Nov. 5, 2009

North Texas Students Soar in National Art Contest

ATHENS, Texas — Students from Dream Art Academy in Carrollton and Richland High School swept six of the top 12 places in the Texas Junior Duck Stamp competition, including Best of Show.

Oct. 30, 2009

eBird Kiosks Debut at Texas State Parks

AUSTIN, Texas — A new system in Texas state parks that are part of the World Birding Center network in the Lower Rio Grande Valley will allow bird watchers to record their sightings and use an online, interactive database to see what other birders have reported, creating a continuously updated record of bird observations for each site where it is featured.

Oct. 28, 2009

First Texas Geocache Challenge Debuts Nov. 1

AUSTIN, Texas — A new program at 12 Texas state parks aims to use technology to draw visitors into the outdoors. The Texas Geocache Challenge will run from Nov. 1 through Jan. 31, 2010, challenging state park visitors to use Global Positioning System technology to find a cache of hidden rewards in each park.

Oct. 26, 2009

First Toyota ShareLunker Is Early Arrival

ATHENS, Texas — The first Toyota ShareLunker of the season slipped in the back door of the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) on September 28.

Oct. 22, 2009

New Game Warden Training Center Construction On Track

AUSTIN, Texas — Phase one of construction on a new $20 million Texas Game Warden Training Center in Hamilton County is proceeding on schedule and on budget and is set to be completed by the end of December.

Texas Parks & Wildlife Seeks Partners To Co-Market Life’s Better Outside® Campaign

(AUSTIN) TX -Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) is seeking additional partners for its 2010 Life’s Better Outside® cause-related marketing initiative with retailers, healthcare and education partners to reconnect children to the world of nature and the outdoors. TPWD is setting planning meetings with interested parties between now and Nov. 30.

Oct. 16, 2009

World Birding Center Receives SATW’s Phoenix Award

AUSTIN, Texas — The World Birding Center, a network of nine Rio Grande Valley parks and nature centers dedicated to avian conservation and education, has won national recognition from the Society of American Travel Writers for promoting eco-friendly travel.

Oct. 9, 2009

Coalition Protects Habitat, Releases Captive-reared Houston Toads

AUSTIN, Texas — Recent rains in Central Texas not only watered residential lawns and filled ranch cattle tanks, but also brought much needed relief to one of the most imperiled species in Texas — the endangered and elusive Houston toad, Bufo houstonensis. Ironically named the Houston toad, it disappeared from Harris County by the 1970’s. Historic prolonged droughts combined with rapid urbanization and habitat loss are the primary reasons for the toad’s decline.

Oct. 7, 2009

Game Warden Field Notes, Oct. 7, 2009

The following are excerpts from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement reports.

Oct. 5, 2009

State-Fish Art Expo Coming to Texas

ATHENS, Texas-The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) has agreed to host the 2010 national State-Fish Art expo next July.