May 19, 2008

Small Acreage Land Management Workshop Offered June 7 in Alpine

ALPINE, Texas — For more than a century, rural Texas land has been owned mainly by farm and ranch families who lived there. In recent decades, the countryside has been fragmented into smaller tracts owned increasingly by former urban dwellers or absentee owners seeking closeness to the remaining pastoral lands of Texas. A workshop to be held June 7 will help West Texas landowners learn more about managing for wildlife habitat on smaller properties between two and 2,000 acres.

May 12, 2008

Lone Star Land Steward Regional Winners Announced

AUSTIN, Texas — A legendary South Texas icon, the King Ranch, and a uniquely maintained urban golf course are among the prestigious lineup of recipients of this year’s Lone Star Land Steward Award winners. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Sand County Foundation are recognizing these model land stewards and others, who have shown exemplary efforts to manage their property as ambassadors of conservation.

May 6, 2008

McKinney Leaves Environmental Legacy at TPWD

AUSTIN, Texas — Dr. Larry McKinney, known affectionately as "Dr. Doom" for his candid, outspoken approach to addressing environmental issues, is leaving the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department a legacy not built on despair, but on hope.

April 28, 2008

Texans Encouraged to Spend May 3 with the Frogs

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is urging Texans to go out next Saturday night — out-of-doors, that is.

Habitat for Endangered and Threatened Birds Saved by Shoreline Restoration Project

HOUSTON — Three priority bird species-the endangered Brown Pelican and threatened Reddish Egret and White-faced Ibis — have been conserved thanks to an erosion-protection project on North Deer Island in West Galveston Bay. Project partners protected the highly populated bird nesting habitat by armoring approximately 1.7 miles of shoreline.

April 22, 2008

Texas State-Fish Art Contest Winners Announced

ATHENS, Texas — Winners of the Texas division of the Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest were announced today by officials at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

April 15, 2008

Dragonflying Is the New Birding

WESLACO, Texas — The birding industry has established universal appeal, but birds and butterflies are not the only winged migrants to attract a crowd. Dragonflies and damselflies are gaining popularity among wildlife enthusiasts, and southern Texas is home to 93 species, making it one of the most biologically diverse regions in the United States.

Black Bears Are On The Move In Texas

TYLER, Texas — In the dim light before dawn, it’s hard to tell what that dark shape is under the feeder 100 yards from your hunting blind. It’s probably a feral hog stealing corn you bought for deer to supplement native forage. But make a positive identification before you pull the trigger; that hog-like shape could be a black bear.

Biologists Launch Study of Two Texas Tidal Streams

AUSTIN, Texas — In March, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologists began a two-year study of two tidal streams on the middle coast, sampling fish, bottom-dwelling organisms, and water quality to measure the quality of aquatic life inhabiting these ecologically important areas.

April 7, 2008

State Parks Host Meetings Regarding Feral, Exotic Species

AUSTIN, Texas — The State Parks Division of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will host a series of public meetings across the state in April and May concerning natural and cultural resource management activities on state park properties, with a particular focus on management challenges at Big Bend Ranch State Park.