Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

Ed and Paula Smith don’t like to go home in the winter…

:04—It’s cold at home…Michigan is cold.” (ES) “So we came down here and we just keep coming back.

The couple’s winter address is often Bastrop State Park…and their house is 37-foot motor home.

:04—It’s probably nicer than our home at home (laughs).

And while you might think they keep coming back to Bastrop because the retirees just want a chance to play golf, you’d be surprised to know that it’s not all play.

:05—I mow and then I come back and weed whip… just try to make the park look pretty.

For the past several years Ed and Paula have spent their winter months in Bastrop State Park as park hosts. They volunteer about 25 hours a week working as additional representatives in the park, and assisting park staff.

:08—You’re getting some exercise and you’re having a good time, then you’re enjoying your stay…It’s a give and take…and we really appreciate the opportunity.

Find state parks information on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

That’s our show for today…we record the series at the Production Block Studios in Austin, Texas…For Texas Parks and Wildlife… I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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This is a Passport to Texas State Park Getaway

Maybe one day you’ll own an RV with all its creature comforts and use it for overnight outings at state parks. Until then, Bryan Frazier says primitive tent camping remains a simple, yet enormously satisfying alternative.

For most people who are beginners, that’s the way they’re going to go.

We always encourage people to be safe in all of our campsites, but we want to say, too, in addition to what we have in developed campsites, we do have primitive tent camping that cane be as comfortable and convenient near a parking lot, or as remote, really, as someone is looking for.

Thanks Bryan.

Find more state park information on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

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

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Texas State Parks rely heavily on volunteers.

07—Over the last several years it’s been pretty consistent; we clock about six hundred thousand hours of volunteer time.

And that’s just manual labor, says Lori Reiley, state park volunteer coordinator. Those 600-thousand volunteer hours translate into big savings for state parks.

12—That is equivalent in this fiscal year to about a ten million dollar savings in personnel costs. Our volunteers make up about a third of our workforce. So, we really couldn’t function as well without them.

Volunteers do everything from mowing lawns and scrubbing toilets to taking entrance fees and leading interpretive programs. Reiley says state parks encourage and welcome new volunteers.

16—We could always use their help. And while we get the occasional civic organization or nonprofit that wants to volunteer for service projects, we really could always use more individuals just on a regular basis to come out and volunteer in the parks.

Find out how you can volunteer at state parks on the Texas parks and Wildlife website.

That’s our show for today…we record our series at the Production Block Studios in Austin… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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This is Passport to Texas

Maximize your time outdoors when you volunteer at a Texas State Park.

03—We basically have three different categories of volunteers.

These categories include locals who sign up for special projects, friends groups that fundraise for specific sites and—says Lori Reiley—the third category is park hosts.

13—And that is a program designed for—traditionally—retirees who travel around the state and in exchange for a campsite, they do twenty-five hours of labor in the park every week.

Reiley coordinates the state park volunteer program, and says people accepted as hosts, are required to make a time commitment.

12—The time frame is a minimum thirty-day commitment. And, the maximum is typically three months, but it can be extended depending on the park needs. The superintendent has the authority to extend that.

Most Texas State Parks offer host programs with plenty of work to help fill the twenty-five hour labor obligation.

17—We have everything from general grounds maintenance, or it could be cleaning the restrooms. What we really like is when we find people with special skills: carpentry, or graphic artists, or educators doing interpretive tours or education programs. So, it’s a variety.

Find more volunteer information on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Website.

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

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This is a Passport to Texas State Park Getaway

Recreational vehicles—better known as RVs—are like furnished homes on wheels…and the most popular way to camp in Texas State Parks. Bryan Frazier has details.

Summer is vacation time for a lot of people. And so, as we get into our busy visitation time in our parks, I want to talk about our available camping options. And the first one is RV sites that we have.

So, if you have an RV, whether it’s a motor home, a trailer, or fifth wheel, most of our parks can accommodate RVs, and we just want to encourage people to get out and enjoy not only the open road, but their camping experience in an RV in a state park.

Thanks Bryan.

Find more state park information on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

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

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