Lucy Weber: Ensuring the Future of Our Parks

Lucy Weber loves spending time in Texas State Parks. Now that she has retired, she has more time for park visits and is on a personal mission to visit every state park in Texas.

"I read an article in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine a few years back about a gentleman who visited every state park in one year," said Lucy. "That really inspired me. I'm certainly not going to manage them all in a year but visiting them all is definitely in my continued adventure plans."

Lucy's personal and professional life has been intertwined with parks and the outdoors for decades. She taught third grade for most of her career, and while at Hutto ISD, she worked on an outdoor classroom project for her students that caught the attention of a Texas Parks and Wildlife PBS television series producer. Lucy and her students were featured in a PBS television segment that aired statewide.

In 2001, while still teaching, she began working part-time for Travis County Parks on the weekends and during Spring Break and summer vacation. A few years later, she made the commitment to become a Texas Master Naturalist and remains a member of the Capital Area chapter. When she retired from teaching in 2012, she began working fulltime for Travis County, and fully retired from it all in 2019.

"Now I have plenty of time to visit all the parks I want," she said. "Finally!"

She loves visiting parks in West Texas, especially Davis Mountains State Park and both Big Bend Ranch State Park and Big Bend National Park. Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site is another favorite. A trip to Devils River State Natural Area was another memory maker for her.

"It's so remote and beautiful and the Devils River staff are just outstanding," she said. "We met Superintendent Beau Hester out there, and he is just so enthusiastic and dedicated to that place. He made the whole visit all that more wonderful."

Lucy was hoping to head east this year, but COVID-19 scuttled her spring camping plans at Caddo Lake State Park. She plans on getting that on the calendar again in 2021.

In the meantime, she's making longer term plans to ensure that the parks she loves are protected, even after she is gone. She recently made a planned gift to Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation through her will.

"I have no immediate family and want to make a bequest for something that is meaningful to me," she said. "I just recently learned there was a foundation that supported our Texas State Parks. There just aren't enough state dollars to pay for everything that is needed, so the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation is a very necessary and wonderful thing."

Find out more about how you can make a planned gift to TPWF.

View the Texas Parks and Wildlife PBS segment featuring Lucy.

Read the TPW Magazine story that inspired Lucy to visit every Texas State Park.