- NARRATOR: The Texas Parks and Wildlife Television Series is supported in part by Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation -- conserving the wild things and wild places of Texas, thanks to members across the state.

Additional funding provided by the Toyota Tundra.

Your local Toyota dealers are proud to support outdoor recreation and conservation in Texas.

Adventure-- it's what we share.

Funding also provided by Academy Sports and Outdoors.

Helping hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages get outside.

Out here, fun can't lose.

[theme music] - ANNOUNCER: Coming up on Texas Parks & Wildlife... - I'm obsessed with birds.

They've taken over both my art practice and my life and honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.

- So, I don't buy this argument that people aren't enjoying the outdoors anymore.

I think they're just enjoying it in different ways.

- I don't want people to ever feel like they don't have the opportunity to do something, or they can't do something because of barriers that are in place.

[theme music] - ANNOUNCER: Texas Parks & Wildlife , a television series for all outdoors.

♪ ♪ [birds chirping] [frogs croaking] [birds chirping] [frogs croaking] [upbeat music] - I've been drawing animals my entire life.

I've been drawing since I could hold a crayon.

My name is Raylee Schobel.

I'm a wildlife artist.

I am obsessed with birds.

They've taken over both my art practice and my life, and honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.

[upbeat music] I like to come out in nature and draw from life, just mostly so I can watch the birds, see their behavior.

Because you can look at a photo and see what they look like, but you can't see their personality from a photo like you can in the wild.

[upbeat music] As fun as it is to be able to relax and watch birds at my leisure, and sit down and spend hours working on a drawing, it's also so fun to get out birding with a team.

I've been birding now for four years with my birding team, The Cuckoo Cachoos.

- KELSEY: GBH.

- Yeah, great blue heron right there.

- Sweet.

- This is my 25th year to do this.

Roadrunner, straight ahead.

- Yeah.

Yeah.

- Beautiful.

- Yeah.

- Sweet.

- There you go.

- Got him.

- Gorgeous little man.

- I'm gonna keep doing this until I'm dead.

My name is David, and I'm the captain of The Cuckoo Cachoos, which is made up of myself, [birds chirping] Liz [Liz chuckles] Raylee-- - Got to give me minute.

I lost him.

- Okay.

- and Kelsey.

- Long-billed dowitcher.

Did you get it?

- I like competing 'cause it's fun to see as many birds as you can in a day.

It's just, I'm just crazy.

[chuckles] [engine humming] - LIZ: We're doing the Great Texas Birding Classic.

- Here is the-- - Oh I got the-- - the greater yellow legs.

- LIZ: I got it, actually.

I got it one more.

It's a big day, a big bird competition, meaning, in one single day, from midnight to midnight, we try to see as many bird species as we can.

[birds chirping] Whoever gets the most bird species on competition day wins.

[wings flapping] Good eye, David.

- Chestnut.

- DAVID: What time is it?

- LIZ: It's 7:10.

- We need to go.

- Okay.

- Next stop.

- DAVID: Next stop.

[upbeat music] [engine revving] [birds chirping and squawking] - RAYLEE: I'm in this for the thrill of the chase.

I feel like the first word that comes to mind is adrenaline.

What's that?

- Behind it in the far foliage.

Something landed back there.

- That's a-- - Buff-bellied hummingbird.

You all got it?

- We got it.

All day, the heart rates are up.

You're like, "What bird are we gonna get next?"

You're looking out the window.

Is there anything on the side of the road?

Do we need to slam on the brakes, throw the hazards on?

- LIZ: Who's that flying?

- You're just on edge all day and it's fantastic.

[chuckles] Great.

- LIZ: Oh my God.

It's huge.

- DAVID: Got it.

- White pelican on the top left, guys.

- Where is that?

- Yeah, got it.

Yeah, you're right.

American pelican.

- RAYLEE: I think-- - Get it, hurry.

- There it is.

It was totally blocked-- - Got it?

- by the car.

- Yay!

- LIZ: Good eye.

Good eye.

[footsteps rustling] What is it?

- Ooh, so cute.

- And I've been birding my whole life.

It just got really serious when I was in college, [chuckles] and then it got insane when I met these people.

- Oh my God.

- Nice.

- DAVID: Yeah.

Very cool.

- KELSEY: We just saw a scarlet tanager.

We've never seen it in our life, [laughs] but I am beyond happy and yeah, that made my year.

[road ambiance] [upbeat music] [birds chirping] - The Birding Classic is fantastic for seeing a lot of birds in a very short amount of time.

We also have raised a significant amount of money for habitat conservation.

- That one?

- We've donated well over a million dollars at this point to on-the-ground habitat restoration projects throughout Texas, and that's something we're really proud of.

[duck quacking] The Birding Classic is known for having really beautiful artwork.

And this year, we decided to work with one of the members of The Cuckoo Cachoos, Raylee, on developing some original art.

[upbeat music] - For this project, I did for the Birding Classic, I did a method called reduction printmaking.

I felt like this would be the perfect method for making the artwork.

I really like doing printmaking because it's so tactile and it's just nice.

Once I have the drawing down, I'm just carving away.

I'll do a full drawing on the linoleum, figure out what I'm carving, and then I can just turn my brain off and carve around the drawing and it's just quiet, you know?

[lively music] Yeah, and get into that flow state and just go, and the next thing you know, eight hours have passed and your entire body hurts.

[slurps] Hmm.

And then after printing and working on this for about three months, I ended up with a print like this.

[lively music] As of now, I'm spending most of my days either printing or painting birds.

So it's kind of the dream.

[birds chirping] [engine humming] - I just need more birds.

Birds is what I crave.

- Okay, it's showtime.

- Literally, I like to come prepared.

Think about what you're doing it for.

- Don't miss anything.

- Exactly.

- It's been an amazing day so far, but there's only more birds to see.

Let's go.

- Yeah, you hear all of them.

- It's right there.

It's right there.

- See what these are.

- Oh yeah.

- See if you can find 'em.

- It's still right there, David.

There it is, right there.

[birds chirping] [upbeat music] It's just very exciting to be able to see so many species in a single day, and it's worth it.

It's like a big road trip.

It's really fun.

[upbeat music] [birds chirping] - DAVID: Like every big day, there's so many birds.

We got a lot of surprises, a lot of fun, but there's so many more to get.

So we are on and pushing towards sunset to get as many places as we can before the lights get turned out.

We have miles to go before we sleep.

[chuckles] - Not a lot of people have a reason to see certain friends once a year, so it's really cool to like have it scheduled, that I know I'm gonna see them.

[all chuckling] Cuckoo Cachoos - Cuckoo Cachoos.

[all laughing] [upbeat music] [upbeat music] [birds chirping] [music] - MITCH HARRIS: I work for the Paramount Academy for the Arts, which is the educational branch of the Paramount Theater.

Working at the Paramount is a very fast-paced environment, it's "go go go!"

Okay.

[chuckles] You know what I mean?

Oh, I don't know.

Is "showstoppers" one word?

Yeah, I'm excited!

See ya!

Paramount is in downtown Austin.

It's right off Congress Avenue, just a few blocks from the Capitol.

Everything is very fast-paced.

So that's why I really like to take a step back, take a breather, get outside.

There are so many opportunities, even within an hour's drive.

So I don't think it's difficult to get outdoors, but it is something you have to - you have to make it a priority.

I think a lot times being outdoors can be intimidating.

I definitely felt that way, I know a lot of people feel that way.

But I don't think you have to have that background information to enjoy a state park.

I don't think I bring anything super-special to the table, I just ask the right questions, and I'm not afraid to admit when I don't know the answer to something, or I don't know how something works.

It's not state of the art.

It's not anything fancy.

It's pretty simple, but it works for me.

I probably do not get outside as often as the generation before me.

But I also think it's coming back into style.

I think people are re-realizing the value of being outdoors, and value of just experiencing and enjoying nature.

I don't know what it is but it does not look friendly.

I don't think anyone hates the outdoors.

That's bogus when people say that.

I think there's something in the outdoors for everyone and you just have to find what your thing is.

So I don't buy this argument that people aren't enjoying the outdoors anymore.

I don't think that's true.

I think they're just enjoying it in different ways.

I don't think there is a right way to use nature, you know what I mean?

I don't think there is a right way to experience the outdoors.

Reading a book outside is one of my favorite things.

And it's good in almost any circumstance.

And if you're going for a selfie versus going to tough it out in the wilderness for five days, great both are valid options.

Alright, I'm going to do it.

I'm going to be super-narcissistic and get a selfie.

Please don't judge me.

I think the outdoors are for everyone, I think they are called "public lands" for a reason.

[crickets chirping] [birds chirping] [tent crumpling] [tent crumpling, zipper] [door slams shut] - Alright.

I think we're good.

I feel like that's a common goal in general... is to, "I want to spend more time outdoors."

But until you book it, until you make the plans, it's not going to happen.

[upbeat music] And the opportunities are there, it's just about really committing to it and going for it.

[upbeat music] [gentle music] [engine whirring] - RYAN: So they can call ahead of time, say, "I'm coming in this date," I would try to reserve X, Y, Z.

- Yes.

- Or whatever.

- JAMES: Exactly.

- We are here at the Albert and Bessie Krakowski State Natural Area.

- As you can see behind me, we're constructing right now.

- JESSICA: It's being designed with access in mind.

- Yeah, like just having a little peace of mind on where it's gonna be, how it's gonna be set up.

- How can we build this park so that it is the very best destination that they could go to.

And that's really special 'cause there's not a lot of places like that.

The most important part, which is making sure the disability community is involved in the conversations about the park.

- RYAN: Today, we were able to go look at the initial accessible campsites that are getting built.

We also went up to the pad where they're gonna have the mini cabin that's fully accessible.

What a great spot.

It's fantastic that people don't have to call a park and ask 15 questions about campsites or getting in or getting to the water or the bathrooms or the cabins.

Knowing all that ahead of time takes away all the pain and suffering that we normally have to go through.

- When we talk about breaking down barriers, sometimes that does look like physical access.

Sometimes that does look like putting in a mile of an accessible trail or putting in accessible campsites.

But it can also look like when we went fishing with Austin Parks and Recreation with their recreational therapy program.

Yeah, your worm's still there, looking good.

One of the participants came up to me with a Parks and Wildlife freshwater fishes card and was just pointing out all the different kinds of sunfish that he might catch.

And I was like, "Oh, that's so cool.

You know, I love that.

I'm so excited for you.

Like, which one do you think we're gonna catch?"

And he was so pumped to talk to me about the fish that he's gonna catch.

And I asked him, "Have you ever caught a fish?"

He said, "No."

- Woo!

- Woo!

- GROUP MEMBER: Good job.

- JESSICA: To actually see it happen was really special.

- Get forward and we're gonna let it go.

1, 2, 3, go.

[float plops] - This program gave these guys the opportunity to try it out and see if they liked it, catch a fish, be with their friends, be with their peers, and that's really special.

That's really important.

I don't want people to ever feel like they don't have the opportunity to do something or they can't do something because of barriers that are in place.

I was really fortunate and had parents that really cared about being outdoors.

From hiking, camping.

We took a road trip every summer and went all over the country and went to national parks and just spent a lot of time outdoors.

I also had a childhood disability.

It does not impact my daily life now, but as I was growing and my body was changing, I was not able to walk without a full leg brace from the time I was eight until about 11.

And I did not get to experience a lot of the things that other kids got to experience but where I wasn't left out was being outside.

So, I mean, it did not stop my parents from throwing me on the boat.

[gentle music] - JAMES: Somebody in a chair, like what we looked at today, should be able to track out here.

- JESSICA: So you get out here, what do you need to be able to camp out there?

- You know, I'd bring a tent.

I mean, it would probably be bare minimum, especially if we were gonna do it like in our chair chairs, our everyday chairs.

- We're not talking about paving this entire property.

That's not why people want to go to a park or to a state natural area.

We're talking about providing access to amenities, so to camping, to cabins, to hiking trails.

So more accessible trails.

[engine whirring] We're talking about providing adaptive equipment.

These lands, these amenities, these resources belong to all of us and we should all be able to enjoy them.

[gentle music] [upbeat music] - NARRATOR: To celebrate 40 years of our television series, we are taking a trip back in time to look at some of our earliest episodes.

[upbeat music] [film reel clicking] [vehicle horns blowing] [sirens wailing] - You know living in the Texas Hill country, people ask me about how it is.

I say, you know ♪ I got the feeling ♪ ♪ It's just something that I can't explain ♪ ♪ It's like dancing naked ♪ ♪ In that high Hill Country rain ♪ [upbeat country music] ♪ Sometimes I just wake up hummin' ♪ ♪ Feeling like this world is right ♪ ♪ Wanna jump right up and take a walk outside ♪ ♪ Take in the mornin' light ♪ ♪ Feelin' music runnin' through you, ♪ ♪ Makes me wanna dance ♪ ♪ Clap my hands and dance ♪ ♪ Sometimes it just takes a lady ♪ ♪ To smile and make my day complete ♪ ♪ When she's touching me, I feel free and I'm easy to be me ♪ ♪ Lucky to be alive, feeling all right ♪ ♪ Take a walk outside, ♪ ♪ Feeling all right ♪ ♪ People they tell me now ♪ ♪ I'm living too fast ♪ ♪ Slow down now, Jackie boy ♪ ♪ Take it easy, let some of life pass ♪ ♪ But I don't know no other way, yee-hoo ♪ ♪ I got to live it day to day ♪ ♪ If I die before my time ♪ ♪ When I leave, I'm leavin' nothin' behind, whoa, no ♪ ♪ I'm tasting every single grape on the vine ♪ ♪ 'Cause I got a feelin', ♪ ♪ Somethin' that I can't explain ♪ ♪ It's like dancing naked ♪ ♪ In that high Hill Country rain ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo, yeah, I'm saying ♪ ♪ I ain't worried 'bout tomorrow, ♪ ♪ I'll get by best I can ♪ ♪ Lovin' that's my will to live ♪ ♪ It makes me laugh, wanna sing and dance ♪ ♪ Take a chance, clap your hands, come on and dance ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo- doo-doo-doo-doo ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo- doo-doo-doo-doo ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo- doo-doo-doo-doo ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo, yeah, I'm saying ♪ ♪ I got a feelin', ♪ ♪ Somethin' that I can't explain ♪ ♪ It's like dancing naked ♪ ♪ In that high Hill Country rain ♪ ♪ I got a feelin', ♪ ♪ Somethin' that I can't explain ♪ ♪ It's like dancing naked ♪ ♪ In that high Hill Country rain ♪ ♪ Country rain ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo- doo-doo-doo-doo ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo- doo-doo-doo-doo ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo- doo-doo-doo-doo ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo- doo-doo-doo-doo ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo- doo-doo-doo-doo ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo- doo-doo-doo-doo ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo- doo-doo-doo-doo, yeah ♪ ♪ I got a feelin', ♪ ♪ Somethin' that I can't explain ♪ ♪ It's like dancing naked ♪ ♪ In that high Hill Country rain ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ It's raining, it's raining ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo- doo-doo-doo-doo ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo- doo-doo-doo-doo ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo- doo-doo-doo-doo ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo- doo-doo-doo-doo ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo- doo-doo-doo-doo ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo- doo-doo-doo-doo ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo- doo-doo-doo-doo ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo- doo-doo-doo-doo ♪ ♪ Doo-doo-doo-doo- doo-doo-doo-doo ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [thunder rumbling] [rain pattering] [rolling thunder] [rain pattering] [thunder rumbling] - NARRATOR: Next time on Texas Parks & Wildlife... - This is an amazing prehistoric site.

We're with the youth group and our job is to let them have some fun while they're learning.

- Alligators are part of our native wildlife here in Texas and they've been here for hundreds and hundreds of years so long before we were here.

- There you go!

- We have the most beautiful lake.

Lake Whitney itself is just amazing.

- NARRATOR: That's next time on Texas Parks & Wildlife.

[rushing water] [rushing water] [rushing water] [rushing water] [rushing water] [rushing water] [rushing water] [rushing water] [rushing water] [rushing water] [rushing water] - NARRATOR: The Texas Parks and Wildlife Television Series is supported in part by Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation -- conserving the wild things and wild places of Texas, thanks to members across the state.

Additional funding provided by the Toyota Tundra.

Your local Toyota dealers are proud to support outdoor recreation and conservation in Texas.

Adventure-- it's what we share.

Funding also provided by Academy Sports and Outdoors.

Helping hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages get outside.

Out here, fun can't lose.