Passport to Texas

Rainbow trout. Photo credit: http://livingwatersflyfishing.com/

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Rainbow trout may not survive in all parts of Texas, but they flourish in the Guadalupe River below Canyon Dam. The water there is cold, which rainbows need to survive.

We’ve landed 27 and 28-inch rainbow trout out of this river, which is absolutely surreal. That’s a big fish for anywhere.

Chris Johnson is a River Guide. He talks about rainbows in a segment of the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV series on PBS, which airs next week. Mark Dillow, Chapter President of Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited, is in the segment, too.

We encourage Catch-and-Release to return the fish to the river so that this resource can continue; so that the efforts Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited are putting into making this a world-class fishery can continue. And other people can have an opportunity catch the fish that you caught.

In January 2015, Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited held its first youth trout camp where kids experienced fly fishing and river recreation on the Guadalupe River. And, Dakus Geeslin, Aquatic Scientist, at Texas Parks and Wildlife, says events like that create conservationists.

If these kids enjoy the river, they start caring about the river, and the next thing you know they’ll want to conserve and protect the river. What we saw was a conservation legacy being developed firsthand over that weekend of our trout camp.

Catch the segment on rainbow trout and Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited next week on the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV show on PBS. Check your local listings.

The Sport Fish restoration program supports our series.

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

Sharing angling tips with would-be fishermen.

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Despite their busy home, school and work schedules, several times a year, the Gibson family of Bastrop, Texas, volunteers at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Coastal Expo. Kris Shipman coordinates these events.

If we didn’t have volunteers like the Gibsons, we wouldn

’t be able to reach all the kids and provide those first time experiences outdoors.

Three thousands kids attend the weekend Expos to learn about the marine world. The entire Gibson clan is on hand to help. Meet them next week on a segment of the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV Series on PBS.

[Kaylee Gibson] It’s almost a little bit of an adrenaline rush.

[Chad Gibson] I’d say about 60 to 70 percent of the kids who come through there have never either been fishing, they’ve never been to the coast.

[Travis Gibson] Once you start learning—not only yourself but teaching other kids, it’s really fun. You can develop a habit of teaching people instantly.

[Doriann Gibson] It is hard work. But we get so much more out of it than what we put into it.

The Gibson family first started volunteering at Bastrop State Park in their hometown; and it’s strengthened their bond.

It allowed us to really have that quality time with our kids. It’s fun. It’s purposeful but we get to do it as a family.

Meet the Gibson family next week on the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV series on PBS. Check your local listings. The Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series.

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

Hunting during the “Golden Hour.”

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Difficulties in social interaction, anxiety, verbal and nonverbal communication are characteristic of individuals on the autism spectrum. Robin Bradberry lives with this condition.

06— You always know deep down, you know you don’t quite fit in, but you really want to, but you never will.

Robin, who is married to Steve, finds spending time hunting together calms her. Meet the couple in a segment on the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV series on PBS as they hunt deer on public land.

19— I like it, I’ve never hunted in any place quite this open before so I’m curious to see what shows up and how they move! Just getting settled in adjusting the blind windows, I think we’ve got it positioned where we can just ease the gun out there. Steve calls is nesting.

Robin does better away from the high energy, high stress world, which makes a quiet hunt on public land good medicine.

23—This is almost like therapy for me. It [autism] doesn’t exist out here. It’s more serene out here. You don’t have all of the movement of people, and distractions. You come out here and you can focus on your surroundings more. And listen. And you can listen. Exactly. There’s nothing. There’s wind. There’s crickets…

View the segment with Robin and Steve Bradberry on the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV Series on PBS the week of November 29.

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

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Grassland birds throughout North America, including the bobwhite quail, have been in decline.

06—Over the past 20, 30 years—we’ve seen serious declines across its entire range, including Texas.

Robert Perez is upland game bird program manager for Parks and Wildlife. He and others concerned about this enigmatic species’ survival appear in a segment called The State of Quail on the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV series on PBS.

07— Fundamentally, conservationists agree that the root cause is the changes in the quality and quantity of habitat.

During the segment, airing next week, watch conservation groups and private landowners, like Jim Willis, collaborate to improve habitat for quail, by planting native grasses, which provide shelter, seeds and insects for the birds.

19— This is a sample of a native grass. This plant contributes to the health of the land. This is the way you conserve moisture. Man has come in and ripped out a lot of this native grass and planted what we call improved grasses, which is really not improved, they’re invasive species, like Bermuda grass, and Bahia grass, and they don’t give back to the soil. They take from the soil.

The State of Quail airs the week of November 15 on the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV series on PBS. Check your local listings.

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

30th Anniversary of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Television Series

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The Texas Parks and Wildlife TV show celebrates 30 years on PBS with the new season that starts this month.

17- That’s an incredibly long time for a show to be on–especially one like this. A lot of states used to do shows like this, and a lot of them–for whatever reason–have dropped out. And we are one of the few starts that still does a show that still runs on public broadcasting in the state. So, we’re pretty unique in that regard.

Don Cash is series producer. He says throughout the 30th Anniversary season, viewers will enjoy vintage segments.

19-Some of this stuff is going to seem fairly dated and maybe a little hokey; and that’s what’s kind of fun about it. The style of storytelling 30 years ago is different than what it is now. It was great storytelling; but we really focus more on telling stories through people now than when the show first started.

Expect to meet show producers from the series’ 30 year history talking about their favorite segments.

13-And, we’re going to let them introduce their favorite story from their time. Our show doesn’t have a host; there’s no real person to it. And this will maybe let some of the viewers actually put a face to some of the people that have worked on the show over the years.

And that’s just a small part of what to expect during the 30th Anniversary year of the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV series.  Check your local listings.

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