Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

Each week the Texas Parks and Wildlife PBS television series highlights a different state park or historic site, providing viewers with a glimpse of what to expect during a visit.

Series producer, Don Cash, talks about two state parks today—one that is popular with the masses and another that is popular with the locals.

It is summer and it is time to be camping. And the most popular place in Texas to go camping is, of course, Garner State Park.

Big Spring is a day use park. If you happen to be tooling by on the highway, it’s worth your time to get off, go into Big Spring, go up to the park and see the view.

Thanks, Don.

Check your local listings.

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

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This is Passport to Texas

There’s no doubt Texans love their state parks. Our state park guide, Bryan Frazier, says for anyone wishing to develop an even deeper appreciation of these specials places—think: interpretive park tours.

You know, the expertise our park interpretive staff has in Texas is second to none. They know the wildlife, the geology, the history, the culture.

So whether you’re in the Panhandle or the Gulf Coast, there’s so much to know and learn about the beauty and the rich, rich history of our state parks.

Thanks, Bryan.

Go to texasstateparks.org to learn more about interpretive programs at your state parks.

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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This is Passport to Texas

Most smart phones are GPS enabled. And you can use that technology to your advantage when you participate in the Geocache Challenge. Our State Park Guide, Bryan Frazier has details.

Geocaching, for people who may not know about it, combines treasure hunt and scavenger hunt with outdoor recreation. And you find either little or big caches that are hidden by using a hand held GPS device.

And for this challenge, you can download the Texas Geocache Challenge from our website and check off all of the caches that you find, and send it into Texas Parks and Wildlife for prizes like geo coins that are commemorative, or stickers, or all kinds of things—especially that kids love. It’s a great way to really marry technology and outdoor recreation.

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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This is Passport to Texas

Prairie dogs live in connected underground burrows called “towns,” which have been known to encompass up to 1,000 acres of land!

These colonies are divided into social groups usually consisting of one male, up to four females, and offspring that are less than two years of age.

Pat Bales, San Angelo SP Assistant Superintendent, says the animals are active only in daylight hours.

30—They’re most active during the cool hours of the day, during that time they’ll engage in the social activities- visiting, grooming, as well as feeding of grasses and herbs. And normally whenever they are out feeding like that, they’ll have a sentry and they’ll have a lookout. And their mounds are built up high. They’re kind of unique little engineers. They’ll build one mound, end of their mound higher than the other, and an out hole. The reason they do that: it creates a high pressure/low pressure situation which enables air to continuously flow through there. And down in the burrow itself, they’ll have little compartments where they can sleep, where they can feed.

Prairie dogs were indigenous to the San Angelo area, but various factors drastically reduced their population. Yet, thanks to dedicated prairie pup lovers – they’re back.

04—Actually, we have 2 towns- we’ve established one on the north side and south side of the park.

See a video of the park and the prairie dogs on the Texas Parks and Wildlife YouTube channel.

That’s our show for today… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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This is Passport to Texas

Garner State Park in Uvalde County is the recipient of dozens of new, healthy trees thanks to a juice company contest and your votes. Our state park guide, Bryan Frazier, explains.

49— Garner is the recipient of 88 new trees because of a campaign that Odwalla has done nationally. And they did an online contest and the parks that got the most votes go money to be used to plant trees. And over the decades, we’ve lost hundreds of trees—a lot of these were planted by the CCC in the 1920s and 1930s, so to be able to replenish some of those is a real gift. And so Garner is getting more than 18-thousand dollars worth of trees. They’re all 10 feet tall, and they’re all native pecan trees, lvie oak trees and chinquapin oaks—and they were all bought at a local nursery there. And so it’s a win-win for us. And Odwalla is getting ready to do the campaign again this year. The parks that receive the most votes online, will get those trees as well. So, it’s a good situation for us.

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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