Texas Parks and Wildlife Season 33, Episode 4: Fort Richardson, the Trailblazer & Lavaca Lessons

1

Traveling Photographer, Coastal Crabbing & Harbor Sounds

Meet the traveling photographer who lives in a tiny trailer, but whose home is the great outdoors. Discover the joys of crabbing with some kids, and adults, at Sea Rim State Park. Fulton Harbor has some unique sights and sounds at sunrise.

30 min

2

Grubh's Bugs, Bird Calls & Shotgun Tips

Invertebrate biologist Archis Brubh really digs into his job. Ornithologist Cliff Shackelford brings birds and bird calls to the radio. Prep for hunting season with some timely shotgun tips.

30 min

3

Sea Rim, Sea Center & Tree Stand Safety

From fishing to crabbing to kayaking, Sea Rim State Park has a variety of activities. The folks at Sea Center Texas stock thousands fish in coastal bays. Falls from tree stands are the number one cause of hunting injury. Get a few tips on how to be safe in the stand.

30 min

4

Fort Richardson, the Trailblazer & Lavaca Lessons

Get a feel for the frontier life at Fort Richardson State Park. Meet the man who built many of the trails at Franklin Mountains State Park. See how government agencies and private industry brought a bay back to life.

30 min

5

Paddling Goliad, Hueco Laser & the Texas Clipper

Take a leisurely float and discover some history on the Goliad Paddling Trail. See how scientists are using laser technology to preserve Hueco Tanks rock art. In 2007 the Texas Clipper was intentionally sunk to create an artificial reef.

30 min

6

Ocean Oasis, the County Warden & Cedar Hill Bikes

See how the Texas Clipper has become a home for marine life ten years after it was sunk. A devastating accident led Jim Daniels to his job as a game warden. Just minutes from Dallas, Cedar Hill State Park has some great mountain biking trails.

30 min

7

Fish Structure, Beach Restoration & Turkey Return

In northeast Texas, interested anglers are sinking structures and seeding plants to improve waters for fish and fishermen. Restoring lost coastal dunes is a big task, but several groups are working together to replenish these important habitats. Improved management of the Harris Ranch has helped return wild turkey to the region.

30 min

8

Pecos Pupfish, Fishing Educator & D-Day Remembered

The Pecos Pupfish is on the edge of extinction, but biologists are working to keep this tiny fish alive in west Texas. Fishing hall of famer Bobby Whiteside has devoted his life to education and research about our aquatic resources. Veterans of D-Day visit the Battleship TEXAS on the 50th anniversary of the historic event.

30 min

9

100 Mile Hike, 3 Mile Revival & Alamito Creek

Discover the Lone Star Hiking Trail with a young college student on her first ever long-distance hike. With selective cedar removal and a passion for native grasses, a family in the Hill Country has revived Three Mile Creek and the land that surrounds it. Alamito Creek stands out as a tiny oasis in the Trans-Pecos region of west Texas.

30 min

10

Bird Man, Fishing Support & Powderhorn Legacy

Cliff Shackelford's lifelong love of birds led him to career in conservation. Cliff is truly Texas's Bird Man. Gulf States Toyota has been honored for their commitment to promoting bass fishing for youth and families. The expansive Powderhorn Ranch is the largest undisturbed tract of land on the Texas coast, and will one day be a state park and wildlife management area.

30 min

11

Mule Deer, Game Warden Aid & Wild Wings

A large scale research project is looking into how agriculture may affect mule deer movements and survival in the Texas Panhandle. A “crisis first aid” team provides counseling to game warden officers and first responders in need of support. The owners of the Wild Wings Ranch have turned what was once an overgrazed scrub land into a haven for all kinds of wildlife, especially quail.

30 min

12

Nesting Shrikes, Beautiful Butterflies & Outdoor Families

The Loggerhead Shrike is a songbird with a raptor's habits. Some Shrikes have found a nice nesting place in a busy central Texas park. Butterflies bring beauty and business to Texas each year. Are we being good hosts? Texas Outdoor Family was created to help those with very little experience in nature to find the joys of the outdoors “with no experience necessary.”

30 min

13

Eye in the Sky, Saving Prairies & Sheldon Lake

See how biologists use satellite transmitters to learn about the lives and habits of Texas wildlife. The pristine coastal prairie landscape is disappearing at a rapid rate in Texas. Meet some of these people who are working to restore coastal prairies back to Texas. Sheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning Center is an oasis for both wildlife and people, just minutes from Downtown Houston.

30 min

14

El Paso Envoy, Fighting Fires & an Aquatic Advisor

For state park ambassador Clara Cobb, a day in El Paso might include empanadas, bouldering, ancient legends, and a happy-hour hike. See what it takes to be on the frontlines as part of Parks and Wildlife's Wildland Fire Team. Always wanting to teach and share her knowledge, Jackie Robinson a leader in providing expert advice for the promotion and protection of healthy aquatic ecosystems.

30 min

15

Shrimping Life, Brazos Bend & Bathing Bobwhites

Five generations of the Stringo family have been shrimpers on the Texas coast. While most of the family have given up, there is one Stringo still on the water. Known as a nature-lovers paradise, the diverse ecosystems of Brazos Bend State Park attracts equally diverse people from the nearby metropolis of Houston. Watch some Bobwhite Quail cool off and chow down in a Panhandle cotton field.

30 min

16

West Texas Wetlands, Cave People & Sharing Space

In one of the driest regions of Texas, ingenious landowners are creating their own wetlands to attract birds and birders. Meet the Michaux family, owners of Salado's Solana Ranch. For over 50 years this family has combined cattle, hunting and conservation on their special place. Join some inquisitive spelunkers as they crawl deep inside the caves at Colorado Bend State Park.

30 min

17

A Memorable Hunt, El Carmen Conservation & Parrots

Family, friends, and community join together for a hunt honoring the memory of Jacob Krebs whose dream of becoming a Navy Seal ended tragically. A wildlife refuge along the Texas-Mexico border protects vital dispersal corridors for large mammals and is a major migration corridor for birds. Threatened by habitat loss and the pet trade, the Red-crowned Parrot found a home in south Texas.

30 min

18

El Camino Real, Songbird Habitat & a Night Hike

Travel across Texas on the Camino Real de los Tejas, and meet a man on a mission to highlight the history, places, and culture of this centuries-old pathway. On an overgrazed piece of land an hour east of Austin, a family's work in restoring native songbird habitat has gone from a hobby to a passion. Join a black light hike at McKinney Falls State Park in Austin.

30 min

19

Planting Pines, Texas Quail & Trinity Paddling

Greg Grant and his family have been restoring pines on their family land, just so the birds and the bugs can live off the decaying trees. See what's happening with Texas' four species of quail as their habitats have been fragmented and destroyed. Discover paddling in the heart of the Metroplex with a float on the Dallas Trinity Paddling Trail.

30 min

20

Hunting as a Refuge, Recreation Outreach & Night Skies

Meet a woman who finds refuge from Autism by spending time in the woods. Kim Sorensen works tirelessly to promote outdoor recreation, state park use and environmental literacy to traditionally underserved groups in the Houston area. And she does it all with a really big smile. Meet an astronomer working to protect the dark skies of West Texas by shedding light on light pollution.

30 min

21

College Climbers, Sinking Trees & the Turkey Dude

Meet some of the students on the national champion University of Texas club climbing team, and see what it takes to excel at this demanding sport. See how recycling Christmas trees for underwater habitat for fish makes for improved angling opportunities. Meet the man who is the driving force behind successful turkey restoration efforts in East Texas.

30 min

22

Goliad Experience, El Paso Owls & the Marine Identifier

Goliad State Park & Historic Site is known for its rich cultural history. What is lesser known is the park's vast recreational opportunities. Get a bird's-eye view of some owls that make their home in El Paso's underground. Meet a woman who has created a massive database of marine animals. It's all about genus, species and perseverance.

30 min

23

Catching Crappie, Cooking Crappie & Bald Eagles

Meet a couple of guys who live to catch crappie, and want to help you learn all about these fantastic fish. Now that you've got some crappie in the boat, it's time to make 'em into a tasty meal, frying style. The Bald Eagle is no longer on the endangered species list. Visit a couple of eagle nests and see how these magnificent birds are overcoming new challenges.

30 min

24

East Texas Turkeys, Old Tunnel Bats & Returning Bass

Successful efforts to restore the Eastern Wild Turkey to Texas have led to more turkeys and increased hunting opportunity. Once home to traveling trains, Old Tunnel State Park is now a seasonal home for millions of bats. See how biologists came up with a plan to return the native Guadalupe Bass to the South Llano River.

30 min

25

Hunting Dogs, Swift Foxes & South Llano Leisure

Witness the best of the best hunting dogs in action as they compete at the Master National retriever competition. The Swift Fox is seldom seen in Texas. Researches are working to learn if time is running out for this Panhandle Plains animal. South Llano River State Park as the cure for what ails you. Tubing, biking, and birding are a few of the things you can enjoy at this Hill Country haven.

30 min

26

K-9 Wardens, the Trailer Camera & Grasslands Sunset

Searching for hidden game, missing people, or playing with a tennis ball, it's all in a day's work for K-9 commissioned Texas Game Wardens. Camera technology has changed the way people take pictures, but one Texas artist likes to capture images the old way. Follow Ian Kasnoff as he documents some Texas state parks with his Trailer Camera. Enjoy sunset at the Rita Blanca National Grasslands.

30 min