Passport to Texas

Park ranger with shelter dog on David Mountains hike.

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This is Passport to Texas

Thursday mornings, visitors to Davis Mountains State Park in west Texas meet for guided hikes—with homeless dogs.

We usually have more people than dogs. We usually give one dog to a family and then a third of the way through the walk we’ll stop and then we’ll switch the dogs to different people so everybody has a chance.

Ranger, Tara Poloskey, says participants hike with shelter dogs from the Grand Companions Humane Society in Fort Davis.

The visitors need dogs to walk when they leave their dogs at home and they’re missing their dogs. And, also, the dogs at the shelter don’t get a lot of socialization and maybe they’ve had some pretty hard histories. They need to get out and get socialized and learn how to walk on leashes to make them more adoptable.

The program is popular with park visitors.

Everyone is happy to see the dogs; visitors know they’re helping the dogs. And, I do talk some about the park while we’re walking, so it’s a good mix of interpretation and dog walks. And, for the dogs, it’s a wonderful way for them to socialize and get used to different people.

Hikers sometimes even adopt the dogs.

In fact, today we had two. A total of five, actually, over the course of a year, but today we had two.

Find details about hikes with homeless dogs in the calendar section of 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.

Hiking Enchanted Rock State Natural Area.

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This is Passport to Texas

When it comes to making New Year resolutions, success comes when you walk your talk. For the past few years, that’s meant busting a move on state park trails during First Day Hike events.

First Day Hikes is a nationwide initiative that Texas State Parks has been participating in for the last several years.

Thomas Wilhelm, with state parks, says most sites throughout Texas will host First Day Hikes.

Essentially, it’s the concept of getting outside on January first, and doing something to kick the year off right. So, almost all of our parks have some sort of first day hike. A few of our parks take it a unique way. For example, Balmorhea state park—the swimming pool in West Texas—they have a first day dive. So, everybody jumps into Balmorhea, which is a polar dive sort of thing, but that’s a unique experience. But many of our parks do have those first day hikes. And they’re, of course, guided hikes with a park ranger. And it’s just a way to start the year off right on the good foot. Literally.

Find all First Day Hike events at texasstateparks.org.

That’s our show for today… We record our series at the Block House in Austin, Texas…Joel Block engineers our program.

Funding for Passport to Texas provided in part by Ram Trucks. Guts. Glory. Ram

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

Enjoying a nature scavenger hunt.

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This is Passport to Texas

Most of us will overindulge during the long Thanksgiving weekend. Instead of letting the family collectively slip into a food-induced coma, get outside for some fresh air.

And maybe even have some fun in terms of a challenge or game or scavenger hunt.

Richard Heilbrun is a wildlife biologist with the wildlife diversity program. Personally, I’m intrigued by the sound of the scavenger hunt.

One of my favorite things to do with young kids is to give them a set of objectives: I want you to find a bug. For older kids: I want you to find a butterfly; I want you to find a moth; I want you to find this kind of caterpillar; I want you to observe ten different types of songbirds and tell me what they eat by what kind of bill they have.

Be sure to have a few field guides for reference, as well as binoculars, a digital camera and even a sketch book.

When you give them a challenge, it becomes a game. And they get into it and they get excited. Then, before you know it, they’ve spent their whole day interacting with nature, searching, discovering, and developing a sense of wonder with wildlife. And it’s that sense of discovery that endears them to nature and wildlife and conservation as adults.

And it works up an appetite, too.

The Wildlife Restoration program supports our series.

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

Prepared camping, is fun camping.

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This is Passport to Texas

Do you avoid overnight camping because you’re afraid you won’t get your beauty rest?

The folks that do avoid camping tend to think that it’s not comfortable. Well, it doesn’t have to be that way.

If you’re concerned you’ll be counting sheep instead of sawing logs on your overnight campout, Robert Owen with the Texas Outdoor Family Program says a blanket and pillow and a few other items will have you sleeping like a baby in Mother Nature’s embrace.

I always like to bring either a foam pad to sleep on or an air mattress – and even cots are getting especially popular now. Sleeping bags often have a temperature rating on them, so you’ll want to make sure that you know what your overnight lows are going to be; maybe even subtract a couple of degrees from that just to be safe, and make sure your sleeping bag is rated for that temperature. We have some tips for folks who are going to spend the night outdoors when the temperature starts to drop: air mattresses –they can actually cool you off over night. They might be very comfortable, but it’s like sleeping on a pillow of cold air. If you can insulate yourself against that pillow of cold air, it’s really going to make you more comfortable overnight. All that means is laying a blanket or sleeping bag below you – between you and the air mattress – and that goes a long way.

Reserve your site at your favorite state park at texasstateparks.org.

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

Family camping trip at Bastrop State Park

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This is Passport to Texas

Fall camping season is here, and Robert Owen—an avid camper who oversees the Texas Outdoor Family program—offers suggestions for choosing a campsite for your overnight adventure.

What I look for in a campsite is a bit of privacy. I enjoy a quiet end of the park; a place where the family can settle down and enjoy peace and quiet of nature. Nearby nature trails – looking for a trail that offers the family something to do right off the back of the campsite is always a real benefit. Also, I always like to reasonably close to water if the park offers water so that all those recreational opportunities are there. I also look for a campsite that has level ground. There’re no safety concerns like low hanging limbs or anything like that, that might interfere with my evening. And proximity to the restroom. You always want to make sure you’re within a comfortable distance of the restroom.

One of the best ways to ensure that close proximity to the restroom is to reserve your campsite in advance.

Tomorrow sawing logs instead of counting sheep when sleeping under the stars. That’s tomorrow.

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