Coastal Kayaking: Options for All

March 30th, 2010

This is Passport to Texas

I’m uncoordinated, plus I don’t like feeling confined. So the thought of squeezing into a kayak, doesn’t float my boat. But after talking with kayaking enthusiast Jim Blackburn, I realize I have options.

There’s hope for all of you out there that feel uncoordinated and have trouble – sit-on-top kayaks is the way to go.

Blackburn is an environmental attorney and planner in Houston.

These open cockpit kayaks are really – in my opinion – the way to go because they’re so stable and they’re so non-confining. People who have had trouble with kayaks in the past absolutely love them. I have no trouble at all with stability with these sit-on-top kayaks.

The trade off with sit-on-top kayaks is… you get wet.

Water comes up around your bottom when you’re sitting there, so you get wet during the summer. During the winter, we wear waders when we waders when we use these kayaks.

Getting your britches soaked… to get closer to the natural world …is worth it, says Blackburn, who does his kayaking along the Texas coast.

With a kayak, you can glide right on top of water that’s only a few inches deep, and you can get right up on a lot of the birds for sure, and oftentimes can see a lot of the fish as well.

Blackburn has tips and etiquette for Kayakers tomorrow.

Our show’s made possible by the Sport Fish Restoration Program… funded by your purchase of fishing and equipment and motor boat fuels. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Outdoor Story: Coastal Kayaking

March 29th, 2010

This is Passport to Texas Outdoor Stories

Jim Blackburn—an environmental attorney and planner from Houston—shares one of the more memorable kayaking experiences he has had along the Texas coast.

We were out on Bolivar flats in our kayaks, and there were literally thousands of avocets, which are gorgeous black and white birds with sort of a brownish neck and sort of an upturned bill. They’re wading birds, probably about fourteen-sixteen inches in height. There were literally thousands of them, and they would sort of just rise and fall in a mass. Just the patterns that threes birds made, were just incredible to see. And I’ve just never seen that many avocets in one place.

When you’re on a kayak, says Blackburn, you can get closer to nature than you ever thought possible.

I oftentimes take my kayak to the rookery islands to see the large fish-eating birds – the herons… the egrets… going through their breeding rituals. And then later in the spring raising their young; those are really, really nice experiences.

Download a Canoeing and Kayaking resource guide from our revamped website, passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… made possible by the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… helping to fund the operations and management of more than 50 wildlife management areas.

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

Texas Outdoor Families: Laredo

March 26th, 2010

This is Passport to Texas Outdoor Families

[:20 Wind ambience under script and sound bite] It was unusually windy as sixteen families checked-in at Lake Casa Blanca International State Park in Laredo to learn camping basics at a Texas Outdoor Family Workshop.

We’re going to talk about setting your camp up. As you probably know being from around here, wind makes everything a challenge, especially setting your tent up.

After a demo, and using loaner gear, families were in high spirits as they found their campsites and tested their new skills. [Little girls screaming] Friends, Jazlyn Salinas and Daejia Rodriguez, had a blast wrestling with their tent.

It’s a super windy day over here, and the tent is literally flying all away. So, have you girls been camping before? No. But I love it because it’s super cool.

[:04 hammering] Daejia’s mother Laurie assisted the girls.

I am trying to bang in one of these silver things (laughs); it holds the tent down. (laughs) And I am using a mallet to get it in this hard ground.

[:03 hammering] Rodriguez, who admitted to not being “outdoorsy,” took the wind and hard ground in stride, saying she was glad to have an opportunity to expose Daejia to camping in state parks through TOF.

So that’s why I decided to go ahead and come out here and, who knows, if she enjoys it, then, probably we’ll start camping every summer.

That’s our show for today, with support from Toyota. To learn about upcoming Texas Outdoor Family workshops visit lifesbetteroutside.org. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Palmetto State Park

March 25th, 2010

This is Passport to Texas

If you get the itch to visit an exotic tropical locale, but are short on time, and want to skip all the shots, do the next best thing: visit Palmetto State Park.

Named for the dwarf palmetto palm found around the ephemeral swamp, some areas of the 270 acre park resemble the tropics more than they do Central Texas.

Located in Gonzales County, between Gonzales and Luling, Palmetto State Park abuts the San Marcos River, making it a favorite place for canoeists to put in.

Situated within the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, the park has a reputation as a birding “hot spot.” Birders from across the country flock to Palmetto State Park to view many of the over 240 species of birds observed within the park’s boundaries.

Palmetto State Park has more than 39 campsites – all with water, some with water and electricity. There’s a group camping area and a group picnic shelter complete with kitchen.

If you want to stretch your legs and imagination, trek the park’s 3 miles of interpretive and hiking trails.

State Parks are closer than you think, and really far out. Visit the Texas parks and Wildlife website to start planning your state park adventure today.

That’s our show… remember—Life’s Better Outside!

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

Outdoor Adventures For All

March 24th, 2010

This is Passport to Texas

Outdoor recreation opportunities in Texas are as diverse as the Texas landscape, itself.

If the serenity of being on the water stirs your soul…try rafting the Rio Grande in Big Bend. Hear the whisper of the land as you raft through some of the most spectacular scenery in America.

Or consider canoeing or kayaking on Caddo Lake in Northeast Texas. You’ll have an “other worldly” adventure as you paddle through the mysterious maze of mossy bayous.

If birding is your expedition of choice, you can’t go wrong in Rockport, especially when the hummers are in full force.

Now, for a truly amazing variety of avian life, then consider any of the World Birding Center sites in the Rio Grande Valley. Serious birders have known for some time this sub tropical locale is a hot spot for great viewing.

Hiking, biking, camping, hunting, fishing, horseback riding—your Texas outdoor adventure awaits you.

Find the perfect Texas outdoor adventures for your “to-do” list when you visit the Texas parks and Wildlife website.

That’s our show… Reminding you that—Life’s Better Outside!

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