Buffalo Soldier Sentinel ~ May 2020 Edition

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department sent this bulletin at 05/04/2020 05:19 PM CDT

From the Sergeant's Desk

Volunteers, Partners, Friends,

I hope this message finds you in a safe place and well. With the outbreak of COVID-19 our operations have changed, and we are no longer traveling the state for public programming on the Buffalo Soldiers and outdoor heritage until further notice. This however does not stop our mission to preserve the history and legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers and those who served on the frontier. During the month of March, we switched operations to a digital online format allowing us to continue our interactions with people not only in Texas but now across the United States. If you did not get the chance to watch any of the online presentations they, can still be accessed via our Facebook page at Buffalo Soldiers Program – Texas Parks and Wildlife. On May 2, our March and April programming efforts culminated with the Texas Outdoor Family Camp In, (#TexasOutdoorFamilyCampIn). If you participated in the CampIn please send us your photos! If you missed the CampIn it you can go back on our Facebook pages and watch the programs. We strongly encourage you to join us on Facebook Live and participate in our upcoming programs this May.

As always, our partners and volunteers continue to be vital in our operations and, we would like to open the opportunity for you to program alongside us on the digital frontier. If you’re interested in conducting some online programs please contact program coordinator Luis Padilla at 512-844-3526 or Luis.padilla@tpwd.texas.gov for more information on how to get involved.

We thank you for friendships and hard work put in over the years. We truly look forward to continuing our relationships with you all and hope to see you in person further down the trail….

Regards,

1^st Sgt. Luis Padilla – Buffalo Soldiers Program – TPWD

Facebook: Buffalo Soldiers Program – Texas Parks and Wildlife

Ready Forward! We Can.. We Will!

For more information please visit our website.

Texas Parks & Wildlife - Buffalo Soldiers

We look forward to seeing you further down the trail!

Upcoming Programs

We are excited to invite you to participate in our May online programming. During the month of May our Outdoor Education and Outreach department will host 22 different programs which will lead up to our Tx State Park Trivia Challenge (#TxStateParkTriviaChallenge) on May 30. The trivia challenge will be based on programming throughout May so make sure and tune in for a better chance to win this challenge. A full calendar of online programs can be found below.

Volunteer Highlight

We would like to conclude this newsletter by acknowledging one of our young but long-time volunteers Cpl. Daniel Garza. Daniel has volunteered along side the Buffalo Soldiers, Fort Griffin, and Fort McKavett for many years, recording countless hours of living history and even coordinating special events. We have had the great privilege of watching him grow up and it is with the highest honor that we share that Daniel has accepted an appointment to the Class of 2024 United States Air Force Academy. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors!

Have you participated in a Buffalo Soldiers Program?

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Share Your Photos

Email your photos with the Buffalo Soldiers to Ricky Dolifka and get a chance to have your image showcased here in the Buffalo Soldiers Sentinel

Keep Connected

Texas Buffalo Soldiers bring history to life with stories, historical clothing, and tools.

At one of our programs, you can learn how to track an animal, fish with a cane pole or cook over a campfire. We play traditional games, use the sun to find directions, learn Native American skills, and even saddle a horse.

We make connections between history and the outdoors. Our goal is to not only share history, but to share our Story.

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