Better Outside

Maybe you’ve heard of search and rescue dogs like Frida, the Labrador Retriever who saved a dozen people after the catastrophic Mexico City earthquake in 2017. But, as it turns out, dogs aren’t just good at sniffing out people. Their powerful noses are being used to aid conservation. In this episode, I meet Fenton, a dog being trained to sniff out endangered cacti in Big Bend Ranch State Park.

The New World screwworm, a parasite affecting warm-blooded animals, afflicted U.S. agriculture and wildlife until it was eradicated from North America in the second half of the 20th century. Now, it’s back. TPWD Widlife Veterinarian Dr. Sara Wyckoff discusses the history of New World Screwworm, its eradiction, return, and the ongoing, international fight to remove it U.S. territory once again.

Texas Game Wardens conduct a search and rescue training in Big Bend Ranch State Park. This episode details the process of conducting a search + rescue operation, explains why TPWD staff are the best equipped officials to conduct this work, and provides context as to why we need trained search + rescue teams now more than ever. Hosts: Morgan O’Hanlon is a senior staff writer at Texas Parks & Wi...

Texas is one of the best states for birding. According to the Texas Bird Records Committee (yeah, that's a thing) there were 636 species in good standing as of their 2010 Annual Report. And, thanks to the work of some dedicated bird lovers, one of those species is still here: the black-capped vireo. Since this olive green and black bird was nearly wiped out in the 1980s, its had a remarkable comeb...

The Devils River has a frightening reputation. With a new addition to TPWD’s state natural area on the river, I thought it was the perfect time to see if that reputation holds true. In this episode, I take a group of novice paddlers, including my mother, to experience one of the most remote and pristine rivers in Texas. Hosts: Morgan O’Hanlon is a senior staff writer at Texas Parks & Wildlife...

The trees are calling — and there’s a huge group of cyclists waiting to answer. Each year, the East Texas Showdown kicks off the state’s largest bikepacking event in a little town on the shores of Lake Livingston. In this episode, I take a ride and see what the burgeoning sport is all about. Hosts: Morgan O’Hanlon is a senior staff writer at Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. David Yoskowitz is...

Texas has never had anything like the Appalachian Trail, the PCT or the Continental Divide Trail. That may change soon. Charlie Gandy is stringing together a route for the XTX, a proposed trail that would span the width of Texas. In this episode, I get a preview of the first 10 or so miles and see what it takes to build an epic trail thru-hiking, biking and even skateboard riding. Hosts: Morgan O’...

It’s time to get a little hog wild alongside some Central Texas bounty hunters. They’re not after people. Bosque County is one of several Texas counties that have put a bounty on each head (and tail) of invasive feral hogs. In this episode, two of those bounty hunters show me how to sniff out a pig and I learn that they’re not always cute like Wilbur in Charlotte’s Web. Hosts: Morgan O’Hanlon is a...

Would you believe me when sheep fly? What if I told you they already did? Sheep soared through the sky as helicopters carried them through the sky in early December as part of a years-long conservation project. In this episode, we tell you the story of the historic reintroduction of bighorn sheep to El Paso's Franklin Mountains State Park. Hosts: Morgan O’Hanlon is a senior staff writer at Texas P...