Texas Parks & Wildlife Department's mission is to manage and conserve the natural and cultural resources of Texas and to provide hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
In fulfilling our mission, we will: Be a recognized national leader in implementing effective natural resources conservation and outdoor recreational programs; Serve the state of Texas, its citizens, and our employees with the highest standards of service, professionalism, fairness, courtesy, and respect; Rely on the best available science to guide our conservation decisions; Responsibly manage agency finances and appropriations to ensure the most efficient and effective use of tax-payer and user fee resources; Attract and retain the best, brightest, and most talented workforce to successfully execute our mission.
To see our scheduled programs go to Connect2Texas and select Texas Parks & Wildlife Department from the program filter.
Coastal Crypsis
Grades: 1-4
Cost: FREE
Length: 45 minutes
It's not always easy living in the deep blue sea, and many marine organisms depend on disguise for survival. From camouflaged flounder, to counter-shaded sharks, to mimicking anglerfish, different species of marine animals employ different forms of crypsis. Let's take a closer look at the ocean and uncover these masters of disguise.
Coastal Science Investigation
Grades: 4-12
Cost: FREE
Length: 45 minutes
TPWD's Coastal Fisheries Kills and Spills Team are marine biologists that are trained to determine the probable cause of large scale fish kills in Texas bays and the Gulf of Mexico. During this program, we'll meet up with members of the Kills and Spills Team to act as fish crime scene investigators at a real fish kill. By using environmental clues like dissolved oxygen, salinity, and water samples, we'll be able to figure out whodunnit.
NOTE: We will be showing video and images from a real fish kill. Students will see fish at various stages of decomposition.
Did You Hear That? - Otoliths and Their Functions
Grades: 4-8
Cost: FREE
Length: 45 minutes
Come to our lab to discover the 'ear' bone in fish and decipher the story it tells us. Learn with Brian and Jo as they find these bones and uncover the life history of a sea explorer. Adventure awaits.
NOTE: We will be doing a dissection of a fish during this program.
Field Day: Bag Seine with TPWD
Grades: 4-12
Cost: FREE
Length: 45 minutes
Become a biologist for a day by joining TPWD Coastal Fisheries staff while they collect data from the shoreline of Texas bays using a bag seine. During this program, students will discover different species found in our bays and learn about how and why TPWD manages coastal resources.
NOTE: This program will be taking place LIVE from the field. Cancellations may occur due to inclement weather.
Gobbling the Gulf
Grades: 1-4
Cost: FREE
Length: 45 minutes
Did you know that your favorite food is full of energy? Did you know that energy flows between all living things? Join Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Sea Center staff to learn how all creatures are connected through the food chain. Be prepared to learn some cool science, play some games, and watch a video of Sea Center’s fish at feeding time!
Ocean Commotion
Grades: 3-4
Cost: FREE
Length: 45 minutes
Dive into the world of oceanography and explore the chemistry, biology, and conservation of the deep blue sea. Put on your lab coat and join me as we explore pH, salinity, and other aspects of seawater chemistry. Then change into your wetsuit and take a dip into the ocean zones and learn about the creatures that live in each ocean environment.
Saltwater Fish Hatcheries
Grades: 4-12
Cost: FREE
Length: 45 minutes
Take a behind the scenes tour of a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) saltwater fish hatchery. Learn how TPWD is able to captive spawn red drum, spotted seatrout and southern flounder for restocking efforts in Texas coastal waters.
SEA the Difference: Saltwater Fish and Invertebrate Identification
Grades: 6-12
Cost: FREE
Length: 45 minutes
Properly identify common fish and invertebrates found in Texas bays and Gulf Mexico . Learn about basic anatomy, adaptations, habitat preference, life history, and how to use a dichotomous key.
Seagrass Science
Grades: 4-6
Cost: FREE
Length: 45 minutes
In this program, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Coastal Fisheries biologists will take students below the water's surface to learn about marine flowering plants. Students will get the opportunity to view each of the five types of seagrass that live in the shallow Texas bays and learn why seagrass is such an important habitat for marine critters and people who live in coastal areas.
Unlatch the Hatch
Grades: 6-12
Cost: FREE
Length: 45 minutes
Take a close up look at the early life stages of red drum with hatchery biologists at Sea Center Texas in Lake Jackson. Students will study development of this fish species from egg to fingerling, learning about physiology and microscopic food chains.
Wonderful Wetlands!
Grades: 1-4
Cost: FREE
Length: 45 minutes
A healthy wetland habitat should be teeming with tadpoles and exploding with insects. Let's dip into the wetlands at Sea Center Texas to see what creatures we can find. We'll examine some invertebrates under the microscope, use identification charts to determine what species we find, and analyze the health of the environment based on our discoveries.
Connect2Texas
Email: c2tx@esc11.net
Website: www.connect2texas.net
Location: Fort Worth, TX, United States
Phone: 817-740-7516
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Connect2Texas/178380812237957
Twitter: @connect2texas