Passport to Texas

Wearing sturdy shoes for a vigorous hike.

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If your spring break includes hiking along trails, you’ll need something sturdier and safer than flip flops to protect and support your feet and ankles.

A light hiking shoe may suffice if trekking along a smooth, well maintained trail. They’re a more robust version of a running shoe, with good support and a flexible mid sole for comfort.

For more support, try hiking boots. These can be mid or high cut and take time to break in. Both the low and high cuts wrap around the ankle. Overall, wear this foot gear on day hikes when carrying light loads. If you commonly carry 40 pounds or more when hiking, a high cut boot will give you the best support.

The next boot in the lineup is the backpacking boot. They get two thumbs up when it comes to support and durability. They generally have a stiff mid sole and may be mid to high cut to help prevent ankle roll when carrying heavier loads.

The sturdiest boot on the market is the mountaineering boot. This is outdoor footwear at its toughest. They’re heavier boots made to help you carry heavier loads. They’re also able to accommodate crampons should you find yourself scuttling up a glacier.

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

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

Kayaking on Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas. Photo credit: ©2011 Chase A. Fountain / TPWD

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This is Passport to Texas

Looking for a fun outdoor activity you can do solo or with friends this spring break? James Graham says traveling aboard a kayak is the ultimate means of individual navigation.

It’s what we call people power… it’s a way to experience waters that are less crowded, that are more pristine.

The Houston kayaking instructor teaches folks the finer points of paddling. Since these boats don’t use motors to move, they can access more places than …say… a powerboat…

And that’s one of the things fishermen are really appreciating now…they can get up into some very, very shallow water…the fish aren’t used to people in those areas and you can really enjoy of lot of Texas this way

He says there is a perception that kayaks are dangerous because people see them going over white water rapids on TV…

Well white water is only a small part of the sport…in fact kayaks are more stable than canoes because you are sitting lower in the water, the center of gravity is lower, your balance is better.

Learn more about kayaking and canoeing on the Texas Parks and Wildlife web site.

We record our series at The Block House in Austin, Texas, and Joel Block engineers our program.

That’s our show for today…the Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series and works to increase fishing and boating opportunities in Texas.

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

Texas State Parks Official Guide

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This is Passport to Texas

Most of us are within an hour’s drive of a state park. And when you download the new app for the Texas State Parks Official Guide to your phone or device, your next park getaway is within your reach.

It will allow them to do what we call a ‘filtered search’ to find the perfect park for them that they’d like to explore. And we’re hoping that not only will it make people more inclined to discover more parks, but really bring some younger people and more diverse people to the parks. It’s a really exciting resource that we’re now able to offer.

Texas Parks and Wildlife marketing director Darcy Bontempo says not knowing which parks are nearby, or what activities and amenities are available, may keep some folks from visiting parks. The app can change that.

This is just going to remove those obstacles and make them feel like they’re the expert on state parks. They can get that information easily and quickly. They can even look at videos of the park. Photos of the park… I think what’s going to be exciting is for people to almost customize the park experience. And that can change. In fall you might want to go hiking, and in summer, you might want to go swimming. It just puts the power right there in your hand in terms of you figuring out where you want to go.

Using the new app—which is available for apple and android devices—you can even create a “favorites list” of parks you’ve visited or want to visit.

We’re all about making it as easy as possible for people to get to parks and enjoy parks.

Download the Texas State Parks Official Guide at texasstateparks.org/app

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

Message in a bottle. Photo credit: funtik.cat flickr

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This is Passport to Texas’ Outdoor Stories

Terri McDonald of Rockport, responded to our request for listeners’ stories about their favorite Texas State Parks, historic sites or wildlife management areas. Her favorite is Matagorda Island Wildlife Management Area.

Absolutely love it. There’s no cars…very few people…it’s just like going back in time to a beach a hundred years ago.

The slow pace leaves a lot of time for one of Terri’s favorite pastimes — beach combing.

We’ve found tons of seashells, beautiful driftwood, four messages in bottles…. You just never know what you’re going to find out there.

Terri says she’s contacted three of the people whose message she found in the bottles.

The oldest one was from 1969. A soldier in the Vietnam War had dropped it off of Cape Canaveral. And we found it at the bottom of a dune that had been sheared off by a storm. So it had been buried under sixteen feet of sand for years and years. So we got in touch with him through the help of the Corpus Christi Caller Times Military Reporter. And the poor guy almost had a heart attack. It was a long time ago – he had almost forgotten doing it.

Now it’s your turn. Visit the Outdoor Stories link at passporttotexas.org and send us an email with your memory of the Great Texas Outdoors.

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

Tim Birdsong receiving an Employee Recognition Award for his work, from TPWD Executive Director Carter Smith.

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This is Passport to Texas

Tim Birdsong is Chief of Habitat Conservation for Inland Fisheries at Parks and Wildlife.

I feel like it’s my job as a rivers biologist here at Texas Parks and Wildlife to help people understand what would be lost if we didn’t take care of these resources.

He works closely with landowners to develop projects to preserve healthy, flowing waters in Texas.

Since 2010, We’ve entered into agreements with over 100 landowners to do stream corridor conservation projects to conserve these lands along these flowing waters like you see here. In my personal life, I love to get out and recreate on rivers and streams, and so I don’t really feel like my job is work. So conserving those natural resources is about conserving that relationship that I want to pass down to my own children.

Conservation is hard work for all involved, and can at times seem like one step forward and two steps back. But people like Tim Birdsong never lose focus or faith.

I feel like I’ve made a difference. I feel like the team that I work with has made a difference. I associate my work with not just conserving fish and wildlife, but preserving a way of life. If I can have a role in helping more people get out and experience the outdoors, or promote a way of life that’s going to lead to a healthier, happier society then I’m all for it.

Meet Tim next week in a segment on the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV show on PBS, Check your local listings.

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