Passport to Texas

Conservation: Kerr's August First Friday Tour Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Kerr Wildlife Management Area is a research and demonstration site for the Edwards Plateau Ecoregion…and August third begins the first of a three-part monthly series called First Friday Tours.

06—Our First Friday Tours are a series of seminars that we offer annually as part of our outreach program.

Wildlife biologist, Ryan Reitz, says the first part of the free series focuses on the basics.

31—We’re starting out with the basics here, on our first part of our three-part series. And we will be discussing those elements of habitat—those things critical in the successful management of any wildlife species: food, water and cover. We’ll be discussing these in detail. We’ll be addressing the diets of native species—and even exotic species. We’ll be discussing how important water is on the landscape. And we’ll be discussing development strategies and cover requirements—how these plants provide both food and cover to our wildlife resources.

It’s free to attend, but Reitz says you need a reservation.

13—We do ask that everyone interested in attending call in for reservations. You can call the Kerr WMA. Our office number is 830-238-4483, and sign up for a spot on our First Friday Tours.

Again, the First Friday is on August 3.

If you’re not in the Edwards plateau ecosystem, go to the TPW website and find your nearest WMA, and programs offered specific to your area.

The Wildlife and sport fish restoration program supports our series and celebrates 75 years of funding diverse conservation projects throughout Texas…

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

Conservation: Kerr Wildlife Management Area Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Located at the headwaters of the North Fork of the Guadalupe River, the nearly 65-hundred acre Kerr Wildlife Management Area offers more than striking Hill Country scenery.

13—We are a research and demonstration site in the Edwards Plateau ecological region. Our goals out here are to mainly develop and manage wildlife habitats and wildlife populations of indigenous species.

Ryan Reitz is a wildlife biologist at The Kerr.

12—Out here you’ll find white tailed deer, Rio Grande turkey, bobwhite quail… We also boast very successful populations of the endangered black capped vireo, golden cheeked warbler, and toe bush fishhook cactus.

The Kerr opens its gates to land managers and others interested in wildlife and habitat management in the Edwards Plateau Ecoregion…but other ecoregions also offer programs.

13—Yes. There are Wildlife Management areas throughout our great state of Texas, and they’re established by ecoregion. And you certainly can contact your local wildlife management areas and see what programs and opportunities are provided within that ecoregion.

But if you do happen to own or manage land in the Edwards Plateau, the Kerr hosts a First Friday Tour…this Friday.

06—Our First Friday Tours are a series of seminars that we offer annually as part of our outreach program.

Details tomorrow. The Wildlife and sport fish restoration program supports our series and celebrates 75 years of funding diverse conservation projects throughout Texas… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Hunting: HIP Certification Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If you plan on hunting migratory game birds in Texas this fall, you need to be HIP – HIP certified, that is. HIP stands for Harvest Information Program.

15—It’s purpose is to gain information on waterfowl and migratory bird hunters nationwide. Basically a name and address and a little bit about their previous year’s hunting activity—as well as what they plan on hunting what they plan on hunting in the upcoming year.

Kevin Kraai is Waterfowl Program Leader. He says the HIP program helps wildlife professionals improve resource management practices as well as track various waterfowl populations throughout the country.

05—It’s a very useful tool in setting the future year hunting regulations and management decisions.

Being a HIP certified waterfowl hunter isn’t just a good idea—it’s the law.

11—Officially it is a requirement by law that every individual that plans on hunting migratory birds in the state of Texas us HIP certified. If you are not HIP certified and you are hunting migratory game birds, you are subject to game violations.

We have a link to information about becoming HIP certified at passporttotexas.org.

The Wildlife and sport fish restoration program supports our series and is celebrating 75 years of funding diverse conservation projects throughout Texas…

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

State Parks: Aplomado Falcon Release Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

After disappearing from parts of Texas almost 50 years ago, steps are being taken to restore the endangered falcon to its native range—and one state park will play a role in this effort. Our State park Guide, Bryan Frazier has more.

62—We had some habitat destruction and just practices that we just weren’t aware of what we were doing as a culture that ended up impacting these birds of prey. Well, in the years and decades since, we’ve been able to learn from our mistakes, and we’ve been able to bring back some of the beautiful, magnificent birds of prey to the south Texas coast. You’ve got an existing population of about thirty-five or so nesting Aplomado falcons, and we’re now putting more in at mustang island SP. It’s a real creative task force effort from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Peregrine Fund, and Texas Parks and Wildlife, the National Park Service, and all these groups and agencies that have interest in protecting and preserving our resources are bringing back these birds. They’re putting them up on these ten and twelve foot platforms called hack sites, and they’re putting chicks in there; getting the acclimated to the habitat, getting the ready to leave the nest and help fill some of those habitat gaps in between existing populations. And Mustang Island State Park’s right near Corpus—along a key part of the shoreline. It’s a great place to get those birds back where they belong.

Thanks Bryan

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Legacies: Garaldine Watson Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Beginning in the 1960’s Geraldine Watson, a self-trained botanist from Silsbee, Texas, worked tirelessly with the Big Thicket Association to persuade government officials to pass a bill that would create a national park from land in southeast Texas known as The Big Thicket. Her path was fraught with twists, turns and roadblocks – some of which came from preservation proponents.

56—Well, like every other organization, everybody involved had their own ideas about what needed to be done. There was a faction that wanted ten thousand acres in what we call the traditional thicket – which is dense thickety wetland. And then there was another faction that was interested in the ecological Big Thicket. And it was sort of a war that went on between the proponents of the preserve at the time. And we all really wanted to see the bill passed. And we realized that it would never get passed as long as we were fighting one another. We did manage to get together and come to a compromise with something to present to the park service and to congress to where we could all stand together on it. So it came down to a plan of a number of different scattered units amounting to – oh, I forget – seventy-something-thousand acres. But we managed to work together in the end.

The Wildlife and sport fish restoration program supports our series and is celebrating 75 years of funding diverse conservation projects throughout Texas…

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