The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission today approved $5.6 million in competitive grants for city and county parks across the state. Commissioners chose 12 out of 52 eligible grant requests for outdoor recreation facilities funding.

This year’s exceptional drought could have significant impacts on waterfowl this fall as habitats these migrants rely upon continue to degrade under a hot, dry Texas sun.

Banding ducks off the side of a speeding airboat requires coordination and the wherewithal to lie on the front of the boat and basically hug a duck out of the water as you zoom by. If the duck makes a run for a tight spot, you’d better be ready to jump out of the boat and chase it down on foot.

At the very tip of South Texas in Estero Llano Grande State Park, Christopher Sandoval stands at a trail head waiting for visitors. Sandoval is interning this summer with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Native habitat restoration and enhancement for the benefit of wildlife is a common thread among the recipients of this year’s Lone Star Land Steward Awards. 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.

Two in-depth articles in the December issue of Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine quote various experts about possible long-term impacts to marine life from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The articles showcase coral reefs and other Gulf of Mexico treasures not widely known that could be affected by the spill.