Passport to Texas

Outdoor Story: Philipp Hubner Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Philipp Hübner, from Austin, spent his formative years in Tennessee. His outdoor story is about the value of befriending landowners.

One of the things that strikes me about the great outdoors is there are so many beautiful places that are on private lands.

And, from there, we just really grew to appreciate the relationships that people can build with other people that might have beautiful scenery and other attractions on their own private land. So, I’d encourage anybody that has the opportunity to do that, by all means do it. And, enjoy what’s out there.

Thanks, Philipp. Visit passportotexas.org and tell us your outdoor story.

That’s our show for today… Remember: Life’s Better Outside…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Wildlife: Interacting With Wild Critters Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Most of us get pretty excited over wildlife—even the critters we find in our own backyards. Richard Heilbrun, with Wildlife Diversity says contact with these creatures enriches our lives.

62—The best thing to take with you when you go into wildlife habitat is something to enjoy wildlife with—whether it’s a digital camera, or a pair of binoculars, or a field guide. That way you can observe the wildlife, learn a little bit about it, and maybe even have some fun in terms of a challenge, or a game, or a scavenger hunt.

Well, one of my favorite things to do with young kids is to give them a set of objectives. I want you to find a bug. For older kids, I want you to find a butterfly, I want you to find a moth, I want you to find this kind of caterpillar…I want you to observe ten different types of songbirds, and I tell me what they eat by what kind of bill they have. When you give them a challenge it becomes a game, and they get into it and they get excited. Before you know it, they spent their whole day interacting with nature; searching, discovering, developing a sense of wonder with wildlife. And that sense of discovery is what endears them to nature and wildlife and conservation as adults.

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.

Wildlife: To Help or Not Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Have you ever spent time outdoors only to come upon wildlife that seems to be injured?

Our first reaction is usually to assist. But Richard Hilebrun, with Wildlife Diversity says not everything is what it seems. Take mother birds, for example.

18—A lot of birds will fake injury to draw you away from their young—and their nest. And so it’s actually a really neat adaptation. You’ll spend 30 minutes, 45 minutes following this –quote—injured mother around, and in the process she’s led you well away from her young.

Sometimes you really do come across an animal in need. In those cases you must exercise reason and caution.

16—If you know that it’s injured—because you know what you’re looking at—you can take it to a wildlife rehabilitator. In Texas, the only people that can nurse young back to health are licensed, permitted wildlife rehabilitators.

Because it’s summer, most of us are outdoors more, which increases our opportunities to come into contact with wildlife…tomorrow…how to get the most out of these close encounters.

07—The best thing to take with you when you go out into wildlife habitat is something to enjoy wildlife with. A digital camera..a pair of binoculars…

Find contact information for wildlife rehabilitators on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

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: Mother Neff Park Grows Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Texas’ first state park just grew by more than half again its size, when Texas Parks and Wildlife purchased adjacent land along the Leon River for Mother Neff State park. Bryan Frazier has details.

62—Mother Neff State Park is literally named in honor of Governor Pat Neff’s mother, Isabella. And in 1928 you had this burgeoning SP board set up by Governor Part Neff to start a state park system here in Texas. And Isabella Neff donated six acres of land, which has now become Mother Neff State Park. It’s grown significantly, and recently we’ve just now added more than a hundred more acres to the park. It’s got river frontage along the Leon River, these beautiful scenic bluff overviews; it will be awhile before there’s accessible trails and things into that area. But there are even some ancient archeology resources in this new part of the park. Mother Neff State Park is a unique place. It’s a jewel. It was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, And was finished in the 1930s; it’s the flagship for us. It was where we started as a park system and what we’ve grown into today with 94 state parks and historic sites. And it all began back with Mother Neff, right there on the Leon River, southwest of Waco, about 30 miles. And it’s a place that’s worth the trip.

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.

Wildlife: Hummingbird Appreciation Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

[SFX – hummer]

Late summer is a great time for hummingbird viewing in Texas.

03—Obviously, the places people see them most often is around feeders.

Mark Klym is in Wildlife Diversity and a hummingbird enthusiast. You can attract hummingbirds to your yard with a hummingbird feeder filled with a solution of one part sugar to four parts water. Once you’ve hung a feeder, Klym says it’s vital to keep the contents fresh.

08—During the summer months you want to change that every two to four days. During the winter months, you might get away with four to six days, but certainly no longer than that.

If you prefer your hummers in the wild, you’re in luck: eighteen species of this popular bird live in Texas. But you have to know where to look.

18—If you’re looking on the wild, you’re going to want to look in areas where there are a number of flowering plants available. The do require shelter, so they’re going to be around evergreen or well-leaved trees – depending on the season. And they’re also going to be found where there’s water. Water is a critical element of their environment, and they’re going to be found where there’s water.

Find more information about hummingbirds when you log onto the Texas parks and Wildlife website.

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

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