Passport to Texas

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

The Colorado River is a source of water, recreation and reflection for the people living along its banks. This month the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV show, highlights this important water body. Producer, Alan Fisher.

Coming up in December, we have a segment called Reclaiming the River that follows some folks in the Bastrop area, who have really gotten their town a little more in touch with the river that runs through it.

Part of the function of land is to clean the water. And part of what this land can do is help make sure that we have a clean, clear Colorado River instead of a mud hole.

They’ve gotten paddling trails established along the Colorado, in the Bastrop area. Also coming up in December, we have a series of videos called Take Me Fishing. They are basically very introductory fishing videos—information about how to fish, where to fish, what kind of resources are available. A lot of people growing up in urban or suburban environments may not have ever been fishing—it could be a little intimidating. So, these videos provide some great resources for people who are maybe interested in fishing but have never tried it before.

Here are a few tips to ensure that both you and your kids have a good time together. Here fishy…fishy…fishy.

There are all sorts of ways to enjoy the outdoors in Texas—fishing and paddling among them.

Thanks, Alan. Check your local listings.

That’s our show… with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife restoration Program…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

TPW TV: Colorado River Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

A highly manicured landscape may attract the praise of neighbors, but it won’t attract much native wildlife. To do that, you need a wildscape.

Essentially, wildscaping is creating your landscape in a way that’s going to be friendly to wildlife.

Mark Klym is with wildlife diversity at Texas Parks and Wildlife.

So, we’re looking at providing food, shelter and water for the wildlife on the space that you have available using native plants. We ask for at least fifty-one percent native plants. And creating a habitat they feel comfortable with, while at the same time, keeping it comfortable for yourself and your neighbors.

For example, creating a wildlife attracting brush pile in your yard may seem a bit unruly for your tidy suburban neighborhood, but if done right, it can satisfy both man and beast.

Well, a brush pile is a wonderful thing for the wildlife to have. And if it’s properly done, it can be a very pleasing thing for us, especially when you start getting some of the field sparrows that we don’t normally see around our gardens, coming into our garden because of that brush pile. These are a wonderful resource. I’ve seen them in downtown Corpus Christi in a way that the neighbors wouldn’t even know they were there unless they looked for them.

We have links to wildscape information at passporttotexas.org.

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

What is a Wildscape? Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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

Habitat requirements vary between species, yet some critters make themselves at home anywhere.

Wildlife are really adaptable, and there’s going to be some wildlife that thrive in whatever type of habitat that’s provided.

Kelly Bender is an urban wildlife biologist. Even a perfectly manicured monochromatic monoculture known as lawn—will attract some wildlife.

In a typical urban area—where you’ve got really closely mowed Bermuda grass lawn, or St. Augustine lawn, and then just a few really tall mature trees and kind of nothing in the middle? That kind of habitat is really good for grackles, and pigeons, for possum and raccoon, and kind of the species that you see in a disturbed habitat.

Bender says most people don’t mind seeing those species sometimes, but not all the time.

And so what we try to do is to encourage people to create a more balanced habitat. And what I mean by that is to provide native plants that provide natural food sources—fruits, nuts, berries, leaves, etcetera—that provide a balanced source of nutrition for the animals.

This balanced habitat is called a wildscape, and we’ll tell you more about Wildscaping tomorrow.

That’s our show… visit us online at passporttotexas.org and leave a comment on our blog…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Backyard Wildlife Habitat Dos and Don'ts Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Gift giving season is here, and Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine managing editor Louie Bond tells us about this year’s goodies guide.

Every month it is so hard to pick my favorite story, but December is the one month it is not hard at all, because we have a gift guide every December. So, I just wanted to tell you about a few of them.

One kind of simple thing is a camouflage suit, which you wouldn’t think is anything new, but this year it’s in 3-D; they’ve added some new optical effects, so you’re going to be trickier than ever.

I don’t know if you’ve ever gotten lost in the woods—but I have. And this next gadget—the spot messenger—a personal locater that uses GPS technology. You can push a button and the Google map will pop up on your friend’s computer, showing exactly where you are and that you’re lost.

We, of course, have the usual best of binoculars, and boots, and bows, but one thing that really caught my eye this year, and I know every deer hunter is going to have to have The Rackulator; the world’s only electronic big game scoring tool.

And, Santa, if you’re listening….I want the ultra light dualist cook system, so I don’t have to lug my personal pots and pans when I’m camping, and they won’t return home covered in soot.

Thanks Louie. The December issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine is on newsstands now.

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

TPW Magazine Gift Guide Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas Outdoor Stories from Texas Parks and Wildlife

To Mindy Waters, all rocks are hidden gems, just waiting to be found and added to her collection at home in Cedar Creek.

Oh we have jaspers, agate, petrified wood. Rocks lining our garden and rocks lining our driveway. They’re everywhere in our house! You open a drawer and there’s a rock, you know.

She and her husband are confessed “rock hounds” and enjoy scouring the Texas countryside in a game of rock hide and seek.

We just love rocks, we hunt rocks, we go to different places. And once you look at some rocks, you get hooked. If it’s in your blood and you want to hunt rocks, that will do it.

And it certainly is in their blood—nipping on the heels of their rock hunt are their up and coming collector grandchildren, or “pebble puppies.”

McKinney Roughs has a lot of good places to look for rocks; just lying on the ground. You find a lot of jaspers, flint. I remember my grandson and I, when he was young, he’d pick up a yellow rock and he’d say, “what’s this?” I’d say, “that’s flint.” Then he’d pick up a red rock and say, “What’s this?” and I’d say, “Well hun’ that’s flint also.” Then he’d pick up a black rock, he’d say, “Don’t tell me it’s flint, right?” I’d go, “yes.” We have a lot of flint here. It’s amazing! So even though it’s flint it just comes in many, many colors. Once you start really looking at what you walk on, it’s amazing, it really is.

Share your outdoor passion at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Sarah Loden… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Outdoor Story: Mindy Waters, Rock Hound Play Now | Play in Popup | Download