Passport to Texas

Father and son fishing at sunrise on jetty at South Padre.

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Fort Worth native, Ryan Spencer says his father made a conscious commitment to spend time outdoors with him and his brother, even though his dad wasn’t much of an outdoorsman.

15—He wasn’t a lumberjack, you know. He didn’t know everything about the outdoors or anything like that. But, he made a commitment to my brother and myself that we were going to get outside. So, for the next seven years every single month we went camping as a family. It was amazing.

This exposure to nature had a profound impact on Ryan, and caused a ripple effect; today Ryan is a Park Ranger with the Texas Outdoor Families program.

36—If you’d asked me maybe three years ago, I probably would have told you I was going to be a lawyer. I managed to get an internship with Texas Parks and Wildlife; I worked out at Guadalupe river State Park for a good while. While I was there I just really developed this profound sense of accomplishment from helping people enjoy state parks. They’re such a wonderful resource, and they’re all over the state of Texas, and they can do so much for a family that it was just a no brainer. And as soon as I got the opportunity to get on board with Texas Outdoor Family – I jumped at it. Because, I knew that it was going to give me a chance to really make a difference in a lot of people’s lives, and I’ve been blessed to be able to do that ever since.

For Ryan, Life’s Better Outside.

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

Geocaching in a state park.

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It’s fall camping season, and Robert Owen with the Texas Outdoor Family program says if you keep the following suggestions in mind, you’ll have a great time on your next campout.

57—Plan ahead for your activities. Make sure you have a good pair of comfortable shoes to go along with your weekend; while you’re spending time on the trail you’ll want to keep your feet comfortable. Bring some water and sunscreen along regardless of the season. I like to bring along a GPS unit when I camp because I do enjoy Geocaching as a sport. Bring along that fishing equipment – the fish always tend to bite better in the cooler months. And also [bring some] binoculars – the winter months provide great opportunities for bird watching at Texas State Parks, and wildlife watching as well. Would you say that going to www.texasstateparks.org is a good place for people to begin their camping trip? Absolutely. It’s broken down into a map view, so you can find a park that’s nearby home or if you’re looking for a reason to get out and explore someplace new. It will tell you all about what the park has to offer; you can check out the park map there, and get a feel for what each campsite may offer. And, there may be a schedule of interpretive activities as well.

Thanks, Robert.

Go to texasstateparks.org to plan your next campout… because Life’s Better Outside.

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

Children enjoying outdoor activities on a campout.

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

05—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 an overnight campout, Robert Owen with the Texas Outdoor Family Program says a blanket, pillow and a few other items will have you sleeping like a baby in Mother Nature’s embrace.

45—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.

Tomorrow Robert Owen returns to tell us about maximizing your camping experience.

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

Camping at Inks Lake State Park

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

43—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 arrive early on the day of check-in to get the best choice of campsites.

Tomorrow Robert Owen returns to tell us what to bring on a camping trip.

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

Gas Well Fire, image theexaminer.com

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A gas well blowout in 2011, in a remote area of Village Creek State Park in East Texas, burned acres of brush and trees; including newly planted native longleaf pines, part of a reforestation effort by Texas Parks and Wildlife.

06— It was a huge fireball, with several hundreds if not thousands degrees; it cooked a huge area.

David Riskind, director of the natural resource program for state parks, says the agency came to a damage claim settlement with the drilling company, and is using the funds to develop a restoration plan…

32—And implement that restoration plan on the type of site and soils which would have been occupied naturally by longleaf pine. So, here we are; we’ve begun to restore the site. We’ve tried to put back the site in its natural condition, using natural contours, that we got from our own experience and also from the topo maps that we have available before the site was site prepped for timber production. And, we’ve begun phase one of the restoration of this – about 180 acre – longleaf pine restoration project.

Longleaf pines were nearly logged to extinction, and with them, the plants and animals that call that habitat home. With this restoration, the agency hopes to see an eventual revival of the forest, flora and fauna.

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