Trails & Tails

Connecting You With Nature

- Summer Edition Take a Peek Inside!

YOUR

GUIDE TO

ADVENTURE!

Letter from the

Editor

I want to thank you for picking up Trails & Tails and I hope you are ready for an adventure! My name is Emily Ward, a former Floridian that has turned Texan.

I thoroughly enjoy spending time camping and hiking (though the Texas heat makes it a bit hard sometimes). Ever since I was a child camping was one of the biggest highlights of my summers. As I grew older I liked to add hiking and other activities to my summer fun and the purpose of Trails & Tails is to share that love with others to hopefully inspire some adventure in their lives.

Trails & Tails aims to help you connect with nature and find balance in your everyday life. From advice on how you can connect with nature, to tips to make your own trail snacks, and what wildlife you might see in your adventures. I sincerely hope that Trails & Tails will inspire you to go on your first or next adventure so you can experience the wonders of the outdoors.

Sincerely,

Emily Black

Table Of Contents 01

Letter From The Editor

Finding Your Connection With Nature

06

2 Must Have Snacks For Your Next Outdoor Adventure

Summer Brings New Life To Texas

10

04

Top 5 Parks To Visit In Texas

08

Finding Your

Connection With Nature

This article is meant to provide some easy mindfulness techniques that can be done outdoors to help reduce stress while improving your mental health. Mindfulness is focusing your mental state on the present and accepting any feelings, thoughts, or sensations you are having at that moment. Meditation is one of the most well-known forms of practicing mindfulness but it is not limited to this as many activities can be used to practice mindfulness.

In our busy modern lives it can be hard to stay in the moment instead of thinking about the future and what we need to do or thinking about the past and its effects on our present. Practicing mindfulness is a great way to ground ourselves in the present and feel more in control of our thoughts and lives as well as allow us to feel more calm and focused. Often when people hear mindfulness they imagine sitting in a quiet room meditating but it can be so much more. This article will provide some ideas for outdoor activities you can use to practice mindfulness in your life.

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment” ~ Buddha Photo by Yannic Laderach 8

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More Than Meditation For many, just being outdoors is restorative and helps them refocus and relax.

This could be as simple as sitting outside and focusing on your body and senses, the things you hear, see, or smell. Some other stationary ways of practicing mindfulness include:

Photo by Richard James

• Bird watching • Outdoor meditation • Cloud gazing • Playing “I spy” • Reading outside • Journaling outside There are also many active ways you can practice mindfulness outdoors. You could go for a walk or hike, go rock climbing, practice yoga, or even fishing and hunting. Practicing mindfulness can be done solo or in a group so you can even get friends or family to join in and not only relieve stress but also build stronger relationships while creating healthy habits. Any activity that allows you to take time and focus on your own body and the present moment can be beneficial for practicing mindfulness.

Why should you practice mindfulness?

It has been found to be beneficial for your mental health, regulating emotions, increasing focus and memory, and your health overall due to its stress-relieving qualities. So, the next time you go outside, why not take a moment to just breathe and connect with nature.

Photo by Dingzeyu Li

Photo by Aaron Burden

Photo by Roberto Nickson Trails & Tails

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2 Snacks Must Have

For Your Next Outdoor Adventure Black Pepper Jerky • • • • • •

Yields: ¾ pound Ingredients

3 cups amber ale or lager 2 cups soy sauce ½ cup Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons cracked black peppercorn 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper 2 pounds trimmed beef top round or bottom round about 1½ in thick

Directions

1. Combine ale or lager, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and cracked black peppercorns in a large mixing bowl.

2. Cut beef into ¼ inch thick slices and add the marinade into the bowl.

3. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 200oF. 5. Place large wire racks on three large rimmed baking sheets.

6. Remove beef from marinade and pat dry, arranging beef on racks about ¼ inch apart.

7. Sprinkle with coarsely ground black pepper and bake for about 4 hours until firm and almost completely dry but chewy. Let cool before serving.

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Tie-dye Mango Strawberry Fruit Rolls Yields: 12 servings Ingredients

• • • • •

1 pound frozen mangoes thawed ½ pound frozen strawberries thawed ½ lemon juiced Coconut oil 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

• • • •

Dehydrator Dehydrator tray liner Offset spatula Blender/food processor

Equipment

Directions

1. Thaw frozen fruit and place mangoes, lemon juice, and sugar into a food processor or blender on high setting until smooth.

2. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

3. Rinse the food processor or blender and place strawberries into it and blend on high setting until smooth. Transfer to a separate bowl afterwards.

4. Lightly oil the dehydrator tray and pour an ⅛ inch layer of mango purée using the spatula to make the layer even.

5. Pour all of the strawberry purée on top of the mango layer.

Pour in circles in the center for round trays or in horizontal lines for square trays. Use a fork to swirl and create designs in the purée. Repeat for additional trays.

6. Dehydrate at 135oF for 6 to 10 hours. Check after four hours to monitor progress and to prevent burning.

7. Purée is complete when no longer sticky or soft but not brittle.

8. Remove purée from trays, then cut and roll for storage in an airtight container. If dried and stored properly, fruit rolls can last up to nine months.

Keep Your Snacks Fresh On The Trail When packing your trail snacks, you will want to be sure they are kept in an airtight container to keep your snacks from being exposed to outside elements.

The best ways to preserve and package these foods are through dehydration, canning, or vacuum sealing them. These methods also don’t require refrigeration to keep food fresh for trips.

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Summer Brings New Life To Texas Many of us think of swimming and barbecuing and fireworks when we think of summer. For many Texas species however summer is an important part of their lives. Texas is one of the larger states, and has 11 different eco regions each with their own flora and fauna, and summer is when eggs are hatching and babies are being born. Quail, turkey, wood ducks, and whitetail deer are among these species. The weather and environment these young animals are born into could mean life or death for them. Being born into a drought could spell disaster for many young animals and is also the end for many plants as well.

Photo by Thomas Park 12

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Photo by Tomek Baginski Summer can also be a beautiful time when many plants begin to bloom and flowers are plentiful. With Texas’ hot summers many plants need to be drought resistant like the well known prickly pear or bluebonnets.

The Mexican plum is a small tree that provides a fruit that birds and other animals eat during the summer while also providing dense foliage for cover. The aptly named flame acanthus and fire bush bloom in summer each with bright red flowers that attract hummingbirds and crimson patch butterflies.

The Not-So Friendly Ones Summer also brings with it some risk as we venture out into the wild and unknowingly into various habitats.

Some potential risks are from some of Texas’ less friendly creatures like venomous snakes, spiders, scorpions, fire ants, and a wide variety of other types of creatures.

Photo by Shelly Collins

When planning an outdoor activity this summer be sure to be aware of the wildlife and plant life you find to prevent any mishaps and keep your summer full of fun!

Photo by Patti Black

Photo by Cheryl Holt

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Top 5

This article is meant to provide a look at some of the most popular national parks in Texas. This article provides the name and some reasons why you should add these locations to your travel bucket list.

Parks To See In Texas Big Bend National State Park Big Bend National/State Park contains a section of the Chihuahuan Desert along the Rio Grande river and Mexican border larger than Rhode Island. It includes 200 miles of trails of varying distance and difficulty. It is also along a major migration pathway for hundreds of bird species allowing spectators a unique chance to see some different species.

Photo by Mick Haupt

Photo By Rachel Sanner 14

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Guadalupe Mountains National Park A unique experience where you can witness the most extensive Permian fossilized reef in the world as well as caverns in a beautiful mountain setting. There are two campgrounds and backcountry camping permits as well, with the closest town being 35 miles away in New Mexico. This is a great location for those wanting to get away and camp in a more natural environment. This beautiful park is a fantastic place for stargazing since it is home to the four highest peaks in Texas. There is also a diverse trail system available for hiking with diverse fauna and flora to see.

Hueco Tanks State Historic Site A rock-climbing mecca, Hueco Tanks offers low but challenging rock climbing routes to climb without the need for rope support. There are also around 200 pictographs painted on the rocks through the site. In addition to these activities, there are also biking trails, camp sites, hiking trails, guided tours, bird watching, and stargazing that can be experienced here.

Photo by Ben Curry

Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Photo By Michael Dziedzic

This park is roughly 60 miles long with some areas that are 20 miles wide making it the second largest canyon in the country. This park has 1500 acres of equestrian-only trails as well as acres of biking and hiking trails crossing the park. If you are new to hiking or aren’t quite up for the more active activities, Palo Duro Canyon State Park also has a number of tent, RV, and cabin campsites available, making this park great for any level of outdoor adventure. Just south of Palo Duro is also the Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway which offers many of the same activities while being a bit quieter. Caprock Canyons offers a unique chance to witness wild bison roaming the plains. You can also witness bats in Clarity tunnel, go horseback riding, biking, fishing, swimming, or even geocaching at Caprock Canyons as well.

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Padre Island National Seashore This beautiful island features 70 milelong spit dunes and tidal flats where you can see many types of sea life including the rare Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle. Bird watching is also a popular activity on this island with over 380 species having been documented within the park.

While enjoying this beautiful coastal location you can kick back and enjoy the beach, go fishing, boating, windsurfing, or camping. You may even be able to witness sea turtle hatchling releases so be sure to check when these occur if you are hoping to see this amazing event.

Photo by Joshua J. Cotten 16

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Photo by Joshua J. Cotten