Oct. 3, 2011

Are You Ready to Catch a 13-pound Bass?

ATHENS—Largemouth bass weighing 13 pounds or more are rare. Only 523 have been entered into the Toyota ShareLunker program in the last 25 years.

Sept. 30, 2011

State park internships attract first class college students

If you took a tour out at Enchanted Rock this summer it’s likely you were lead by Texas Parks and Wildlife intern Stephanie Croatt. Did you see graffiti in one of the area’s caves? Odds are you didn’t, Croatt cleaned that off while taking a break from giving flint knapping lessons and creating outlines for guided interpretation park tours. Croatt graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio this spring and took her internship out in Fredericksburg to get practical experience in the Texas parks system.

Sept. 29, 2011

Take Me Outdoors Houston Set for Oct. 8 At Discovery Green

At a time when people in big cities are becoming increasingly disconnected from the world of nature and the outdoors, Take Me Outdoors Houston on Oct. 8 at Discovery Green will offer Houston’s 3rd annual free, family-oriented festival of the outdoors.

Sept. 28, 2011

Fall Means Fishing, Camping in Texas State Parks

ATHENS—With cooler weather just around the corner and cabin fever taking its toll on those of the outdoor persuasion, people are ready to start enjoying the outdoors again. In North Texas, Meridian and Cleburne State Parks offer fishing opportunities close to home with excellent hiking and camping opportunities as well.

Sept. 27, 2011

High Tech App for Stone Age State Park

GLEN ROSE, TX—Beginning this Saturday, Oct. 1, people can enhance their experience at one of Texas’ oldest landmarks, featuring some of the newest technology: a mobile application for Dinosaur Valley State Park.

Toyota ShareLunker Season: Big Bass Time in the Big Country

ATHENS — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Toyota ShareLunker program begins October 1. This program was established in 1986 to promote catch-and-release fishing of trophy-sized largemouth bass and to selectively breed these fish to stock ShareLunker offspring in public waters around the state in an attempt to increase the overall size and growth rate of largemouth bass in Texas.

Sept. 26, 2011

Rare Piranha Catch Illustrates Need to Prevent Invasive Aquatics in Texas

AUSTIN – A rare catch of a red-breasted piranha in a community lake near Houston recently illustrates the need for prohibition of invasive aquatic species in Texas waters.

Sept. 22, 2011

‘Lost Pines’ Experience Lives on at Buescher State Park

BASTROP – State park fans reeling from the closure of Bastrop State Park due to destruction caused by the recent wildfire that blackened all but 100 acres of the park can still enjoy a fall outing in the “Lost Pines” by visiting its nearby sister state park that escaped unscathed and reopened this week.

Sept. 21, 2011

Fairfield Lake Fish Kills Continue; TPWD to Suspend Stocking

ATHENS—Some 172,000 fish were lost in Fairfield Lake in September in what has become an annual event at the Luminant power plant lake adjacent to Fairfield Lake State Park.

Sept. 15, 2011

Wildfire had significant impact on Bastrop State Park: How the public can help

AUSTIN – Beyond the loss of lives and property, the still-smoldering Bastrop Complex Fire has had a significant impact not only on the iconic and highly-popular Bastrop State Park but much of the entire Lost Pines ecosystem. The fire, which began north of the park on Sept. 4, claimed two lives, destroyed more than 1,500 homes, and changed the lives of thousands in Bastrop County.