June 14th, 2010
This is Passport to Texas
The whooping crane is a favorite species among birders and among Texas Parks and Wildlife TV producers. Ron Kabele tells us about a segment coming up this month that focuses on this big bird and their human admirers.
A Journey South is it’s title, but it’s really about the whooping crane’s journey south and the people’s journey south to see them. And some of them are very, very dedicated to the preservation of the species. And then there were all the people who had never seen them before, you know, the first timers, and how excited people got to see them.
These are huge birds. You do their wingspan to one end to the other and they’re taller than a human. These are enormous birds—just the fact that they can fly is pretty much a miracle.
Who is somebody you talked to that is really memorable.
There was a couple, and she had Alzheimer’s. They’d been coming down every weekend, and they cut back brush—a lot of the heavy manual labor. It helps them, because with her progressing disease, they’re with people that they really like who care about them. And she gets out and does physical active work. And it’s worked out really good for them. It’s kind of a sweet way to deal with a catastrophic illness.
Thanks Ron.
That’s our show … For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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June 11th, 2010
This is Passport to Texas
The Kemps’ Ridley may be the best known—and most threatened—sea turtle that occurs along the Texas coast, but it’s not the only one.
19—The ones that we hear most commonly about are the Kemp’s Ridley, and the green sea turtle—the green sea turtle is threatened in Texas and the populations are increasing. Also in Texas, there’s the Loggerhead, that’s a threatened species. What we hear about less are both endangered turtles: The Hawksbill and the Leatherback.
Dr. Donna Shaver is with the US National Park Service at Padre Island National Seashore. She says if you ever see stranded or nesting sea turtles, report your observation to officials.
17—Many of our entrances to beach access roads, signs are posted that have a telephone number to call. And then once they call, they will receive a recorded message that will tell them the proper contact number for the particular geographic area where they are located.
The number to call is 1-866-TURTLE5…And if you come across a nesting female…
17—Stay back from the nesting turtle until she’s dug her hole with her rear flippers and is remaining mostly motionless and laying eggs. At that time, without touching the turtle, look for any tags, and without piercing anything into the sand, put a designating market next to where the turtle laid her eggs.
Find more information on sea turtles when you log onto the Texas parks and Wildlife website.
Our show receives support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti
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June 10th, 2010
This is Passport to Texas
The news along the TX coast during late winter and early spring was the high number of sea turtle strandings.
:12—A stranded sea turtle is one that is found washed ashore, or floating. It can be alive or dead, but if it’s alive, it’s generally in a weakened condition.
Dr. Donna Shaver is with the US National Park Service and specializes in sea turtle research and conservation at Padre Island National Seashore. Between 250 and 750 sea turtles end up stranded each year, but Dr. Shaver says 2010 got off to an alarming start.
:18—We have already started out the year at a record pace. We had the largest cold-stunning event that’s been recorded since 1980. There were about 460 green sea turtles that were located stranded, and two loggerheads, during this particular event—January into February.
When I spoke with Dr. Shaver in late April, she said 76 sea turtles had stranded from the upper to the lower coast between April 4 and 24th
:15—One of the things that’s caught the attention for the spike on the upper Texas coast is that 20 of the 21 turtles were Kemp’s Ridley; whereas, those found elsewhere in the state were more of a mixture of other species.
The cause of the strandings is under investigation, and Dr. Shaver says it could be anything from predators, to fishing nets, to boat propellers, to debris.
Our show receives support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti
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June 9th, 2010
This is a Passport to Texas State Park Getaway
Planning your next State Park Getaway just got easier thanks to a new reservation and business system that launched last month. Bryan Frazier has details.
We’re proud to offer what we think is going to be a very helpful solution to a lot of people with a new software system. And it’s an integrated software system. It does everything from the business function to making reservations.
We think it’s really going to help people. And I think what they’ll notice at first is the three dollar online camping fee that we’ve always charged people is going away. That’s going to be one of the good benefits—so maybe it will encourage people to make more online reservations in our state parks. But there will also be some other benefits, like with the state park pass…people can leave with their pass card instead of having the down time waiting for it to come in the mail; they can use their discount coupons on their first visit.
We’re revamping the Bluebonnet pass—the parklands passport for people with disabilities and disable veterans and senior citizens. We’re implementing some new gift card concepts in our state parks. So, this new software system should really be something that helps the customer; it is more convenient for the customer, and makes that experience more efficient and better in the long run.
We’ll have some transition time in the early going in the summer, as we break into this new software system, but we think eventually it will be something that everybody will really like.
Thanks Bryan.
Find more state park information on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.
That’s our show … For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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June 8th, 2010
This is Passport to Texas
If you’re a seasoned angler, put your skills to good use.
09—We really encourage the avid angler to introduce fishing to at least one new person a year. And there’d be no better time to do that than during National Fishing and Boating Week…
National Fishing and Boating week is now through June 13th, and it’s a project of the non-profit Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, or RBFF. Frank Peterson is president and CEO. He invites anglers who are passionate about sharing the sport with others to join the Anglers’ Legacy Movement.
12—If they go to our website takemefishing.org, they can join the anglers’ legacy movement. We have over 213-thousand ambassadors around the country who have taken a pledge to introduce fishing to someone new.
On average members of the Anglers’ Legacy movement introduce more than three new people to fishing each year.
12—Another interesting stat on our Ambassador program is that over 70% of the people they introduce to the sport are under the age of 18. So they’re helping to ensure the future of angling and boating in this country.
So introduce someone to fishing this week.
05—That would be a great week to just say, hey, I’m going to do something for young people; I’m going to do something for the sport.
Go to www.takemefishing.org for more information about the Anglers’ Legacy Movement. The Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program supports our series. For Texas parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
Posted in Boating, Events, Fishing, SFWR | Comments Off on Angler Legacy Movement
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