The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is inviting public participation in a major revision of its 2005 Land and Water Resources Conservation and Recreation Plan.

The Texas Master Naturalist program has reached 1 million volunteer service hours. This major milestone marks the 10th anniversary of the program, which began in Texas but has since given rise to a growing national movement.

TPWD Texas Parks & Wildlife TV Program (weekly schedule and show for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department) has recently been updated.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is seeking qualified applicants for a game warden cadet class scheduled to start Nov. 1. Applications will be accepted beginning Feb. 2 through April 30.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission today approved $4.3 million in competitive grants for community parks, nature trails and recreation centers throughout the state. Nine projects from among 37 eligible applications submitted for recreation grant matching funds were selected by commissioners for funding.

The one-hour video documentary Texas the State of Flowing Water will air at 8 p.m. central time, Thursday, Feb. 12 on all Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) stations in Texas. It is the fourth in an award-winning series of water resource documentaries produced by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and broadcast in partnership with PBS stations.

"Back to nature" seems to be the common theme among 17 recipients of Community Outdoor Outreach Program (CO-OP) grants offered by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. TPWD this month awarded grants totaling more than $500,000 to school districts, cities, museums, youth groups, foundations and other groups in cities across Texas.

The Nature Conservancy of Texas has purchased the 7,000-acre Fresno Ranch in far West Texas and plans to transfer it to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the purchase price of about $2.6 million. The deal culminates 20 years of work to remove the largest remaining in-holding inside Texas’ biggest state park, expands hiking and public access, and protects desert springs, Rio Grande river frontage, diverse wildlife and rich cultural resources.

Texas’ newest state park and the eighth link in the World Birding Center chain stretching the breadth of the Rio Grande Valley — will host a grand opening celebration on Saturday, Dec. 6 in this border city.

What if you led a horse to water and it didn’t know how to drink? That odd challenge faces state parks trying to help an increasingly urban public understand nature and history. The good news is, this fall a rich array of new interpretive exhibits and facilities is available for families seeking holiday excursions close to home, thanks to increased funding from the Texas Legislature.