Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

For most of us the expression “gone fishing” is a euphemism that means we’re goofing off. But for elementary school students in Katy ISD, gone fishing means just that.

At Golbow Elementary they had the first fishing club, and that’s where they really started the KATY ISD Anglers.

Keiko (CAKE-oh) Davidson, principal at Hutsell Elementary in Katy ISD followed Golbow’s lead and brought the TPW Take Me Fishing Houston program to her students with a goal, in part, to improve academic scores in science.

Our scores, as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills… in 2007… 78% of our boys and girls demonstrated proficiency on that test. Last year 94% of our boys and girls in fifth grade demonstrated proficiency.

The community has embraced Take Me Fishing Houston by volunteering at events, as well as contributing in other ways. Exposing students to positive community involvement is an added benefit of the program.

Most of all, I think it gives children a chance to connect with the larger community. Their own particular family, family members, getting their family engaged in activities that involve interaction in the out of doors. That’s what I want them to take away…and to have a happy memory of their school experience at Hutsell.

That’s our show for today… made possible by a grant from the Sport Fish Restoration Program…working to increase fishing opportunities in Texas…

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

Fishing is about more than just catching fish.

Fishing is one of the gateway opportunities to the outdoors.

Kevin Cunningham is the aquatics education specialist for the Greater Houston area. Urbanization has changed how we relate with the natural world, and Cunningham says his job is to reacquaint urbanites with the outdoors through the Parks and Wildlife Take Me Fishing program.

Fishing is a way, in our program, to teach younger people or adults, how to fish in order to pass on our mission of conservation. The theory being, that as people learn how to fish, being connected with the outdoors will garner self-interest to protect that resources so they will be able to use it again in the future.

Among the organizations that participate in the Take Me Fishing Program is Hutsell Elementary in the Katy Independent School District. Keiko Davidson is the school principal.

I have very fond memories of being a child in the out of doors. And I felt as though it could do nothing but enhance our boys’ and girls’ educational opportunities.

And she was right. Learn how the Take Me Fishing Program at Hutsell Elementary has improved its students grades.

That’s our show for today… made possible by a grant from the Sport Fish Restoration Program…working to increase fishing opportunities in Texas…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Wildlife Restoration Program

In a state where more than ninety percent of the land is privately owned or managed, it’s essential to recognize and honor the work of private landowners for their achievements in habitat management and wildlife conservation. In Texas we present them with Lone Star Land Steward Awards.

We recognize up to ten winners in each of the eco-regions.

Linda Campbell is program director for private lands and public hunting.

We also recognize a corporate winner and one from our wildlife management associations.

In partnership with the Sand County Foundation, TPWD gives the Leopold Conservation Award to an especially deserving land steward.

And, so we have partnered with them to provide the Leopold Conservation Award in Texas to our overall statewide winner. The Leopold Conservation Award is really our highest recognition in Lone Star Land Steward.

This year’s recipient is the Selah-Bamberger Ranch Preserve. They received $10,000 and the Leopold crystal award.

Eco-region award recipients and the wildlife management association recipient received $1,000 from the Foundation.

That’s our show for today… with support from the Wildlife Restoration Program… providing funding for the Private Lands and Public Hunting Program.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Wildlife Restoration Program

Texas Parks and Wildlife recognizes and honors private landowners for habitat management and wildlife conservation with the Lone Star Land Steward Awards Program.

A land steward is just somebody who just manages and takes care of their land. These folks are very committed to conservation, and maintaining healthy lands under their management.

Linda Campbell is program director for private lands and public hunting.

Each year we open the nominations in June, and anybody can nominate a landowner for recognition in Lone Star Land Steward. So we receive nominations through November. Our biologists in each of the eco-regions visit each of the nominees, and then make a recommendation to those that should be awarded the Lone Star Land Steward award for that eco-region.

Biologists visit nominated landowners who have managed their property for a minimum of 5 years, to evaluate their practices.

They talk with the landowner or the manager. They try to evaluate what types of management actions that they are undertaking. They look at their motivations and really what makes them special in terms of taking care of the resources under their control.

Passporttotexas.org has links to nomination forms.

That’s our show for today… with support from the Wildlife Restoration Program… providing funding for the Private Lands and Public Hunting Program.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

David Bamberger knows something a lot of us don’t.

Grass on the ground is the biggest single, and the least expensive, and the quickest responding conservation measure that one can do.

That’s because the root systems hold water in the soil. After 40 years, countless man hours and tens of thousands of dollars spent reseeding with native grasses—water is plentiful on the once parched 55-hundred acre Blanco County ranch. Now Bamberger has a new project.

The idea behind this project is to capture all the water that falls here, and to keep that little perched aquifer charged up.

This perched aquifer is almost entirely on his property. Bamberger is bulldozing depressions into the tops of his limestone hills to catch rain.

And so when rain falls on the tops—and these are very shallow calcareous type soils—it quickly runs off. So, what we’re doing is we’re creating what I call water pans (I want 12 miles of those), about eight foot wide and eight to ten inches deep. When rain falls, it’ll fall into that pan and can sit there long enough to soak in.

And recharge the aquifer. The 81-year-old says the project includes plans for 26-miles of terraced rock berms on the hillsides to further slow down runoff.

When I explained this to the staff here, I said it’s going to take us 10 years. When you see it, you’re going to know why.

See for yourself. Visit the Bamberger Ranch. Learn how at passporttotexas.org.

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

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