Parks: State Park Ambassadors
State Park Ambassadors at Colorado Bend State Park.
This is Passport to Texas
Karen Zimmerman loves Texas state parks so much that she became a volunteer state park ambassador. Today she coordinates the program for Texas Parks and Wildlife.
15—The ambassador program is a team of hand-picked, dedicated outreach volunteers that mainly target the young adult demographic, and are just here to spread the word about the benefits of outdoor recreation and everything that Texas State Parks has to offer.
The program casts a wide net, with a particular interest in attracting young adults aged 16 to 28.
07— That demographic makes up 14 percent of the Texas population and only four percent of Texas State Parks visitors…
…thus creating a generational problem in Texas, said Zimmerman.
13—If you don’t go camping as a kid, it’s harder for you to learn to appreciate that as you get older. And, if you make it past that young adult age range without being exposed to how great that can be, then it becomes even harder.
The 16 – 28 age range is the last “entrance point” before possibly losing them altogether. Ambassadors reach out to these young people, speaking their language, using their technology and once they get them to sample the outdoors…
08—State Parks sell themselves. Usually all we have to do is just tell them what’s out there, how easy it is to get there, and how much it costs. Young adults are curious.
Read an in-depth article about the State Park Ambassador program in the December issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine.
That’s out show. Funding Provided in part by RAM Trucks. Guts…glory…RAM.
For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
Passport to Texas is a 
Passport to Texas is made available by: