Camping 101-South Texas Style Offered at Texas State Parks (again!)

WESLACO, Texas – Due to the enormous interest generated by the Texas Outdoor Family Event, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are returning to the valley March 13th  at Estero Grande Valley SP.  South Texas families who may have always wanted to go camping together, but weren’t sure how to go about it, are encouraged to consider this bilingual weekend campout.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department began hosting Texas Outdoor Family workshops at state parks in the Houston and Austin areas. During the weekends, families get expert instruction on how to start enjoying the world of nature and the great outdoors.

This March, the program expanded into South Texas, with a workshop set at Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco.

“What’s great about Texas Outdoor family workshops is no experience or camping equipment is necessary,” said Chris Holmes, Texas State Parks outdoor programs coordinator.

“We recognize that many people in today’s increasingly urban culture don’t have the same skills or backgrounds as earlier generations of Texans. These weekend workshops offer a supportive environment where families can get started in safe and comfortable settings. And for these two South Texas workshops, we will have bilingual staff who speak Spanish on hand to make sure there are no language barriers.”

During the overnight Texas Outdoor Family program, families spend much of the weekend learning not only how to pitch a tent, cook outdoors and learn about nature, but also how to use a global positioning system (GPS) to navigate trails and locate hidden caches. The program also teaches participants about conservation ethics and introduces them to park rangers and what they do.

Each workshop costs $55 per family (up to six people), and includes individual car camping sites for each family, professional park ranger-led programs and instruction, a curriculum developed specifically for use and enjoyment of a state park, and state park Junior Ranger certification programs. The entire approach adopts a ’Leave No Trace’ philosophy and is environmentally friendly.

Families bring their own food for the two-day workshops, and a suggested shopping and packing lists for meals and personal items will be provided.

Visit the Texas Outdoor Family Web page for more information, including the complete schedule of weekend workshops. Check the web pages regularly, as new workshops continue to be added to the schedule.

Families can register by calling (956) 565-3919 and speaking to a Estero Llano Grande State Park Staff Monday-Sunday 8 a.m.-to-5 p.m., or send e-mail to martha.garcia@tpwd.state.tx.us anytime. After registration, a confirmation packet with directions and details will be sent.           

…