HOUSTON — Because the future of Texas’ wildlife and habitat conservation ultimately resides in the choices of private land-owning citizens, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Cooperative Extension and the Gulf Coast and Heartwood chapters of the Texas Master Naturalists are sponsoring the “Managing Your Land for Wildlife Workshop,” Saturday, March 24 in Houston.
AUSTIN, Texas — Millions of monarch butterflies have begun their annual spring migration north into Texas, and entomologists say it’s mostly good news this year. All the monarchs in North America east of the Rocky Mountains winter in one mountainous region of central Mexico, where monarch numbers dropped alarmingly due to a severe snow storm in 2004. Scientists say monarch numbers in this region now appear to have bounced back to approximately 300 million butterflies.
AUSTIN, Texas — About 90 green sea turtles that washed up on South Texas beaches stunned by cold weather in January were transported Feb. 20-21 by truck from fish hatchery and aquarium facilities in Corpus Christi to the Port Isabel area and released back into the wild in the Lower Laguna Madre.
LAJITAS, Texas — Barton Warnock Environmental Education Center, which serves as the eastern entrance to Big Bend Ranch State Park, will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from March 13 through March 22.
PRESIDIO, Texas — Flowing desert springs and blooming Chihuahua Desert wildflowers, cacti and shrubs should provide colorful subjects for shutterbugs attending Big Bend Ranch State Park’s twice-annual digital photography workshop April 13-15.
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will air its latest video documentary about water resources, “Texas the State of Springs,” the evening of Thursday, Feb. 15 on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) stations statewide.
DALLAS, Texas — Deer in the driveway? Coyotes on the concrete? While many suburbanites love wildlife and a country setting, and wildlife experts tout the value of native habitat and open space, conflicts between people and wild animals are on the rise statewide. A conference here Feb. 20 will gather experts to explore solutions.
ALBANY, Texas — Landowners and other women interested in learning about land management, hunting basics and outdoor skills are invited to this year’s “Women of the Land,” workshop held at Stasney’s Cook Ranch in Albany, Texas, March 24-25.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced $18.8 million in grants to 14 states under the National Coastal Wetlands Grant Program to help conserve, restore and protect coastal wetlands. This includes an important project to protect habitat for fish and wildlife in the delta formed where the Guadalupe River flows into San Antonio Bay on the Texas coast.
AUSTIN, Texas — Game Warden Gary Barnes of Fritch north of Amarillo has been named the “Texas Officer of the Year” for 2006 by the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA). On Jan. 25, Barnes received special recognition for the award from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.