I fell in love with Texas’s rivers at a very early age. Growing up in East Texas, we lived near the East Fork of the San Jacinto River. The water was so clear you could see the pebbles in the shallows. My dad was an avid fisherman, and he would take me and my younger brother, Mike, along when he went to the river to fish in the summertime. Mike and I would swim and lie in the current for hours on end. We also scoured the tall sand banks for arrowheads.
Later in life, I got involved in helping other boys enjoy the outdoors by teaching canoeing to the Boy Scouts who attend summer camp at Camp Strake in Conroe, Texas. My wife and I took training from the local Red Cross office and became certified to teach. It was an ideal way to share our love of the outdoors and how to safely enjoy a skill that would lead to a merit badge as they began to work toward the rank of Eagle Scout.
My next adventure was to learn how to teach kayaking to adults. I became a level-two instructor, certified by the American Canoe Association. Paddling lakes and rivers in Texas and the Southwest has been a great way to keep this 83-year-old body in a semblance of physical shape. In recent years, I’ve paddled many rivers, from the San Marcos River to the Colorado to the Nueces. We even did 40 miles on the Devils River in four days.
Today, I’m with the Texas River Protection Agency, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and protecting the natural purity of Texas waterways. Founded by a coalition of conservation and recreation groups, TRPA continues to be at the forefront of safeguarding Texas rivers for generations to come.
Want to find out how you can help rivers remain thriving ecosystems? Visit txrivers.org to become a member, join a river cleanup, and foster a sense of environmental stewardship.