Camping in Texas can be a fun family outing, but it can also be an intimidating and daunting task for those who have never been. Thanks to the Texas Outdoor Family program, families have the chance to learn the basics of camping and enjoy the great outdoors.

William Vlasek got an unexpected surprise on his fiftieth birthday when notified he had been selected as the first person ever to receive a Lifetime Super Combo hunting and fishing license as part of a new promotional program from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Vlasek, from Hunt, Texas, was among 7,889 who applied in a TPWD's first special drawing for a lifetime license combo.

If you're fresh out of holiday gift ideas for your eco-minded cousin or that relative who would rather spend his or her spare time in the woods, on the lake or at a state park, or even for yourself, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department invites you to shop the outdoors.

State and local parks will be the beneficiaries of outdoor service projects thanks to grants recently awarded to organizations around the state.