• Edwards Plateau- Carpe Diem Ranch, Menard County. Charlie and Marci Granstaff, owner/operators
• Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes- Gore Family Farm, Jackson County. Gore Family, owner/operators
• Lost Pines- Rancho Zunzun, Bastrop County. Elvis and Roxanne Hernandez, owner/operators
• Post Oaks- Lavaca Rio, Jackson County. Wynne Snoots, Jason DeLorenzo, and Marty Phillips, owners, Brent Friedrichs, manager
• Rolling Plains- Mill Iron Ranch, Collingsworth County. Don and Al Allred, owner/operators
• South Texas Plains- H. Yturria Land & Cattle Co., Kenedy, Willacy, and Hidalgo Counties. Butler family, owners, Rudy Bazan, manager
• NGO/Corporation- Neches Refuge, Houston County. Forestar Group, Inc., owner, Stan Cook and Jeff Portwood, managers.

See what it's all about in this video starring the 2014 Leopold Award-winning Winston 8 Ranch.

Thanks to Toyota, the presenting sponsor and to additional sponsors including: Silver Eagle Distributors, Texas Westmoreland Coal Company, Colorado River Land Trust, Lower Colorado River Authority, Earth Day Texas, Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program/ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. See the full list of sponsors.

Image and video: Winston 8 Ranch - 2014 Winner, Leopold Conservation Award from the Sand County Foundation

Love 'em or hate 'em, we need snakes. They play a key role in the balance of nature. For instance, if you hate mice, you should love Texas rat snakes, but this beneficial and common snake is often confused with a venomous rattler. Watch this video to learn more about this reptile.

Texas is home to over 105 different species and subspecies of snakes. Only 15 of those are potentially dangerous to humans. Brush up on the venomous ones with "Venomous Vipers" from Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine.

Learning more about snakes on the Snakes FAQ page can help alleviate human fears. Avoid venomous snakes and better appreciate the many more harmless, non-venomous snakes that are often beneficial.

• Kids, college students, and adults created a lasting legacy when they helped plant 485,750 trees on 1,025 acres of Bastrop State Park this past December and January, contributing to the most productive tree planting season since the Bastrop Complex wildfire in September 2011 destroyed 95% of the parkland. Over the next several decades visitors will be able to enjoy and relax in the shade provided by these growing seedlings.
• The volunteer brigade at Pedernales Falls State Park puts in over 15,000 hours each year to keep that park humming along. Hosting, cleaning, welcoming, teaching -- it’s all in a day’s work. Hear from them first-hand in this video.
• Some parks supporters take “volunteer vacations” to build trails. They tell what they do and why they do it in this video.

ALL volunteer tasks are important! Find an opportunity Find an opportunity that's right for you and sign up to volunteer.

1. Wear a life jacket. Seven of every 10 persons who died in a boating accident would be alive today if they had worn a life jacket.
2. Use the ignition safety switch. This device commonly called a "kill switch" stops the engine if you fall overboard.
3. Learn how to swim. Formal swimming lessons can help prevent drowning if you fall from a boat.
4. Take Boater Education. Participate in the course from Texas Parks and Wildlife − it could save your life. Home video and online options are available.

How much do you know about boating regulations and operator requirements? Take the quiz.

More Texas kids will see more of the great outdoors thanks to the 26 grants awarded this year through Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Community Outdoor Outreach Program (CO-OP). Check this list to find out if a community near you received a grant.

In this ongoing program, grants range from $5,000 to $40,000 and may be used to pay for equipment, cost of leasing transportation, liability insurance and up to 40 percent for staffing costs. They help fund community-based youth and family outdoors-oriented programs and activities like camping, backpacking, kayaking and service projects.

“Research shows that 95 percent of science is learned outside the traditional classroom,” says CO-OP Program Director Darlene Lewis. “State parks, hatcheries, birding centers and wetlands around the state will become the new classroom for these participants.”

Learn more about Recreational Grants. To find out more about the next available grant deadline, sign up to receive the "Grant Opportunities" newsletter.

The move required helicopters, trucks, biologists, veterinarians, volunteers, in-depth research and planning, great partners, and deep dedication to wildlife conservation.

Watch this video for a glimpse of the necessary choreography and collaboration.

TPWD and their partners plan to relocate an additional 100 mule deer to the Black Gap WMA/ECLCC area in 2016, and will continue to monitor their movements, habitat utilization, survival, and causes of mortality through 2017.

Zebra mussels damage boats (clinging to boat hulls and clogging engine cooling systems), destroy fishing habitat and ruin shorelines with their sharp shells. By transporting even one zebra mussel, you risk creating a thriving and dangerous population on another lake. Do your part - always, clean, drain and dry your boat, trailer and gear.

5 important facts about zebra mussels:

1. It is illegal to possess or transport zebra mussels.
2. State law requires all boaters to drain all water from their boat and gear when they leave any water body.
3. A liter of water can carry a million microscopic zebra mussel larvae. Completely draining your boat is the only way avoid transporting these invisible invaders.
4. Zebra mussels reproduce and spread extremely quickly. A single female can release up to a million eggs in a year.
5. They can clog water intake pipes up to 12 inches wide, doing damage that can result in higher water bills for Texas taxpayers.
   
   

TPWD Facebook fans recently dove into these hot posts:

• “The 12 Most Beautiful Birds in Texas,” a story from this month’s Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine, sparked a lively debate. 
• Ten canines graduated as official state K-9s after receiving their badges and commissions as Texas game wardens. Graduation video.
• Blue quail were released at the Matador Wildlife Management Area in the Panhandle.

This moment in nature is brought to you by the EMMY-winning Texas Parks & Wildlife TV Show. Now in its 29th season, the show airs on every Texas PBS station, as well as a number of other public television stations around the country and about 50 city government access channels across the state. Here’s where to watch.