 Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area
Don't miss one of Texas' best shows of the summer, the emergence of wild bats at twilight. People come from all around the world to watch the bats exit caves, parks and city bridges, and some of these roosts are home to millions of bats!
See them yourself at any of our state's bat-watching sites. For tips on when to go and bat-watching etiquette, check out our short video Bat-watching Basics - Tips from a Wildlife Biologist. Before you head out, it's a good idea to give your destination a call and confirm the bats are active.
Bats are losing habitat and you can help them out by providing a bat house, also known as a bat box.
Whether you build a bat box yourself or purchase one, keep these tips in mind:
- Don't mount your box on a tree, which gives predators easy access
- Mount your box on a structure like a house, or on a pole
Find out more in the short video Bat Boxes 101.
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 Bordered patch butterfly on frogfruit
Any Texas gardener familiar with the ground cover frogfruit is likely to sing its praises. It's native, drought and flood resistant, grows in sun or part shade, easily propagates via runners, and it performs well in most of the state.
But the cherry on top is literally a butterfly on top: frogfruit is the host plant for phaon crescent, buckeye and white peacock butterflies. Plus, even more butterflies come by to sip nectar from its clusters of tiny white blooms.
Frogfruit also makes a good "spiller" for containers – plant it at the edge and it will cascade down the side. It has one Achille's heel: never mow or prune frogfruit while it's blooming – it could take years to recover. Find more native Texas plants for your region.
 Black Gap WMA
Your Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) just got a boost with two recent land acquisitions.
- Heath Canyon Ranch is a 671-acre property located just outside Big Bend National Park. The Nature Conservancy in Texas purchased the property, which will be managed by us as part of the Black Gap WMA.
- Approximately 6,900 acres in East Texas will become the new Trinity River WMA. It includes 11.3 miles of Trinity River frontage, giving Texas more than 25 miles of riverbank conservation along this important corridor for migratory birds.
Find out more in our press releases The Nature Conservancy, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Announce Purchase of Heath Canyon Ranch near Big Bend National Park, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Acquires First New East Texas Wildlife Management Area in Nearly Two Decades.
WMAs are working laboratories for learning about wildlife and habitat. These activities may effect what you can see and do while there, so call a WMA before you visit it.
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