This is Passport to Texas If one of your resolutions is to sit less and move more in the New Year, may I suggest a First Day Hike to start things right. First Day Hikes is a nationwide initiative that Texas State Parks has been participating in for the last several years. Thomas Wilhelm is […]
This is Passport to Texas Javelina, also called Collared Peccary, is a Texas native and lives in scrubby and arid regions of the state. Similar to hogs in appearance, they are not related. But mistaken identity doesn’t change their value in the ecosystem. Javelina play a great role in nature, because they are an additional […]
This is Passport to Texas An inspired Park Ranger at Lockhart State Park is introducing visitors to a Japanese practice called Shinrin yoku, or forest bathing. Forest bathing is bathing in the forest atmosphere. Lauren Hartwick first offered the program this past February. So, we’re going to be soaking in the leaves and the trees […]
This is Passport to Texas Thoughtful design plays a key role in meeting the conservation goals of Texas Parks and Wildlife. We are an agency that says: “Life’s better outside.” So, how does that translate into how we make buildings and sites. Christy Seals is an Architect with Texas Parks and wildlife Building less, building […]
This is Passport to Texas Butterflies…. They flit. They flutter. And, Resaca de la Palma State Park is one of the best places to witness their flight. The Rio Grande valley is one of the most ecologically diverse places in the world. Kelly Ann Cummins is a Park Ranger Interpreter at Resaca de la Palma […]
This is Passport to Texas Hear that? That’s the Golden-cheeked warbler. The Golden-cheeked Warbler is only in about 33 counties of Texas. It breeds nowhere else on the planet. Texas Parks and Wildlife state ornithologist Cliff Shackelford says we can be very proud that this bird is endemic to Texas. But the Golden-cheeked Warbler remains […]
This is Passport to Texas Colonial Waterbirds gather on tiny islands dotted along the Texas Coast. Their beauty and diversity is attractive, but their populations have struggled over the years. Colonial Waterbirds in the past experienced some pretty significant population declines. Trey Barron is a Wildlife Diversity Biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife. A lot […]
This is Passport to Texas We all know that plants, wildlife and humans depend on energy from the sun to survive. TPWD even installed 25 solar photovoltaic systems at 17 of its own facilities. But have you ever known a radio station run by the sun? From the time the voice leaves the microphone until […]
This is Passport to Texas Texas Parks and Wildlife has been investigating renewable energy purchase options. Through the State Energy Conservation Office there’s a group pulling together government entities to do a bulk purchase of renewable energy. Andee Chamberlain is the Sustainability Program Manager at Texas Parks and Wildlife. It’s really amazing our energy market […]
This is Passport to Texas Since 2010 Texas Parks and Wildlife has been exploring renewable energy options such as solar and wind technologies The state Energy Conservation office offered grants to state agencies who applied to install solar. They would pay for 80% of the project and we would pay for 20%. Andee Chamberlain is […]
This is passport to Texas From 1999 until his retirement in 2010, Walt Dabney served as Texas State Park Director, leaving behind an improved state park system that observers say ranks among the nation’s best and most innovative. Walt lives in Moab Utah now, but visited Texas Parks and Wildlife Department recently. He told me […]
This is Passport to Texas Holiday gift giving season is upon us, and if you have nature lovers on your list—the giving is easy—and twice as nice. A seventy-dollar Texas State Parks Pass is a thoughtful gift for your outdoor enthusiast. Pass holders enjoy twelve months of unlimited visits to more than ninety state parks […]
This is Passport to Texas The holiday season is a special time to visit your state parks. Parks throughout Texas offer festive activities that could cause even old Scrooge, himself, to crack a smile. During the entire month of December enjoy History in Lights with a beautiful evening stroll through the grounds of Mission Espiritu […]
This is Passport to Texas If you watch PBS television cooking shows, you’ve probably seen this man: My name is Jacques Pepin. 83-year-old Jacques Pepin is a classically trained French chef, author, and PBS cooking show host. He says in his youth, most of the meat he ate came from wild game. We follow the […]
This is Passport to Texas Don’t give up on eating wild game and fish because you think it tastes funny. Most wild game and fish, if it’s off-tasting, is ruined between the kill and the kitchen, and not in the kitchen, itself. Susan Ebert is a hunter, angler, forager and cook; she wrote the book […]
This is Passport to Texas Christopher Kimball hosted America’s Test Kitchen, Cook’s Country and now Milk Street on PBS. He is a hunter in his home state of Vermont. Yet, wild game cookery isn’t something you’ve seen on his shows. Years ago, I had a photograph of me holding up two or three rabbits that […]
This is Passport to Texas Did you know there’s a secret gang of aviators hiding out on the Texas Coast? They’re not often seen. They’re more often heard. Trey Barron is a Wildlife Diversity Biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife. He’s talking about the secret life of Marsh Birds. Marsh birds are typically thought of […]
This is Passport to Texas The Buff-breasted Sandpiper is a small tan colored shorebird that stops to refuel in Texas during its long journey North. It’s a bird that is what we call a long-distance runner. Cliff Shackelford is a state ornithologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife. It’s a migrant that winters in Argentina and […]
This is Passport to Texas For Texas birders it is sheer delight now that the annual Christmas Bird Count is nearly in sight. The Christmas Bird Count is a fantastic way for people to get involved in what we call citizen science. You can be a participant and help count birds during the Christmas season. […]
This is Passport to Texas Located in Lake Jackson, Sea Center Texas is a marine aquarium, fish hatchery and education center providing creative learning opportunities throughout the year. Right now, the main educational opportunity that we have are Summer Camps. This year were doing “Wonderful Wetlands,” where they’ll go to dip-net and learn all about […]