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Halloween in State Parks, 1

Friday, October 21st, 2011
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This is Passport to Texas

Fall is a great time to visit a state park. In addition to festivals, our SP guide Bryan Frazier says visitors can also experience the darker side of the outdoors at State Parks this Halloween season.

And so we have some events at Estero Llano Grande SP. It’s their 6th annual spooky science fest. And they do crafts for the kids and interpretive programs with park rangers, and talk about some of the things that people are a little bit uncomfortable with maybe at night.

But really in a park environment—a lot of these animals are nocturnal. We’re able to show them some of these animals: some of the birds and the bats and the mammals and things. And really let’s children, in particular, be a lot more comfortable with what’s happening in the dark.

Because, life goes on in a park after dark. In fact, a lot of animals only come out at night. And so it’s a great chance to see and experience and talk about some of those things they may not get a chance to [otherwise]. But we’ve got a lot of events; there’s Halloween at the Hatchery, and that’s at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, and then the Halloween Fun and Games event at Lake Texana SP in Edna, Texas.

So check our calendar of events for Halloween and Fall festival events in State Parks.

Thanks, Bryan!

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Daingerfield State Park Re-opens

Friday, October 14th, 2011
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This is Passport to Texas

After one year of being closed to the public, and 5-million dollars in renovations and improvements: Daingerfield State Park in Northeast Texas has officially re-opened for visitation. Yet, our state park guide Bryan Frazier says before the official re-opening—they opened unofficially to give the renovations a type of “test drive.”

They tentatively took the lock off the gate to allow visitors in and to test out some of the things they had renovated, like the waste water treatment plant. They were able to make sure that big crowds of people—that it would handle it great—and it’s working fantastic.

There’s more than five million dollars of renovations and upgrades to the campsites. The old CCC buildings—it’s just in great shape. And the lake that wasn’t fished for a year is now open. And we’re going to have a grand opening on October 15.

And there’ll be activities for kids, park staff and park rangers will be there to show everybody what’s new, what’s great, what’s renovated. It’s a park that I wholeheartedly recommend that people get out there—and with the facilities and the new restrooms and things—it makes people’s experience that much more pleasant.

Thanks, Bryan!

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Fall Foliage at State Parks

Friday, October 7th, 2011
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This is Passport to Texas

Historically people associate fall foliage in Texas with Lost Maples State Natural Area.

01— And rightfully so…

Our State Park Guide, Bryan Frazier.

51—It is a unique place. You’ve got the big Sawtooth maple trees that are holdovers from the last ice age. Someone forgot to tell the trees they shouldn’t be there. But they’re there, and they’re there and they’re beautiful and people love it and flock to that park in late October and early November to see that. But one of the overlooked places for fall foliage is NE Texas.

You’ve got places like Lake Bob Sandlin SP, and Daingerfield SP, and Caddo Lake SP and Atlanta SP, Tyler SP, and all these places that have mixed amongst the big pine trees are hardwoods like sweet gum and elm, and ash and they turn and mix with that background of green pine—it’s absolutely beautiful. Not to be overlooked is the NE TX fall foliage trail.

You can actually find that out on our website texasstateparks.org/foliage, and we’ll do the fall foliage reports. And hopefully this year it will be good.

Thanks, Bryan!

We always knew Texas was a colorful place, and the fall foliage in NE TX is simply further proof.

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Cedar Hill Anniversary and Fall Festival

Friday, September 30th, 2011

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This is Passport to Texas

If you live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, or need a reason for a road trip, our State park guide Bryan Frazier recommends a day at Cedar Hill State Park.

That park is really a neat place. It sits on Joe Pool reservoir, and it borders on Dallas and Tarrant county; you’re across the lake from the city of Grand Prairie.

You can actually see the new Dallas Cowboys football stadium from inside Cedar Hill SP.

And not only do we have lots of improvements, we have full hook-up loops and camping there with sewer connections. But we’re also going to do the 20th Anniversary and Fall Harvest Heritage Festival coming up October 22.

There’s going to be food and drink vendors, a musician, lots of outdoor activities from climbing to mountain biking to kayaking and fishing. There will be tours of Penn Farm, which is a historic site within the park there. And that’s going to start at 11 AM and go to 6 PM on Saturday, October 22. And adult entrance fees will be lowered to three dollars and children ages 12 and under are always free at state parks.

So, check out the harvest heritage festival and 20th Anniversary celebration coming up in October—put it on your calendar.

Thanks, Bryan!

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet…building dependable, reliable trucks for more than 90 years.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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State Parks: Vehicle Registration Donation

Monday, September 19th, 2011

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This is Passport to Texas

Once people started driving, they journeyed cross country, and state Parks offered them respite during their travels. It seems fitting that beginning in 2012, car owners will be able to make annual donations to maintain these natural treasure when they register their vehicles. Our State park guide Bryan Frazier has details.

54— Beginning January first, two thousand twelve, the program will begin that people can opt in for a five dollar donation—or more—that benefits state parks.

And Texans have historically rallied around state parks and shown their support for it and there’s loyal following. And we just simply couldn’t make it without our park volunteers and the way people voice their support for our parks; and this is one more way that they can do that.

And that’s coming in January. Check down at the bottom, and you can opt in for a five dollar donation or more. And that money directly benefits state parks—just like when you pay your entrance fees, or your camping fees, or buy a souvenir in the gift shop at a state park, that money directly benefits park.

And we need people now—maybe more than ever. We’ve got 1.6 million dollars that we have to make up with this particular program, so we want to get the word out and let people know this is their chance…again as they’ve historically done…and answered the call and helped support state parks.

Thanks, Bryan!

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet…building dependable, reliable trucks for more than 90 years.

We record our series at The Block House in Austin.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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