Commission Agenda Item No. 19
Presenters:  Ernie Gammage
Trey Hamlett

Briefing
Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo – Status Recommendation
August 26, 2010

I.             Executive Summary:  Ernie Gammage, Senior Director Outreach and Education and Trey Hamlett, Outreach Event Coordinator, will report to the Commission on the Life’s Better Outside® Experience events that replaced the Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo for 2010.  The suspension of Expo gave TPWD the opportunity to move its major outreach efforts beyond Central Texas.  TPWD worked with four existing public events and celebrations to present Expo-like activities at the “Life’s Better Outside® Experience.  The mission of the Life’s Better Outside® Experience is to provide hands-on outdoor activities for unengaged families, youth and children, to introduce them to outdoor participation which can lead to conservation of our natural and cultural resources.

Staff has evaluated the success of the Life’s Better Outside® Experience and compared data gathered from these events to that collected at the 2008 Expo.  A recommendation will be made on whether to continue the Life’s Better Outside® Experience program or try to restart the Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo.