Protected alligator snapping turtles are returned to their natural habitats, after the trafficked animals are saved from interstate poachers. Join some modern-day cave explorers as they crawl ad climb through the dark and mysterious world that exists beneath our feet. Visit the abstract landscape of Monahans Sandhills State Park and find beauty in the expanses as well as the details.
A retired policeman finds peace in nature photography, building a second career and a lasting library of beautiful photographs. Cooper Lake State Park in northeastern Texas offers shady campsites and cabins, a large lake, and plenty of fishing. If you want to make a camping reservation by phone, this team answers the call.
A duck hunter supports waterfowl through prairie wetland habitat, with the help of Ducks Unlimited and other partners. The beauty of a natural place takes on fresh dimension and draws some different crowds when arts activities like sculpture, painting, and photography, are paired with parks. A storm-battered boardwalk comes back.
Learn how one man turned a tragedy from his youth into a career of helping others with a career as a Texas Game Warden. See how three sons enlist family and volunteers to carry on their father's legacy of land stewardship. Join biologists keeping tabs on an endangered bird at the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve.
See some of the challenges of oystering over the decades and some of the hopes for the future of the industry and for the health of Texas bays. Visit a ranch where management of grasslands and wetland habitat have exemplified land stewardship while rolling out the welcome mat for waterfowl. Aquatic conservationist keeps tabs on river ecosystems.
Biologists battle an invasive aquatic plant that threatens Caddo lake, enlisting local conservation groups, volunteer troops, and a horde of tiny insects. Learn how one outdoorsman from Houston works to get urban kids outside with fishing. Ranchers honor local and family history at Chimney Creek Ranch.
Meet a mechanic and mountain-biking musician who has been taming trails in San Angelo for decades and who considers the local state park a hidden treasure. See how a couple in their 90s has sustained their West Texas ranch for 60 years. Meet another husband and wife team equally devoted to saving chimney swifts.
See how a family raises cattle and preserves wildlife habitat on one of the last tracts of coastal prairie in Texas. Learn how sinking strange-looking structures and seeding native plants can improve reservoirs for fish and fishing. Carry plenty of water and a first aid kit-mountain biking at Big Bend Ranch State Park is not for the faint of heart.
When an oil spill affects our rivers, creeks, or coastline, meet the team that steps in to investigate the impacts to fish and wildlife. Through his time with a group of Buffalo Soldier re-enactors, a young man learns about these accomplished outdoorsmen of days past. Guzzlers in the desert provide water for thirsty wildlife.
A rich ranching history is sustained on the San Pedro Ranch, where management decisions are made to make the most of every raindrop. Winter stocking of rainbow trout in the Guadalupe River is a much-anticipated annual event. See how habitat loss has impacted all four quail species in the state and learn what's being done to keep quail healthy.
Residents of many small Texas towns look forward to deer hunting season, for the time it brings with friends and family, as well as for the economic boost hunting brings to local businesses. See how one community comes alive when hunters arrive. Meet a family looking after their ranch in a way that benefits cattle, wildlife, and future generations.
Meet some of Houston's most dedicated bayou conservationists, striving to keep a city and its water wilderness in better balance. Hit the trail with some furry friends at Franklin Mountains State Park and learn how to keep canine companions safe on the trail. A rainy day doesn't seem to bother the birds of Houston Audubon's Smith Oaks Sanctuary.
Spend some time on a shrimp boat with a family that has been working Texas waters for decades. Visit Brazos Bend State Park for hiking, biking, and stargazing, and keep an eye out for the alligators. An abandoned house in the woods proves the perfect roost for a colony of Rafinesques's big-eared bats.
Put on a mask and snorkel and explore the tiny, underwater world of microfishing. Visit Guadalupe River State Park to camp under the trees, take a bike ride, and find some fun for the whole family. Enjoy a meandering paddle down the Sabine Sandbar Paddling Trail in deep East Texas and find some peace and quiet.