FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 27, 2020
Media contact: Lydia Saldaña
817.851.5729
lsaldana@tpwf.org
Thanks to support from the Coastal Bend Community Foundation, Texas Game Wardens in Nueces and San Patricio counties now have access to stabilized binoculars to enhance their patrol capabilities. In addition, Mustang Island, Goose Island, and Lake Corpus Christi state parks now have recreational binoculars to share with park visitors to enhance their experience. The Coastal Bend Community Foundation provided a $5,000 grant to Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF) to fund these needs.
“Outdoor recreation opportunities are a huge draw for the coast, and visitors to state parks and those who enjoy birding, fishing and boating on the coast will benefit from the new equipment provided by this grant,” said TPWF Executive Director Susan Houston.
Texas Game Wardens ensure public safety on the waterways of the Coastal Bend, conducting search and rescues, responding to natural disasters, and enforcing boating laws. The Coastal Bend area has 24 game wardens, with nine serving San Patricio and Nueces counties. The grant-funded two pairs of stabilized binoculars, which will assist Texas Game Wardens in conducting their patrols, performing search and rescue missions over large open areas, finding evidence at crime scenes, and enhancing general surveillance capabilities. Many game wardens face an arduous task of scanning large areas of land and water from vehicle, boat or helicopter, making specialized equipment instrumental in everyday operations. The purchase of these items will provide game wardens with tools necessary to perform their daily jobs safely and efficiently.
The state parks in the Coastal Bend area (Mustang Island, Goose Island, and Lake Corpus Christi) collectively attracted over half a million visitors to the area in 2017. Since January 2019, over 500 park goers have attended interpretive birding programs, such as the Shorebird Walk at Goose Island State Park. These parks are ideal locations for native Texans and visitors alike to enjoy the wild things and wild places of Texas. To add to their lineup of interpretive programming and enhance the state park visitor experience, these state parks have purchased one new spotting scope and several pairs of adult and youth binoculars for use throughout each of the Coastal Bend area parks, depending on need. This equipment will be checked out on loan, free of charge to park guests, and will increase engagement with interpretive programs throughout state parks in the Coastal Bend area.
More information about interpretive programs at Texas State Parks in the Coastal Bend region can be found at the following links:
- Goose Island State Park Events
- Lake Corpus Christi State Park Events
- Mustang Island State Park Events
All TPWF news releases available online: http://www.tpwf.org/news/press-releases/
Since 1991, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation has leveraged public funds with private philanthropy to advance Texas’ proud outdoor traditions and conserve our state’s wildlife, habitat, recreational areas, and natural resources. Since its inception, TPWF has raised more than $205 million to help ensure that all Texans, today and in the future, can enjoy the wild things and wild places of Texas.
The Coastal Bend Community Foundation (CBCF) was incorporated in 1981 with the mission of improving the quality of life in the seven counties of the Coastal Bend. CBCF serves donors by providing a vehicle for the establishment of various types of charitable funds designed to fulfill their wishes. Since its inception, CBCF has distributed over $115 million from donor contributions and revenues to scholarships to students and grants to nonprofit organizations.
###
