Passport to Texas

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

Springtime is Watch out for Snakes Time Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Now that spring is here, you know you’ll be spending more time outdoors. And, when you do, my advice: watch your step…literally.

07—Probably most people who spend any amount of time hiking in Texas have been within arm’s reach of a diamondback and never knew it.

Andy Gluesenkamp is a herpetologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife. Don’t let what he just said about the big, scary venomous Western Diamondback Rattlesnake — the deadliest snake in North America –keep you locked up indoors.

07—Diamondbacks would by and large much prefer to avoid contact than get in some sort of fisticuffs with a large animal like a human.

These snakes play defense. They usually hang out in the vicinity of fallen logs, brush piles, and rocks. If they think you don’t see them, they’ll lie perfectly still and let you proceed on your merry way. They don’t court trouble. However…

14—If they feel threatened by you, the first thing that they’ll do is buzz that rattle. On rare occasions when somebody reaches their hands into a crevice, or is picking up firewood and grabs a snake or steps on a snake—then they’re going to react violently. And that’s when people tend to get bitten.

You know what you have to do. Find more information about snakes on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Website.

The Wildlife Restoration program supports our series and works to restore native habitat in Texas.

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

A big pot of chili for competition.

Davis Mountains Mile High Chili Cook-off Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

The First Annual Mile High Chili Cook-off is a new, CASI sanctioned, competition to take place April 25 at Davis Mountains State Park. CASI stands for Chili Appreciation Society International.

13— We are very excited about this. And these are people who have been competing in chili cook-offs throughout the year and they’re trying to get points to then go to the international chili cook-off in Terlingua, in November.

Tara Poloskey is an interpretive ranger at the park.

09—They’re very competitive; it’s pretty serious for some of these chefs. And, CASI does most of the work, but we provide the judges.

Want to put your bowl of red up against serious competitors? Then register quickly. Find information at passporttotexas.org; and if you’re going to be camping at the park anyway…

18— We’re allowing visitors to the park to pay four dollars, and with their four dollars that goes to the friend’s group, they get a cup, a napkin, a bottle of water, and they can go around to all of the different kitchens and try the chili once the chefs have submitted them to the judges.

Davis Mountains SP is giving away prizes to competitors.

11— Gift certificates to the Indian Lodge for hotel rooms overnight. We have gift certificates for camping at Davis Mountains State Park; we have a camp stove that was donated from our local true value.

Find details about the First Annual Mile High Chili Cook-off at Davis Mountains SP at passporttotexas.org.

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

Fishing: Gateway to outdoor obsession.

Health: Benefits of Time Spent in Nature Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

With more than a million acres of public parks and wild spaces in Texas, opportunities to get outside abound, and so do the health benefits of being active outdoors.

Adult men and women should carve out at least 30 minutes a day for some kind of physical activity. For children, that time grows to a full hour. Regular body-moving, heart-pumping movement builds muscle and develops balance and flexibility – among other benefits.

From daytime and guided night hikes, to star gazing, bike and equestrian trails, bird watching, to swimming, rock climbing, paddling, and geocaching – state and local parks offer a chance to get outside no matter your interest or ability. Your imagination is really the only
thing standing between you and what you can do outdoors.

Of course, you can always go to the gym to log your 30 minutes of activity a day, but when nature is your fitness center your workouts will all seem like play. Side stepping puddles, leaping up rocks, and traversing up and down hills exercise your balance and stability in
addition to the cardiovascular system…not to mention what being in the wide open spaces breathing fresh air can do for your peace of mind.

The outdoor alternative is also more affordable than the gym, as many state parks offer low-cost admission. So go ahead and get out, because life’s better outside. Find a park or scenic trail near you at texasstateparks.org.

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.

He’s not heavy, he’s my hiking partner…

Parks: Hikes with Homeless Dogs Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Every Thursday morning at nine, visitors to Davis Mountains State Park in west Texas meet for a guided hike…with homeless dogs.

10— 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, coordinates and guides the hikes with shelter dogs from the Grand Companions Humane Society in Fort Davis (http://www.grandcompanions.org/); both hikers and dogs benefit.

17—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.

Tara Poloskey says the program is popular with Davis Mountains SP visitors.

14—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.

Sometimes hikers even adopt the dogs.

05— 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.

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

Wise little owl.

Wildlife | Event: Learning from Owls Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Owls symbolize wisdom – and we can learn much from them when pick their… pellets.

09— It’s more dignified than digging through poo because you’ll be digging through vomit.

Amy Kocurek and I have different ideas about what’s dignified, but this interpretive ranger at Martin Dies Jr. State Park, in East TX does know how to keep visitors engaged.

10—The kids especially, they love it. Little furry, tin foiled wrapped up presents, that they get to unwrap and see what sort of mysterious surprises await inside.

Wrapped in foil? Yes, because you can order them online.

11— Most of them are from barn owls that people will collect from in their barns where owls just hack up these pellets; they’ll collect them and sanitize them and sell them for teachers, mostly.

Whether pellets are fresh or sanitized for your protection, those small, furry capsules have secrets to reveal.

33— Because it contains these almost perfectly preserved pieces of bones and beaks and different things the owl ate, researchers can see what their main food source is in the area that they’re living, if that food source is changing seasonally…. But also, if you’re doing population studies on small mammals, that will allow you to see how many different types of mammals are being eaten by owls. So, it can give you an all-round general idea of the population of animals in that ecosystem.

Dissect owl pellets with Amy Kocurek April 11at Martin Dies Jr. SP; details on the calendar at texasstateparks.org.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series.

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