- ANNOUNCER: 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 is provided by Toyota.

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

Toyota -- Let's Go Places.

- NARRATOR: Coming up on Texas Parks and Wildlife... - You don't really need anything other than a pair of shoes and an interest.

- Lately, we've found a lot of oysters.

We don't know how they were harvested.

There's no way of telling because they're coming in from another country.

- It's a really fun place to start your kayaking and paddling journey.

[theme music] ♪ ♪ - NARRATOR: Texas Parks and Wildlife, a television series for all outdoors.

[insects chirping] [dogs barking] - AMY: The same people who show up on Wednesdays, we become a little family, and all you really need is a pair of shoes and just like the will to wanna run and be outside.

Turn on our headlamps, and we hit the trail and you know, just kind of watch where we're going.

I mark the trail so that people can follow it in the dark.

I'm glad you're here.

- RUNNER: Yeah, thanks.

Glad to be here.

- And then we just set off for about two to four miles.

To be out under the stars running through the forest with just a headlamp and like one other person.

And that's kind of what got me hooked.

[gentle music] Such a cool experience to be able to awaken with the forest in the morning.

[birds singing] The greenbelt is the most magical place to me in Austin.

This forest oasis in the middle of a big city.

And, you know, I feel really fortunate that we have this here.

I used to be one of those trail runners who like only wanted to run by themselves.

Like I don't wanna talk, I don't wanna do anything.

It was like, my meditative time.

And now I really can't run by myself at all.

Like I love running with people.

I feel like when you're on the trail and you're not like face to face with somebody, that you can really connect in a different way, like a deeper way.

It's just a way to get out of your head and to nature.

There is really this like primal wolf pack thing, especially among females.

It just kind of like lifts us all up together.

It's a really unique feeling because you're moving together as a unit like through the forest.

It's so primal.

[upbeat music] And it's really, really cool to just be surrounded by such amazing women.

I'm inspired by them all the time.

[gentle music] - As a full-time working mom of two young kiddos, there's a lot going on in my world on a day-to-day basis.

Everything gets very busy and very chaotic and can become really challenging to find some time for yourself and find some time to get out and go for a run.

Going out and running trails provides such a sense of calm and such a sense of peace and just allows you to kind of regain perspective if you think you've lost it.

And I think that's just what, at least for me, is so appealing about trail running.

Initially when I start out running, it's more of just, I made it here, got myself out the door, got my clothes on, got my shoes on, I have a little bit of space.

And you start running and I start to kind of get into my groove, I start to find a pace, find a cadence that I like that's comfortable.

It's during that period that I really think I have the opportunity to just kind of think, was there anything that was going on that, you know, was frustrating to me or was on my mind for whatever reason.

And then as I keep running, it allows me to work through things that had not gone well.

And to just regroup.

That's what happens in the middle of my run.

[light upbeat music] I'm really lucky to be able to get to do this and I really enjoy doing it, and I find so much happiness getting out on those trails.

Just an ability to take in my surroundings and take in the beauty.

And as I finish up, you're climbing... [footsteps] you're working hard, your breathing's heavy.

[footsteps, heavy breathing] Your legs are aching.

[footsteps, heavy breathing] And you reach the top.

That sense of joy is pretty tremendous.

I see it as life in general.

You're always going to have those climbs and those challenges.

I worked to get up here, but I made it and I can do it again.

- AMY: This is a really good sport for women to join.

We just have like a certain grit in us that gets us through, which I think is so cool and I don't see in any other sport.

I'm not stopping anytime soon.

I've got a good thing going.

- HILARY: We all live in this really busy world and I think there is some moment that you just need to stop and take that breath and appreciate what is in front of you and just the beauty of this world.

[upbeat music] [traffic humming] - Today we're working with Customs and U.S. Border Protection.

We're the border of Mexico and the United States.

So the ports of entry located here in Laredo, they're gonna be the busiest ports of entry in the State of Texas.

Eight to 10,000 vehicles coming through on the weekend per day.

So today is the day after Dia de Los Reyes, which is a big Mexican holiday.

It's the time of the year whenever everybody that went to vacation in Mexico for Christmas, for New Year, they're making their way back to the United States.

A lot of hunters come through, so we're checking their harvest.

A lot of hunters coming in with a lot of deer antlers, so we make sure that they have the Mexican hunting tag on it.

They gotta have this filled out.

And they also have to have a declaration form declaring any type of wildlife resource that they're gonna be bringing into the United States, State of Texas.

- ROPER: The biggest one's gonna be mainly the seafood stuff.

- GAME WARDEN: This is all from the river, from the mouth there at Boca Chica?

- Speckled trout, red snapper, red fish.

You know, everything that we limit on our side, unlimited over there.

We have done undercover buys.

And you're thinking, "Hey, this restaurant's, you know, clean, legit, and then all of a sudden they're buying out of the back of somebody's pickup truck, buying fish, and then we're eating it.

- GAME WARDEN: Sir, do y'all sell oysters?

- OWNER: Yes, sir, fried oysters.

- GAME WARDEN: Fried oysters?

- Lately we've found a lot of oysters.

Oysters are very delicate, so that's why we're really on the lookout for oysters right now because we don't know how they were harvested.

We don't know, you know, what type of sanitation.

There's no way of telling because they're coming in from another country.

- It's not traditional game warden work.

You know, pretty much one goal, just making sure that people on the Mexican side are not trying to abuse what we have over here by abusing their laws and bringing it over.

[upbeat music] - NARRATOR: Possum Kingdom Lake has long been a popular spot in Texas for a fun weekend getaway.

[upbeat music] In recent years, it's even ea rned international attention.

[upbeat music] And all of this may be thanks to the towering limestone cliffs known as Hells Gate.

With 90-foot tall canyons and clear blue water, this cove is the perfect place to anchor down and cool off on a hot summer day.

But, there is more to this place than just a party cove.

[bird screeching] Hells Gate acts as a portal into Texas history.

[dramatic music] There is a story to how Hells Gate got its name.

- These two trappers were coming through the area and they chanced upon some Indians, and they had the best-looking furs they ever saw.

Thought, "We gotta find a way to get those best furs from these Indians."

So they got out the fire water, passed it around, and got the Indians so drunk that they fell asleep.

- NARRATOR: Two fur traders coming through the area stole some quality fur pelts from the local Comanches.

They loaded up all the furs and headed down the Brazos.

The Comanches caught up with them and chased them to these high cliffs.

- And one of the trappers says, "I'm climbing up there.

I'd rather climb up there and jump through the gates of hell before I give those back."

[dramatic music] - NARRATOR: So, the Comanches got their furs back and the legend was born.

But there's a twist to this story.

[dramatic music] - KEVIN: This story was written by a newspaper man in Mineral Wells who started a paper called "The Possum Kingdom News" in 1949.

And he wrote the story 'cause he was trying to sell ads to the fishing camps and the businesses on the lake.

And he thought this story would get people to come up to see Hells Gate.

[upbeat music] - NARRATOR: Seventy-four years later, visitors to the area may conclude that the PR paid off.

[upbeat music] ♪ ♪ - ANGLER: Cast by the gates of hell.

- NARRATOR: Hells Gate has been a focal point at Possum Kingdom for years.

It's put this place on the map for being one of the most intriguing lakes in Texas.

[upbeat music] Heck, the lake has even inspired artists across multiple mediums, from songs to books, and even a movie.

While it might not be certain just how Hells Gate really got its name, the continued curiosity about this cove might just be what makes it legendary.

[upbeat music] [upbeat music] - NARRATOR: In the growing city of Lakeway, intermixed within these houses, there's a preserve of sorts called Chaetura Canyon.

- GEORGEAN KYLE: Just watch your footing.

- We can see the swifts a little bit, but it's a little closed in here.

We'll get to see some good swift activity at the house tonight.

- NARRATOR: And here, there's a patio party about to get underway.

- We work hard all week, and then when we have folks out like this.

This is what we do for fun.

So, appreciate you coming out.

- NARRATOR: This is Paul... - There's a mated pair.

- NARRATOR: ...and Georgean's place.

- They'll crisscross.

- NARRATOR: And these folks are here to see some chimney swifts.

- PAUL: Their numbers are declining dramatically, they're down by probably 50, 60% since the 60s here in the United States, and Canada, they are on the threatened and endangered list, they've lost 90% of their chimney swift population.

- GEORGEAN: This is now our standard chimney swift structure.

- NARRATOR: For these two the birds are more than a fleeting hobby, they've been their life's passion.

- The swifts need all the help they can get.

- They do!

- NARRATOR: They're swift saviors.

- They are very unique, very beneficial and they are in very serious decline, mainly because of loss of habitat.

- NARRATOR: It was back in the 80's when these two met their first Chimney swifts.

- GEORGEAN: We have pretty much dedicated our lives to the little black birds that stole our heart.

We had no idea what a chimney swift was until we were presented one in a rehabilitation situation.

[hatchling chirps] He's two days of age.

A lady found him crawling across her carpet.

- PAUL: We had incubators, and interim housing, and then flight conditioning cages and what not.

And we took care of over 1,200 baby chimney swifts over the 19 years that we did wildlife rehabilitation.

There's something in your heart that makes you want to help one when you see it injured or get a call from someone that has an injured bird.

I suppose the big payoff is when you take a bird, take it outside and open up your hands, it fly's off.

It's like magic.

- NARRATOR: Chimney swifts are quite unique, unable to perch or stand upright, they rely on a certain type of habitat that's disappearing rapidly.

- GEORGEAN: Historically, they roosted in large hollow trees, and those are not allowed to stand anymore.

They then moved into brick chimney's, but now most of those are aging and many are being capped or torn down.

[saw whirs] So we went on a journey [saw whirs] attempting to create habitat for these birds.

- NARRATOR: The habitat, their own take on a swift-friendly chimney.

[drill hammers] - So, what we do is we cut these two by two-inch treated wood cleats.

Then we've got a nice, almost two-inch-wide piece, so we can attach the top or the bottom to.

You want to make sure that you really line it up.

[drill hammers] Taking the time to design one that was relatively easy to build and kind of a kit form.

It has worked out very well.

- NARRATOR: And these two seem to work well together too.

- Ah, we've been married for forty- forty-nine years believe it or not.

- Yeah, we're a good team.

Georgean really knows where to step in when I need an extra hand.

[drill hammers] Last one.

[drill hammers] It just fits in there like a tongue and groove.

Coming down, coming down, great!

The perfect home for chimney swifts, it's a nice rough surface, little grooves for them to hold on to, attach their nest.

Ya, basically anybody that can use a few power tools and read a tape measure can build one of these chimney swift towers and just one structure can make a real big difference in the breeding success of the birds.

- GEORGEAN: I think all three of these have nestlings in them.

- PAUL: I think so too!

- NARRATOR: These two have been working on swift towers for quite some time.

- Ah yes, every year we learn something new.

- We figured if we could come up with something that homeowners could build, then we could increase the habitat.

And so we tried one thing and then another, different materials.

- NARRATOR: And this is their final design.

- GEORGEAN: The outside is a hardy plank that's smooth, so no predators can climb it.

The vent up there allows air to circulate through the outside of the tower keeping it even cooler.

There's babies in there.

We are so happy we were able to come up with a structure that actually benefits the species and that other people are really jumping on the bandwagon to help, help the birds.

- PAUL: We need to dig a little more out of this corner.

- Square this up a little bit.

That might be ok, Andy.

- NARRATOR: Landowner and co nservationist, Andy Sansom... - PAUL: Stand her up!

- NARRATOR: ...is all in on chimney swift towers.

- GEORGEAN: We're a good team!

- We just keep building towers so we can get them out here.

- NARRATOR: This will be the third on his property.

- ANDY: With each of the projects, we have become more and more involved in the actual construction.

- PAUL: This little wire twister cuts a lot of time out!

Crank it like that.

- ANDY: Oh!

- PAUL: There you go!

That's it, that's the idea.

- ANDY: I feel privileged that they've increasingly trusted me enough to let me participate in the project itself.

Come on man!

[grunting] There we go!

I learned a new skill today or at least half learned.

- PAUL: Yeah, lots more water!

[scraping] - PAUL: I think that's gonna do it.

- ANDY: Yeah!

- NARRATOR: They're halfway home, humans helping out their feathered friends.

It's worked before.

- PAUL: People can actually be credited with the recovery and the return of bluebirds.

It's not unreasonable to think that if enough chimney swift towers are built, that the chimney swift towers themselves could be just like the bluebird houses or the purple martin gourds that people put up.

Just a real full court press in conservation on behalf of this particular species.

- GEORGEAN: OK!

- PAUL: That's the hardest part of the tower's construction, just being on top of the ladder with that big ol' section up there.

[wood scrapes] - GEORGEAN: Paul and I have built so many towers together, we very seldom even speak while were constructing.

Kind of a dance.

- That's it, we're in!

Always so glad when that's over.

But now it's a piece of cake, everything's pre-cut, ready to put up.

From this point forward it will go pretty quick.

Keep going up with the insulation on top of where Georgean's been.

- GEORGEAN: It helps, it's to keep it cooler.

Yah, that looks good!

- PAUL: Great!

We've kinda lost track of how many of these we've done, we've done so many it's over 100 and probably close to 200.

- ANDY: I don't know that you could identify any individuals who have done so much for an individual species than Paul and Georgean.

And I'm talking about across the board in wildlife conservation.

[drill hammers] - ANDY: So, it was really special.

- PAUL: That's it.

Done!

- ANDY: We're already beginning to think about where we are going to put the next one.

[chimney swift calls] - NARRATOR: Back at Chaetura Canyon... - They're circling around and faking us out!

- NARRATOR: ...the patio party is in full swing!

- GEORGEAN: So, when we have folks come out in the evenings to watch the swifts go into the towers, oh, it's so exciting!

- AMANDA: Oh, here we go!

- There's a mated pair.

I think they are feeding.

- PAUL: The food they eat is insects, mosquito's, gnats, flies, all of the things we swat at and don't want to have around, that's a delicacy to them, that's what they survive on.

- ISAAC: Very cool!

- AMANDA: Here we go, oh!

There it is!

- GEORGEAN: It's hard to get someone interested in something that's so ephemeral and in the sky all day, - Oh, beautiful!

- GEORGEAN: Until they actually see them, - BIRDER: Wow, look at that!

Wow!

- GEORGEAN: So, education is the key!

- I didn't know, I really didn't know much about chimney swifts before tonight!

We have purple martins in our front yard, but I wasn't really aware that chimney swifts are very similar in that way.

So, um, see if maybe we can get a chimney out in our backyard too!

- PAUL: This is another design!

- NARRATOR: So, for these Swift Saviors, mission accomplished.

- PAUL: We love the birds so much, we want everybody else to care about them the way we do, so that we can have them protected, the more people that care about them, the better off they are gonna be!

And the better their chances in the future.

[chimney swifts chirping] - NARRATOR: Wish you could spend more time with nature?

Well, every month you can have the great outdoors delivered to you.

Since 1942, Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine has been the outdoor magazine of Texas.

Every issue is packed with outstanding photography and writing about the wild things and wild places of this great state.

And now Texas' best outdoor ma gazine is available as an app, it's just that easy.

Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine, your connection to the great outdoors.

[birds chirping] - With Waco being in between Dallas and Austin, we have a perfect opportunity for people from the metropolitan areas to come out here and you can paddle, you can have fun, lots of opportunity for people to get outside and have fun outdoors.

[upbeat music] ♪ ♪ - It's a really fun place to start your kayaking and paddling journey.

[water sloshes] [Gabriel laughs] - MICHAEL: So here along the Brazos River, we have overhang on cliffs, and with that, you'll run into a various amount of wildlife.

[upbeat music] - GABRIEL: Hey, guys, look at that bird over there.

[Gabriel laughs] - I would definitely encourage residents here in the state of Texas to come to Waco, enjoy our waterways, especially these paddling trails.

- GABRIEL: Whoa.

Hey, hey.

- Hey.

♪ ♪ - GABRIEL: It had a fun echo, though.

Did you hear the echo?

[upbeat music] Nature has cycles.

It has a tempo, and our bodies are actually used to that tempo, and sometimes in urban life, things are faster.

They're flashier.

They're more congested.

When you get away from that, they have the ability to breathe slower.

They can relax their shoulders a little bit more.

They're able to think clearer, because there's not so many distractions.

There's not the next thing they have to do.

There's just what they are doing.

[gentle breeze blowing] [gentle breeze blowing] [gentle breeze blowing] [gentle breeze blowing] [gentle breeze blowing] [boat motor revs] [gentle breeze blowing] [duck quacks] [water splashing] [gentle breeze blowing] [gentle breeze blowing] [gentle breeze blowing] [gentle breeze blowing] [gentle breeze blowing] [gentle breeze blowing] [gentle breeze blowing] This 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 is provided by Toyota.

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

Toyota -- Let's Go Places.