Passport to Texas

TPW TV: Balmorhea Fun Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Jeffrey Buras [Byou-ras] is the newest producer on the PBS Texas Parks and Wildlife Television series.

There’s a lot to learn, for sure. Not only just with our production process, but also [becoming familiar with] all of the biology, all of the wildlife management…

The job involves more than knowing where to point the camera. It’s challenging, and also keeps producers on the road for long stretches. Yet, even when they’re done for the day, they’re never really done. As you’ll see when you view an upcoming segment called Balmorhea Fun.

I was actually doing a story with producer Abe Moore—we were out in the Pecos region studying the Pecos Pup fish for another segment. We’d finished in the middle of the afternoon, and we were considering—okay, we could either do the drive back to Austin over six hours, or we could just stay here in Balmorhea, enjoy the afternoon, make a fun little video, and drive back the next day.

And that’s just what they did.

We had a bunch of small Go-Pro cameras, and, we had a Quad-Copter that can shoot video. We spent the afternoon swimming with folks, giving them cameras [to use], and coming up with this fun little video.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife TV segment Balmorhea Fun airs on PBS stations the week of May 15th.

It’s just a fun view of what it’s like to spend a day at Balmorhea State Park.

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

Women on the water at a BOW Workshop.

Before Summer's Truly Gone--Get Wet! Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Autumn is gaining on us…and no self-respecting Texan would allow an entire summer to go by without spending time in or on the water.

Fortunately, state parks provide opportunities for both.

Want to do a little canoeing, but don’t want to go it alone? This month you can join a ranger for a two-hour, three mile long guided canoe trip through the Martin Dies Jr.’s State park’s swampy marshes and the Neches River. Be on the lookout for wildlife such as bald eagles, belted kingfishers, herons, turtles and alligators. Find the schedule on the calendar at texasstateparks.org.

Make tracks – or is that waves – to any Texas inland or coastal paddling trail. These trails provide well-mapped accessible day trips in a variety of settings, for all levels of paddling experience. Find trail maps online.

Anglers experience a new perspective on the sport by casting a line from a kayak or canoe. It’s simple to do, and you can find tips on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

There’s still time to get neck-deep in cool water, as the hot days are quite over. No matter where you live in Texas, there’s a state park with a pool, lake, river, creek, or even ocean just waiting for you to dive in.

Find information about all the wet and wild opportunities in Texas on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

For Texas parks and wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Preparing for a dive into the crystal clear, spring fed, Balmorhea State Park swimming pool.

Swimming Opportunities at State Parks Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

From spring-fed rivers to Texas-sized lakes, to diving in a pool, Texas State Parks offer swimming opportunities. Spring floods affected many natural swimming holes, so call ahead to find out about access and safety. Meantime, parks with public pools were largely unaffected.

Abilene State Park in the Panhandle has a large swimming pool and pavilion built by the Civilian Conservation Corps decades ago, which continues to provide visitors with summertime swimming and a separate wading pool for children.

Balmorhea State Park welcomes swimmers to the crystal-clear water of the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool. Swim or just relax under the trees at this CCC created historic park in arid West Texas.

In Far West Texas, Indian Lodge, within the boundaries of Davis Mountains State Park, has a lovely facility for its guests, who can relax poolside with a cool beverage or snacks from the lodge’s restaurant.

Bastrop State Park, in Central Texas, entices campers and folks from the surrounding area to its pools for summertime fun. The pool opens at noon daily.

While Goliad State Park and Historic Site in South Texas doesn’t offer swimming on premises, it is available across from the park, at a junior Olympic swimming pool, operated by the city of Goliad.

Wherever you are, there’s still time to get wet in the wilds of Texas this summer.

That’s our show for today… Funding provided in part by Ram Trucks. Guts. Glory. Ram.

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