “Student Parking” – and it deals with all of our state parks and how great they are as outdoor classrooms.

Check local listings to see when the show airs in your town.

That’s our show…thank you for joining us…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

This month the Barrington Living History Farm at Washington-on-the-Brazos honors 19th Century women with the interactive event “True Texas Women.”

We feel that Texas women were the backbone of the New Republic of Texas. Their stories are not told. You know, the men get the credit- they were the soldiers, the politicians and all. We think that there’s truth that the women kept the home fires burning.

Janice Campbell is a Domestic Interpreter. Visitors will get a hands-on opportunity to learn popular 1800s women’s crafts, and social customs.

Last year, we had an activity that we called “charm strings,” and all this is, is stringing buttons on pieces of thread. Women were doing this in the mid-19th century. It was almost as young boys collecting baseball trading cards today; women were collecting and trading buttons.

True Texas Women allows younger generations to appreciate women who made contributions to our state.

What we’ve seen happen over the years, not only adult women coming and enjoying this event, but we’ve seen groups of young girls. And we want those girls to understand we have a rich woman’s history here in Texas and it’s going to be up to them to carry this on.

True Texas Women is Saturday and Sunday, March 24 and 25th.

That’s our show …with research and writing help from Loren Seeger…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Sometimes beauty is best viewed from a distant vantage point. The April issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine highlights five of the best sky high views of the state. Associate publisher, Charles Lohrmann…

Photographer Laurence Parent and writer Wendee Holtcamp are describing five of the best views in the entire state of Texas. And most of the top five views they chose are in West Texas.

The westernmost if the Wyler Tramway at the Franklin Mountains SP. The view is from the top of Ranger Peak. And it’s about 56-hundred feet. You can see New Mexico to the West. The entire city of El Paso…and across the Rio Grande to Ciudad Juarez.

And not too far away is Guadalupe Peak, which is the highest point in the entire state. Then, also within range of that is McDonald Observatory, which is on Mount Locke. And, then the unique aspect of the famous view from McDonald Observatory is into the night sky, of course.

And then a sentimental favorite view is Enchanted Rock, which is only 18-hundred and 25-feet, but it’s a view that many Texans enjoy.

And one manmade view on the list is the San Jacinto Monument, which is the most eastern view. So, once you take a look at the April issue, you can make your own checklist of the best views, and then write us with your view of the Lone Star State.

Thanks Charles.

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

Camping is the perfect way to turn an average weekend into a vacation. State parks have everything from primitive camp grounds to those with restrooms, water and electricity. There are parks in every region of Texas, so your destination is only a short drive away.

Be prepared before leaving on your camping adventure. Pack a tent, lantern, and water, and be sure to wear clothing that’s appropriate for the time of year and location. Remember your sunscreen all year round.

For those who want to bring a little piece of home with them, several parks accommodate RVs. Call the site to determine what RV connections are available.

For the pampered camper, check out state parks with cabins and lodges. Historic inns and secluded ranches make for an extra relaxing getaway.

When camping, remember you are a visitor in nature’s home. To discourage resident wildlife from your campsite, store and dispose of food properly and never leave a campfire or cook stove unattended. Always pack out everything you packed into the park.

Follow these guidelines and you’re sure to be a happy camper.

Details about camping in state parks can be found on the Texas Parks & Wildlife website.

That’s our show for today…with research and writing help from Loren Seeger. Joel Block engineers our program…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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