AUSTIN, Texas — Michael E. Berger, Ph.D., today announced plans to retire Oct. 31 as Wildlife Division Director for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Berger capped a 40-year career by serving the last five as TPWD wildlife director, leading a team that greatly increased the acreage of Texas land under wildlife management plans, expanded public hunting and recreational opportunities, and improved science-based conservation.
AUSTIN, Texas — What started as a wild idea in 1999 has become an important way to fund wildlife and fisheries conservation and support state parks in Texas, as evidenced by tens of thousands of motorists who have raised more than $4 million by humming down Lone Star roadways sporting conservation license plates.
AUSTIN, Texas — As an ecosystem, the Gulf of Mexico functions on a global scale. At more than 579,000 square miles, it’s the ninth largest body of water in the world. The July issue of Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine offers an in-depth exploration of the gulf from a number of angles.
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is scheduling a series of scoping meetings to gather public input on a proposal to move the South Zone second split of dove season deeper into January.
AUSTIN, Texas — "We have this rock in our yard we call our thinking rock. We’ll go out there and read, and if we see a bird, we look it up in my husband’s bird book."
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Outdoor Family program is expanding, offering a new series of weekend workshops in state parks this summer and fall. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department began the program two years ago, and is also hosting workshops in local parks through partnerships with cities, river authorities and others.
AUSTIN, Texas — Winning teams in the 2008 Great Texas Birding Classic have awarded their conservation prize money to fund seven habitat projects totaling $73,000 along the Texas coast. Touted as the world’s longest birding competition, the Birding Classic has funded a total of $651,000 for avian habitat conservation since it began 12 years ago.
The following are excerpts from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement reports.
AUSTIN, Texas — With gasoline and airfare prices soaring, many families may be planning summer vacations closer to home this year. One high-value, low-cost option is Texas State Parks, which are "getting better all the time" thanks to increased funding provided by state lawmakers and voters.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — As best anyone can tell, sometime during the middle of May a female Kemp’s ridley turtle crawled out of the surf on South Padre Island and was struck by a passing vehicle. The cautionary tale illustrates why biologists are asking beachgoers to keep an eye out for the endangered sea turtles and report sightings.