Under the Texas Sky

The Dutch Oven is the go-to tool for cooking over an open fire, especially at Texas State Parks. In this podcast Cecilia Nasti and Randall Maxwell introduce you to Cowboy Cook, Tim Spice, as he teaches members of Les Dames d'Escoffier--women in the culinary industry-- about going Dutch.

On Wanderlist, Cecilia Nasti and Louie Bond discuss towns that celebrate their native sons and daughters of the written word. Then, Louie takes us to Kyle, Texas to visit the childhood home of the author Katherine Anne Porter, who wrote the highly acclaimed novel, Ship of Fools.

At Texas State Parks you’ll find adventure and interesting folks—like park staff that keep the places humming. On the podcast, producer Abe Moore takes us to South Llano River State Park, where we meet a fascinating man who not only works at the park, but lives there, too.

Texas has been the stage for many epic movies over the years. On this Wanderlist, we’ll discuss films that put Texas on the silver screen. From wide landscapes to small towns, it’s lights, camera, action in the Lone Star State.

Austin singer/songwriter Bill Oliver, better known in music and environmental circles as Mr. Habitat, writes and performs songs with messages of environmental stewardship for all who will listen. We highlight Bill's life and work in our occasional feature, The Art of Nature.

An ideal way to chill on a sultry summer day in Texas is in a swimming hole. On this Wanderlist, we take a deep dive into cool waters, letting you know the top places to immerse yourself in the best Texas has to offer when nature brings the heat.

U.S. Park Rangers are in the business of preserving natural, historic and cultural resources within our National Parks. On this episode, producer Randall Maxwell introduces us to U.S. Parks Ranger Rosi Ferioli, whose beat is the Padre Island National Seashore.

Bats are enigmatic nocturnal flying mammals. There are over 14-hundred species that we know of worldwide, 33 of which are known to live in Texas. Many are threatened. And Dr. Merlin Tuttle--part Indiana Jones and part Bill Nye the Science Guy--has led the bat conservation charge worldwide.

Bats are mysterious and magnificent creatures, often seen decorating the evening sky as they fly out of caves, sinkholes, forests, and from underneath bridges. In this episode, we’ll talk about bat emergences and where to safely see them. We’ll also answer questions you submitted via our Instagram account last week.

Wearing the right shoes ensures your comfort and safety when at Texas State Parks and natural areas, where terrain is variable. In this episode, "shoe guy" Sean Bibby of Whole Earth Provision tells us how to shop for the right shoes to help us safely navigate nature and walk comfortably.