Previous Coastal Expos (Archives)
Edinburg World Birding Center – Edinburg, TX March 13-14,
2003
With
the assistance from the “All American City” of Edinburg, and
the Edinburg World Birding Center, Coastal Expo was a huge hit! We
had two daytime sessions when schools attended, and we also had Community
Night on
Friday evening. The special programs that attended this event were
KIDFISH, TPWD’s Junior Boat Program and their kayak tank, TPWD’s
Junior Angler program, Hunter Education, the Texas Watch program, Texas Water
Development
Board, and the Texas General Land Offices’ Adopt-a-Beach program.
Local exhibitors attended as well, such as the Master Gardeners, Valley
Nature
Center, and the Master Naturalists who guided a wetland/birding walk
and volunteered
for other activities. We also had special evening programs that included
talks about bats, butterflies, bugs, owls, and plants. There was even
a fire truck
and an ambulance there all could explore!
Memorial Coliseum during the Buccaneer Days Festival – Corpus
Christi, TX April 26, 2003
The Buccaneer Days celebration is a long time tradition in Corpus Christi.
We were lucky enough to be in the coliseum with the carnival going on around
us! We had many special activities at this event. They include the Coastal
Bend Bay and Estuary Program, Challenge Quest, Inc rock climbing wall, KIDFISH,
Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Texas General Land Office Oil Spill
division and their Adopt-a-Beach program, the Nature Conservancy of Texas and
many more.
South Park Mall – San Antonio, TX
Our first Coastal Expo of the season went very well. We even got to watch a
fashion show! This event showcases the core activities that make up Coastal
Expo. The virtual fishing simulator always gathers a crowd, and the Mystery
Fish Kill game is a great way to get a hands-on understanding of what some
of the responsibilities our biologists tackle. We had many participants from
San Antonio: San Antonio Water System, San Antonio Animal Control, 4-H Club,
and the San Antonio River Authority to name a few.
Sea Rim State Park – Sabine Pass, TX
We collected fish from the surf, toured a wetland, practiced casting a fishing
rod, and many other fun activities at Sea Rim State Park. This year J.D.
Murphree Wildlife Management Area brought their alligator exhibit, the Texas
General Land Office had their Adopt-a-Beach program, and the Texas Agricultural
Extension Services of Jefferson County brought their water flow model. The
most dynamic experience was our Fish-on-Ice exhibit by the TPWD Coastal Fisheries
division. At this activity you can touch a sharks skin and teeth, along with
many other fishes.
Neches River Festival – Beaumont, TX
Adopt-a-Wetland’s Scuba Guy
attended this event and participants got to learn about what you need to
enjoy underwater life! Another fun activity
was KIDFISH and the kids loved it, especially when they caught a huge catfish.
We also had TPWD Coastal Fisheries Fish-on-Ice that allows everyone to get
up-close and personal with all kinds of fishes. Our other popular activities
were fish printing and our glass bottom stream that gives you a fish-eyes-view
of a stream.
Bentsen – Rio Grande Valley State Park – Mission, TX
I think this was our hottest Coastal Expo! We beat the heat with the help of
the US Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife Fire Fighters! They set up misters
and soaked the kids with fresh water from the fire truck! Between the art
projects provided by the 5th grade class from St. Johns Episcopal Day School
and KIDFISH the children did not want to stop for lunch. Coastal Expo participants
also enjoyed reptiles from the Gladys Porter Zoo, paper making from the International
Museum of Arts and Science, and all the other fun exhibits found at Coastal
Expo.
South Park Mall – San Antonio, TX
Coastal Expo at the South Park Mall has a different crowd then the other
locations due to the variety of people that visit the mall. The other locations
have
schools bused in to enjoy the event during school hours. Coastal Fisheries
always has their touch tanks and everyone enjoys the virtual fishing simulator
as well as the many other hands-on activities that are found at Coastal Expo.
Tropic Nature Festival – McAllen, TX
Our original festival event draws crowds that are diverse and full of energy.
St. Johns Episcopal Day School provided water-themed arts and craft activities,
and the Texas General Land Office provided wonderful posters for anyone interested.
People also were able to test their casting skills at Backyard Bass, and
their artistic skills at the fish print table.
Sea Rim State Park – Sabine Pass, TX
Participants got to get up close and personal with raptors that the Houston
Audubon Society brought to the event as well as alligators from the J.D.
Murphree Wildlife Management area. They also enjoyed seining at the beach,
learning about beach goodies, and the exploring the discovery boxes. Most
of the participants were bused into the state park from local schools to
enjoy Coastal Expo.
Neches River Festival – Beaumont, TX
Neches
River Festival is another fun crowd because we get the wonderful folks
visiting the festival. We
have adults and children getting to enjoy Backyard
Bass where you practice/learn to cast a fishing rod in order to catch
your plastic fish. Participants also got to touch Fiddler Crabs at the
crab
marsh. That’s when having the adults around becomes highly entertaining!
South Park Mall – San Antonio, TX
The second year of Coastal Expo found us at South Park Mall and it was a great
success! Visitors always enjoy the beach goodies table where they can find
anything from bird feathers and bones to shells and even a sea bean or two.
What is a sea bean? Come and see us and we will show you!
Tropic Nature Festival – McAllen, TX
The McAllen Texas Tropics Nature Festival hosted Coastal Expo for the second
time. What a great time everyone had. Our visitors enjoyed hawk shows,
hands-on reptiles as well as our Mystery Fish Kill game, fish prints, and
the discovery
boxes. Discovery Boxes creates interactive fun by asking you to put your
hand into the box and guessing what it is that you are discovering! It
is always exciting to have to guess what you are touching without seeing
what
is inside the box!
Sea Rim State Park – Sabine Pass, TX
Sea Rim State Park creates a great place for Coastal Expo because the beach
is just a hop, skip, and jump away. This allows us to give people an up-close
and personal experience, but they get to see all the life that is just under
the surface. They also are able to tour a wetland with a wetland biologist.
Now if we only had a river, the water cycle would be complete!
Neches River Festival – Beaumont, TX
One of the participants shows off his fish print from our fish printing station.
Some amazing creations have come away from that table. While people are creating
their own fish print others are getting to see what a river looks like under
the surface at our Glass Bottom Stream. These activities are just two of
the activities that are found at Coastal Expo, as well as other fun activities
provided by different agencies.
South Park Mall – San Antonio, TX
San Antonio teachers, who participated in the event as part of their Science
and Math at the Mall Day, joined Coastal Expo ‘99 staff in educational
hands-on activities promoting awareness of the value of Texas coastal ecosystems.
Approximately 5,000 Texans participated in the activities.
Tropic Nature Festival – McAllen, TX
Coastal Expo 99 was held in conjunction
with McAllen’s Texas Tropics
Nature Festival. Friday’s activities were devoted to local school children
with approximately 2,000 school children participating.
