Waco, TX – Texas Parks and Wildlife Department invited the public to learn about the importance of fire in nature at the East Texas Fire and Nature Festival.
The event took place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 5 at the Tyler Nature Center, located at 11942 FM 848 in Tyler, Texas.
The free festival demonstrated the multiple benefits of prescribed fire and focused on increasing public familiarity and understanding of its role in the ecology of the Pineywoods. Participants joined nature hikes and talks, saw wildland fire trucks, accessed hands-on fire equipment, and enjoyed kids’ activities highlighting wildlife and science. A live prescribed fire demonstration was also conducted, weather permitting.
This event was a collaborative effort among several organizations, including Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, USDA Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Texas Longleaf Team, Tall Timbers, Great Plains Fire Science Exchange, The Nature Conservancy, Pheasant Forever, American Bird Conservancy, Smith County Fire Marshal, Smith County Soil & Water Conservation District, Smith County EMS, National Wild Turkey Federation, Master Naturalist, and the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas.
