The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is inviting the public to the third annual East Texas Fire and Nature Festival on Oct. 10, at Tyler Nature Center, according to a Sept. 29 agency news release.
The free event is open to all ages and is designed to teach visitors about nature and prescribed fire, the agency said. It will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the nature center, located at 11942 FM 848 in Tyler.
According to TPWD, the festival will feature live prescribed fire demonstrations, weather permitting, along with hands-on fire equipment and children’s activities highlighting wildlife and science, especially for the Pineywoods. Visitors can learn why fire is an important part of the ecosystem while viewing wildland fire trucks, vehicles and equipment used in prescribed fire and suppression work. Nature walks will be available throughout the day, the agency said.
Danielle Okay, a regional interpretive specialist for Texas State Parks, said in the release that organizers are excited to offer the event for a third time. “We have more partner groups than ever before and are looking forward to spreading the good word about fire within our local community,” Okay said.
The event is a collaboration among numerous organizations, according to the release, including the Texas A&M Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, Quail Forever, American Bird Conservancy, the Smith County Fire Marshal and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, among others. The agency said partners are working together to bring the benefits of prescribed fire to the public.
More information is available by contacting Okay or through the TPWD events calendar, the agency said.