Wild Texas Newsletter
Your Guide to Texas Parks, Nature & Travel
Spring 2002
IN THIS ISSUE
- From the Editor
- Big Bend Trip Reports
- Updating the Park Profiles
- Watch the Web for Wildflowers
- About the Newsletter
*** FROM THE EDITOR
After several late season cold fronts in March, spring has finally settled in, bringing wildflowers to the roadsides and pollen to the air (oh joy!).
We hope you are enjoying the season, and taking time -- even if it's just a brief walk in the evening air -- to enjoy the beauty of nature.
If you haven't already done so, now is definitely time to clean out bird feeders and stock them with fresh seed, suet or nectar. If you don't
have a bird bath, consider adding one before the summer heat arrives. Why all this talk about backyard birdwatching? Justin and I have not
been camping or hiking in 2002, so our backyard birds have taken on the role of "wild ambassadors" -- reminding us that nature is all around, if
we just stop a moment amidst the chaos of daily life to recognize it.
I can't promise the relative lack of new trip reports and park profiles will change anytime soon. It's probably a human nature "thing,"
but I find it hard to write about hiking and camping when I, myself, haven't been able to indulge in those pursuits in awhile.
 Instead, I have been focusing on specialized tasks like adding new sites to
our growing Web Guide -- now 3,000+ travel and recreation links strong!
This Spring 2002 issue of the newsletter features the new additions we have made since February and provides some guidance on how
you can make better use of WildTexas.com's features and functionality.
Have Fun, Everybody!
Shannon Moore
wildtexas.com
*** BIG BEND TRIP REPORTS
Our October 2001 Big Bend National Park hiking and camping trip yielded hundreds of digital photos and loads of trail and trip notes which I am just
now finding time to comb through and translate into Wild Texas trip reports.
As of March 25, trip reports for our first two days in the park are complete and online. Trip reports for days #3 through #6 are still in progress and
will be posted as soon as possible. When you visit WildTexas.com, be sure to check the "Announcements" forum for any
new postings as that is where I announce new content and features as they are completed.
Big Bend Trip Reports:
- http://wildtexas.com/travels/tr_23.php
*** UPDATING THE PARK PROFILES
One of my primary goals at present is to update all of the existing park profiles on WildTexas.com with new photos and information.
Wild Texas began in 1995 when Justin and I had more "free time" to explore parks and document our travels. These days, it is
more challenging getting away and visiting new parks. As a result, some of the park profiles we have on the site are several years old. As time
permits, I will be going back and updating our existing profiles. If you are aware of any changes to a park that are worth noting, please do not
hesitate to let me know
via email.
The first parks to get a face-lift are: Calaveras Lake (Park) and
Braunig Lake (Park). Thanks to assistance from the San Antonio
River Authority (SARA), I was able to update the information and photos and provide a more representative view of the parks' facilities. One
thing I have learned in my years working on Wild Texas is to document (through words and photographs) the facilities provided in each park,
not just their scenic grandeur and wildlife diversity. So, you can look forward to seeing more photos of campsites, picnic areas, marinas, group
pavilions, public airfields and who knows what else -- all in the interest of providing you with a better view of the facilities and opportunities
offered by each park we visit.
Needless to say, at our present rate of visiting parks, it is going to be quite awhile before Justin and I find time to revisit the parks we have
already profiled (we like going new places now and then, as well). If you are a park employee, volunteer naturalist, member of a park "friends
group" or other conservation organization, and would like to donate photos or provide additional/updated information about your favorite
park for use on WildTexas.com, please contact me at the email address above. I will provide full attribution for all photos used, and I do
the same for content when it's unique in nature.
Many thanks to Karen Bishop of the San Antonio River Authority for her patience
and support; the photos and information she provided on behalf of the SARA were instrumental in my getting the Braunig and Calaveras Park profiles
updated.
Braunig Park profile:
- http://wildtexas.com/parks/braunig.php
Calaveras Park profile:
- http://wildtexas.com/parks/calavlk.php
A reminder about Wild Texas' purpose and goals:
- http://wildtexas.com/siteinfo.php
*** WATCH THE WEB FOR WILDFLOWERS
Since it's April and the wildflowers have popped up everywhere, including the floodplain (aka "greenbelt") behind our house, be sure
to check out our Web Guide's collection of Texas wildflowers and wildflower viewing links. Here you will find links to everything from the Texas
Department of Transportation's Wildflower Roadway Reports to Brenham's Wildflower Watch.
Wild Texas Web Guide: Wildflower Hot Links
- http://wildtexas.com/sites/index.php?sid=603400653&t=sub_pages&cat=137
*** ABOUT THE NEWSLETTER
The Wild Texas Newsletter is a free monthly email publication of the Wild Texas: Parks, Nature & Travel Guide located at:
- http://www.wildtexas.com
Feel free to email a copy of this newsletter to your friends!
Newsletter archives are available online at:
- http://wildtexas.com/WTnews/
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