AMERICAN YOUTHWORKS: A dedicated group of young we 
people work to renovate Bastrop State Park after the 
wildfire ... details ahead on Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

About 96% of Bastrop State Park burned in the 2011 Labor 
Day Wildfires. Since then, TPW has been restoring the park 
with the help of various groups. TPW TV producer Alan 
Fisher followed one group of young people from American 
Youth Works as they pitched in.

54 - The have a program called the Texas Conservation Corps. 
These young people are basically at a point in their life where they 
can take on a long-term stint working outdoors on public lands, 
doing various kinds of work, and getting a small stipend. But, 
they're mostly there because they want to pitch in and contribute. 
I'm here because I used to come here as a kid, and I really 
enjoyed it; I want to give back to it. So, I followed them doing a 
variety of work; they were marking and clearing trees. They were 
also constructing bridges using materials from the park - using 
drought-killed and fire-killed trees. They can make lovely bridges, 
and they fit right in the with the CCC look. Somebody referred to 
it as the CCC with tattoos and piercings. They are tattooed, they 
do have long hair and they have piercings -- but they are such 
kind, wonderful people. When they go out people recognize 
them and know the work that they're doing, and they get 
thanked almost everywhere they go. I think it makes the long 
days a little easier for them.



This segment airs on the TPW TV Series during the last 
week of March on PBS stations; check your local listings.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife ... I'm Cecilia Nasti.












Total sound bite time:		 0:57.0
Maximum Script time:		 0:31.0 Suggested show time: 85.0 = 
1:25