Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

Are you considering a coastal getaway with the family this summer, but wondering where to go? This month the Texas Parks and Wildlife Television PBS series takes you to an island retreat that offers recreation and relaxation for the whole family. Producer Abe Moore.

57—[:02 ocean ambiance] As a producer and a dad, I’m always looking for stories or places where it’s kid friendly, or something great for the family. And Mustang Island [State Park], it’s just a great place for kids, and then as a parent, you can kind of just hang out.

So that story’s going to be on Texas Parks and Wildlife television in the fourth week of June. Enjoy! [:02 ocean ambiance fades]

Thanks, Abe.

Check your local listings.

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

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This is Passport to Texas

Looking to reach new heights in your state park experience? You will do just that when you visit Sheldon Lake State Park. Our State park guide, Bryan Frazier explains.

56—it’s right in east Houston. And you have this oasis of nature preserve with an environmental learning center. There’s great fishing. There’s a 12-hundred acre reservoir, and it’s all on the part property, but the real news here lately is we’ve got a new observation tower. Great for birding and great just to see the views. You can see all the way down to San Jacinto Monument in one direction, and all the way to the Houston downtown skyline in the other. And you’ve got a good view of the 400 acre preserved prairieland that we have there. But this was something funded with donations—all of it was. So, no state dollars, no tax dollars were used in the construction of this. And that’s something that’s very important with the economy that we’re in. We’re able to provide this service and this unique perspective of Houston and further encourage the things that are popular there, with something from donations. And that is the John Jacob observation tower, which is having its grand opening this month at Sheldon Lake State Park.

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

The Texas State Park Pass is still the best deal around, and our State Park guide, Bryan Frazier, has details.

54—It’s still only $60 dollars for 12 months, and it waives the entrance fees to more than 90 state parks in Texas for you and whoever is with you in your vehicle. You get discounts on anything you buy in the state park store, and you get a handful of discount coupons for your camping and overnight fees. And so, with this program, it’s a plastic card that fits in your wallet and goes wherever you do. And as long as the cardholder is present, you swipe it when you get there. You can use your discount even on your first visit when you purchase your pass. It’s fulfilled on site at the park. Overwhelmingly more people buy them in the spring, getting ready for the summer. And so we want to encourage people to do that. If they go more than a couple of times to a state park it will by far save them some money—depending on how many people go with them or how long they stay. It’s a great value. The money that you spend on your park pass goes directly to help us with our park operations. But, again, it’s a ticket to getting outside and enjoying the parks across Texas from the Panhandle to the Gulf Coast.

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

You know that bison, referred to as buffalo by some, are big animals. In fact, they’re the largest land mammal in the US, with the bulls weighing in at two thousand pounds and cows half that much. They might be stocky, but don’t challenge one to a foot race—you’ll lose.

07— It may look like they’re big, huge, lumbering animals, but a bison can run 35 miles and hour; that’s pretty fast.

Donald Beard is park superintendent at Caprock Canyons SP, where visitors can view the official Texas state bison herd.

10—[bison grunting] They’re like people they have different personalities. You’ll have an animal that’s really curious and want to come up to you to see what’s going on. Then you’ll have some that want to stay back and don’t want to be a part of it. [ambiance at end]

The newly expanded bison enclosure at the park, allows visitors to get close to the animals—but if you get too close, the bison will let you know.

14—When they’re agitated, they will raise their tail into a question mark. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard the saying ‘Let’s high tail it out of here?’ That came back from the 1870s when settlers would see those tails go up in that question mark; they knew it was time to get out of the way.

The park has plans to eventually expand the bison’s territory to encompass the majority of the park. Get more information about the Texas State Bison herd at texasstateparks.org.

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

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This is Passport to Texas

Caprock Canyons State Park is home to the official Texas State bison herd.

07—This bison herd was started by Charles Goodnight back in the 1870s during the slaughter of the American Bison.

Tens of millions of southern plains bison once thundered across the land, including Texas, but in the late 1800’s they were nearly hunted to extinction, says park superintendent Donald Beard.

14—They were slaughtering millions of these animals; and Mrs. Goodnight would listen to the calves bleat in the nighttime, and so they rounded up a few calves and, uh, that was the beginning of the herd. And they’ve been here at Caprock Canyons ever since.

The State Herd numbers just under 80 animals; genetic testing supports the claim they are all that remain of the southern plains subspecies.

In an effort to give visitors a better look at these examples of living history, park staff doubled the acreage in the animals’ enclosure, to include the area around the visitor’s center.

13—So our goal is to expand their territory here in the park and have a unique experience to where when you come in the park, you are in the habitat with the bison.

Eventually, bison will have access to the majority of the park. Learn more about Caprock Canyons SP when you go to texasstateparks.org.

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

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