Passport to Texas

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="460"]Male Fountain Darter, image from www.edwardsaquifer.net[/caption] Passport to Texas with support from the Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program Two million people – from Central to Southwest Texas – depend on the Edwards Aquifer for their drinking water. 06—it also supplies important water sources for industry, agriculture, recreation…a number of things. Cindy Loeffler, water resources branch chief at Texas Parks and Wildlife, says eight federally listed threatened and endangered species call the aquifer home; they exist in this location only. The Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan intends to protect them, and allow Texans’ continued use of the shared resource by implementing a mixture of strategies. 36—Water conservation is a key part of it...but also [part of it is] looking at different ways to manage water. For example, we do currently have different levels of conservation that kick in to action as drought increases, and also many measures to help make the ecosystems more resilient. Things like removing non-native species, [and] helping to restore habitat that’s been compromised. One notable thing, especially for folks who recreate on the San Marcos River that’s been done, is to create a state scientific area that makes it unlawful to uproot Texas Wild Rice, a federally protected plant. It is easy to be dismissive of a plan to protect species which exist in very small numbers or that we do not often see. Tomorrow we talk about the value of these species. The Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program …supports our series and funds diverse conservation projects throughout Texas… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="200"]Bird Feeder[/caption] Passport to Texas with Support from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program When winter arrives, you may be tempted to set out feeders for your feathered visitors. But should you? 09—There are people that maintain that feeders are unnatural, that they crowd the birds into a smaller area. Birds are like us, if there's food available, they’re going to come to it. Mark Klym coordinates the Wildscape Program and says the crowding subsides, so don’t let it influence whether you provide supplemental feeding. He adds there’s a myth that dirty feeders can cause disease in birds that eat from them. 05—If they’re not kept clean, they can enhance disease situations, but they can’t—by themselves—cause disease. Another unfounded feeder fear is that easy access to food will encourage migratory species to stay put. 13—Birds migrate for a much more powerful trigger than just whether there's just food available. And if you look at it, in a lot of areas, when the birds start to move, there's some of the biggest supplies of [natural] food that there have been all year. Finally, there is no evidence that a birdfeeder will cause species not usually found in your area to book a visit. 10—Your feeder is not going to bring a bird that wouldn't otherwise have been in the area. It's going to be a situation where that bird happened to be in the area already, saw your feeder, and came to it. When it’s frosty outside, feel free to feed feathered friends fearlessly. The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series and funds diverse conservation projects throughout Texas. That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="461"]Platform bird feeder[/caption] This is Passport to Texas Supported by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program Setting out backyard feeders encourages birds to gather where you can easily enjoy them. 10—Feeders should be a supplement to a garden. That's what you should concentrate on, is creating a garden that is going to provide some of the materials, and then use your feeders to put the birds where you can easily see them. Mark Klym coordinates the Wildscaping Program for Parks and Wildlife. The types of feeders and food you supply determines the birds that visit. 35—Black oil sunflower seed is your best. I certainly do not recommend using the mixes that have a lot of red millet or milo in them because they tend to attract a lot of house sparrows. Use different types of feeders. Not all of our birds can easily feed on a column that is hanging with a very short perch. Put out a platform feeder and you’ll get some of your traditionally ground-feeding birds that will go to the platform. Put out some peanut feeders for some of our bigger jays. You might want to look at putting out a sock feeder, which is just a sock that has thistle seed in it, for the finches. And they’ll actually pull it out of the cloth sock. There you have it: creating a stunning and educational experience in your own backyard is as easy as hanging a sock filled with seeds. Remember to keep those binoculars handy. 05—There is no place better in the world for attracting birds than right here in Texas. The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series and funds diverse conservation projects throughout Texas. That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="460"]Spirula Shell from animaladay.blogspot.com[/caption] Passport to Texas with support from the WSFR Program Before you sell seashells by the seashore, you first have to find them. Surprisingly, summer beachcombing may not yield the results you desire. 03—I feel the best time to go shelling is in the wintertime. Paul Hammerschmidt, with coastal fisheries, is a lifelong and—admittedly obsessive—shell collector. He says winter storms churn up the Gulf bottom, sending marine critters and their calciferous containments onto the beach. To improve your chances of finding a variety of intact shells, Hammerschmidt says stay clear of crowded beaches. 12—If you get a chance to go to some more isolated beaches, like down on Padres island, or something like that, where the population of humans is not quite so thick, you'll have a much better chance of finding some really unusual shells. Such as a pretty little shell called baby ears—which looks like…well…baby ears. Or, there's another special shell worth searching for called spirula. 19—And it's a coiled, snail-like shell. But it doesn't belong to a snail—it belongs to a little squid. And it's inside the squid, and when the squid dies, that little thing has a lot of chambers in it with gas, and it floats and washes up on the beach. Those are very pretty, bright white, and they’re very fragile, so you have to be careful with them. This winter, instead of heading to the slopes for skiing, head to the beach for shelling…you can still have hot cocoa when you’re done. That’s our show for today…remember: life's better outside…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="460"]File photo Texas Parks and Wildlife[/caption] Passport to Texas with support from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program Nobody thinks twice about collecting shells from the beach. But I started to wonder if it's really okay since beaches are public land. 08—It’s okay to collect shells. The ones that are broken and come apart, they create the sand that's out there, but there is no law against it [collecting]. Paul Hammerschmidt, with coastal fisheries, is a lifelong shell collector. He says collect responsibly to avoid creating problems for the environment or marine animals. 05—I highly recommend that you only take shells that are from dead animals—not live animals. How can you determine if something is still alive? In the case of the popular sand dollar, small spines cover the shells of living animals…so look for smooth, spineless shells. If, like me, you've never found a sand dollar on the beach—there's good reason for it. 18—I think it's because everybody wants to get a sand dollar. And, too, they're another very fragile shell. And when the waves are strong, they'll get broken up, and you'll just see fragments of them. A lot of times, the best time to find a sand dollar, is after a storm—and then very early in the morning—before anybody else gets out on the beach. When and where to go shelling on tomorrow’s show. Our series receives support from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program …funding diverse conservation projects throughout Texas… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="460"]Image from Window on State Government[/caption] This is Passport to Texas Cooler fall temperatures may have you chomping at the bit to get on your bicycle and ride. When the spirit moves you, our state park guide Bryan Frasier suggests you hit the trails at one of our state parks. 56— If you like extreme, challenging mountain biking on single track trails, you can really get out and get a workout and see some of the most unique and beautiful scenery in Texas on a bicycle. Let’s say you want something that’s rugged and enjoyable but not necessarily an epic ride; well, we have that, too. We even have paved flat surfaces and road surfaces that people can just enjoy seeing nature from two wheels. And a few tips we might give to people before they go out is make sure their bike is in good shape, that their tires are inflated, that their gears, and cables, and chains have been checked out recently so that they’re safe. And make sure they take their biking helmet. Always take at least one bottle of water. Get your biking map in hand, and they’re available – the site maps are available – at all of the headquarters at all of the state parks. Plan your route and see how much fun biking can be at a state park. Thanks Bryan That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done. For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="4600"]Wetlands Boardwalk, Sea Center Texas[/caption] This is Passport to Texas supported by the Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program Wetland ecologist Nathan Kuhn says a wetland is an area that’s neither open water nor dry land. 08—The wetland is a transitional area. So, basically you’re talking about an area where the soil’s saturated for at least two weeks or more a year. Kuhn says acre per acre wetlands pack a huge ecological punch. 15—Without them, in many cases, we would not have the shrimp, or the speckled trout, or whatever, that a lot of people go to the Texas coast to enjoy. So, there are a lot of invisible values of these wetlands that people don’t necessarily realize unless they were gone. At least half are gone because we don’t understand their value. We fill and develop wetland areas so homeowners can have gulf views. The impact of this loss mostly goes unnoticed, until nature sends a force like a hurricane crashing against our shores. 03—We’re paying the price for losing half of our coastal wetlands. Dr. Larry McKinney, Executive Director of the Hart Research Institute says healthy wetlands could have lessened some of the damage of hurricane Katrina. Because, if I understand some of the analysis, we could have taken up to two foot off the top of that storm surge if our wetlands had been intact in that area. And there’s a huge difference between an 18-foot storm surge and a 20-foot storm surge as, unfortunately, many people know. So those wetlands act as a natural barrier for us. :15 That’s our show for today… made possible by a grant from the Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="460"]Hueco Tanks Rock Art[/caption] This is Passport to Texas This month on the Texas parks and Wildlife TV show, see how state of the art laser technology saved ancient rock art at Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site, Producer, Abe Moore: 67— Hueco Tanks State Park out by El Paso is really world class when it comes to rock art. There, they have more painted masks than anywhere else in North America. But one of the things that happened to come of this rock art is vandals damaged several of the pictographs with graffiti; and the thought was they could never be restored back to their original glory. If the conservation is not done properly at this time, the aging and degradation process could actually accelerate. Now, here’s where it gets really interesting. For the first time ever at the state park, conservators are using this state of the art laser that actually takes away the layer of graffiti and it leaves behind the original pictograph. The fact that we are able to remove the graffiti and bring back the site to what it was to before the sites were vandalized is quite amazing. It was amazing, because you could look at the graffiti and this laser literally just eats at it – right in front of your eyes. And it just kind of disappears and then you’re left with whatever the beautiful picture is underneath. This story will air on Texas parks and Wildlife TV the week of October 21st through the 27th. So, it’s some cool technology in action. Thanks Abe. That’s our show…For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="460"]Bastrop State Park[/caption] This is Passport to Texas Bastrop State park lost most of its beloved loblolly pines in last year’s Labor Day wildfires. But our State park Guide Bryan Frasier says thanks to the Arbor Day Foundation – and you –the park is getting new trees this fall. 59—Arbor Day Foundation, along with a lot of corporate sponsors, has helped integrate this program where people can sponsor trees. For a dollar a piece, for up to the next five years, it’s a way that people can tangibly get involved and help re-grow Bastrop State Park…and those big, tall, drought resistant loblolly pines that make the lost Pines forest so unique and such a worthy destination here in Central Texas. After we’ve done some erosion management, after we’ve done all the surveys, now we’re approaching the time to get some trees in the ground. And people have really been anticipating this – and Arbor Day Foundation has it all set up. You can go to TPW website, texasstateparks.org, and click on the ‘Help Restore Lost Pines’ banner link, and it will take you right to the Arbor Day site and how to get involved and how to do it. And we are so excited about this partnership and about the future of Bastrop, Central Texas, and the Lost Pines forest. Thanks Bryan That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done. For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="460"]Hunting image from www.tpwmagazine.com[/caption] This is Passport to Texas Autumn in Texas signals the start of hunting season. And the November issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine offers features about this tradition that are sure to engage; Editor, Louie Bond. 63— You know, when it’s November in Texas, it’s all about whitetails. And we take kind of a different spin on the whitetails this year. We have an essay by Reid Whitliff, who wrote a really wonderful essay on bow hunting. When he first went hunting for whitetails with a gun, it just didn’t do much for him; a friend introduced him to bow-hunting, and that’s where he really found his true inner hunter. So, he wrote this very lyrical essay, and called bow-hunting the fly-fishing of hunting. We also have another take on hunting, which is waterfowl hunting, but ladies waterfowl hunting with our own head of education, Nancy Herron, and the director of this program, Dawn Bello. It’s a really interesting look at women –what they experience and how they feel. And our third feature is something that you may not think goes with hunting, but actually I found it goes very well, and it’s about land conservation. Because where is hunting, of course, without land conservation. So, we present the 2012 Leopold winners, the Mitchell family and their incredible Cook’s Branch Conservancy. And it’s an amazing family; it’s four generations. Fifty of them voted together unanimously to preserve this land. So, it’s all about land and hunting and getting outdoors in November. Thanks, Louie! The November issue of Texas parks and Wildlife magazine is on newsstands now. For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="460"]Bobwhite quail[/caption] This is Passport to Texas Supported by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program Wensley Guthrie was only eight years old when we met her eight years ago, at a Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo. We still love her story about quail with her father David. A half lifetime ago, she told us about her role on their quail hunting trips. 51—It was really fun, but my dog didn’t get to come because he’s scared of everything. We left in the afternoon and got there at night time. In the morning we got up real early and went quail hunting. There are two kinds; I think I remember one of the names, and that is the Bobwhite. They’re not really little but they’re about medium size and they like to hide in the bushes, and my daddy shoots them, and if they fall in the bushes I have to go get them. And I think that they should switch dove season and quail season, because when we went dove hunting there were more quail than dove. And then when we went quail hunting there were more dove than quail. Well, it’s eight years later and sorry to tell you Wensley – the seasons have not changed. That’s our show… we receive support from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program... funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motor boat fuels. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="460"]Michael Warriner holding his pet tarantula, Photo by Cecilia Nasti[/caption] This is Passport to Texas As we near Halloween, we’re seeing more spider-themed decorations, because spiders can, after all, seem scary. But invertebrate biologist, Michael Warriner, says these arachnids are beneficial in the ecosystem. 11—Spiders are natural pest control agents. So, they’re eating lots of other things, and helping to control the populations of insects that can be pests [to humans]. Still, nobody wants spiders in their homes. Nevertheless, if you find them indoors… 06—They feed on other arthropods – things like roaches, beetles… They need a prey source. A spider in your house is helping to keep pest populations down. Michael Warriner says spiders will come into the home for another reason as well. 26—They’ll wander into housed – especially during mating season. Male spiders will leave where they were living and they just wander. And they’re searching for females. And that’s what happens with a lot of people, they’ll see spiders in their house during particular times of the year. And it doesn’t necessarily mean you have an unkempt house, and you have lots of vermin. It just means that it’s spider mating season, and these spiders are out wandering around looking for mates. What would you rather have in your home – a hungry spider or an amorous spider? [SFX—oh, my darling…I love you] Hmmm…Tough call. Until next time…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="460"]Tarantula, Photo by Cecilia Nasti[/caption] This is Passport to Texas I think it’s safe to say most people are – if not scared of spiders – are at least wary of them. 02—It probably disturbs them a little bit. Michael Warriner is an invertebrate biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife. 05—I actually like spiders, but most people don’t. It kind of comes down to their appearance. Eight legs…a segmented body…and fangs… several pairs of eyes… spinnerets… what’s not to like? In Texas we have just over a thousand spider species. 18—People are concerned about spider bites and spider venom, but only about five to six of those one thousand plus species have venom that could be considered medically significant. Meaning you might need to go to the doctor or a hospital. Michael says there’s a group of spiders called house spiders that are harmless—and like us – just trying to make a living. If you see spiders in your home, that means they have found a food source. 13—Spiders are predators. They feed on other insects – tings like roaches. They need a prey source. And so, maybe the best way, if you don’t like having spiders in your house, is to modify the habitat. Even the tidiest of homes may have spiders in them. Tomorrow, we tell you about what – besides food – brings them indoors. It may surprise you. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="460"]Women Waterfowler Workshop[/caption] This is Passport to Texas More of what you love about the Texas outdoors is coming to a television near you during the new season of the Texas Parks and Wildlife’s TV series. Series Producer, Don Cash. 64—On October 21st the Texas Parks and Wildlife television series begins its 27th season. It’s been airing on the PBS stations in Texas and now we’ve got about 35 city channels we’re on as well. Like every season, we’re going to cover everything there is to cover in the state of Texas. We start out the season with a story using lasers to remove graffiti at Hueco tanks, and we end the season fishing for alligator gar. And in between, we profile a group of women going goose hunting of the first time. We meet an artificial reef biologist who spends a good portion of his career underwater; we’ll take a look at the feral hog problem and what people are doing about it. New this year is our wild game cooking segment with Jesse Griffiths. We’re going to cook venison, teal, hog, redfish…it’s a great segment for people who want to know what to do with that animal once they’ve gone out there and harvested it. So, I hope people will watch the show, find out some new things to do and some new places to go, and get out here and take advantage of it. Thanks Don. For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"]Halloween at the Hatchery[/caption] This is Passport to Texas Time at state parks is made better with great programs. Our State park Guide Bryan Frasier says diverse opportunities await visitors to state parks this autumn. 59—Every fall we always do a series of events to embrace what’s happening with the changing of the seasons. We have everything from the spooky science fest at Estero Llano Grande SP down in the Rio Grande Valley. The superintendent down there does a great job with her staff doing crafts and things about wildlife and tying it into what’s happening with trick or treating. We have trick or treating events in our parks. We have fall festivals like the harvest festival at cedar hill state park, the night hikes – the nature walks at night -- at Eisenhower State Park up on lake Texoma. We’ve got the haunted hike and fall festival at dinosaur valley state park. They have a national fossil day celebration in October…so, check the events calendar on state parks and see what’s happening for trick or treating; see what’s happening for fall festivals, and all the other things that happen this time of year. It’s a great time to see what’s happening in nature and a list of events we line up for fall is hard to beat. Thanks Bryan That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done. For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.