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Trailblazing
KPC receives Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Trails Grant 
Imagine visiting the prairie for the first time and pulling up to a gently waving grassland resplendent with vivid crimson, gold, deep sapphire, and purple wildflowers - wouldn't you want to save this wonderful place? KPC's Indiangrass Preserve is our base of operations on the prairie, where we host volunteer events and parties, children's classes, school groups, and much more. It's often the first point of contact for visitors new to KPC, so we're working to make the Indiangrass Preserve better than ever.
 The Katy Prairie Conservancy was selected to be a the recipient of a $200,000 grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife to help support new trails at the Indiangrass Preserve. With combined support from Texas Parks and Wildlife and a grant from the Houston Endowment Inc. to develop the Ann Hamilton Trail, KPC is embarking on design and implementation to create the trails and to restore the front yard of KPC's preserve. We'll be planting native grasses and wildflowers to create a demonstration prairie and we will be restoring the historic prairie wetland complex at the front of the preserve so you'll be able to glimpse what the prairie would have looked like when European pioneers first arrived in the area. We'll also be laying down trails that will provide visitors with a variety of distances and experiences as they listen for the gentle hum of insects and catch a glimpse of sparrows, quail, and other feathered friends often found on the Indiangrass Preserve. You can help support KPC's efforts to restore the Indiangrass Preserve by giving a tax-deductible donation today. Help make these trails available for the enjoyment of all! |
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Unplugged Adventures: Meteor Madness! 
Friday, August 12
On Friday, August 12, KPC will host Meteor Madness at our Matt Cook Memorial Wildlife Viewing Platform at Warren Lake beginning at 8 PM and continuing until morning. For this special, one-night-only event, KPC will have the platform open all night so you can glimpse the famous Perseid meteor shower in the wee hours of the morning. We'll have storytelling and s'mores promptly at 8 PM until the light of a nearly-full moon, but invite visitors can drop in
at any time throughout the night. Bring a sleeping bag or pad to stretch out while staring up at the night sky. It's sure to be a magical evening!
When: Friday, August 12 beginning at 8 PM
Where: Matt Cook Memorial Wildlife Viewing Platform at Warren Lake Warren Ranch Road is open!
Registration not required. Please call 713.523.6135 or email info@katyprairie.org for more information. Please note that the meteor shower won't be visible until the very early morning, around 3 or 4 AM.
What to wear for trips to the prairie? All participants should wear appropriate outdoor clothing, including closed-toe shoes and long pants. A long-sleeve shirt is also recommended. Be sure to dress in layers as sometimes the temperature of the prairie can change rapidly - from hot to cold and windy. Hats are great if you want to be shielded from the sun. Please bring your own water and insect repellent.
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A visit to Warren Lake
by Frank Farese, KPC Supporter  We stopped by Warren Lake between 7:30 and 8:15 Sunday night. The sunset was magnificent.The deep rich colors at that time of day are just wonderful. The scene was heightened by 12 wood storks circling in from quite high, taking their time doing it. It was fun watching their legs come down as they got lower and turned tighter circles. Then a group of fulvous whistling ducks buzzed in. There were hundreds of white-winged dove flying by, two nighthawks working the lake, and one gorgeous avocet amidst all the stilts, great blue herons, and ibis. Two young deer were at the far shoreline drinking. Enjoy the new platform and the shade... bring a comfortable chair, some lemonade, a spotting scope to figure out the peeps, and just enjoy the sunset-and the birds! 
Thank you so much, Frank, for sharing your gorgeous pictures with us! We always love to hear stories about days out on the prairie. Do you have a story about a memorable or particularly beautiful visit to the prairie or want to share some photos with us? Email info@katyprairie.org and maybe you'll be next month's featured story! |
| Volunteer News
Volunteer Events
PrairieWorks - Dig in to the Katy Prairie in our Native Seed Nursery! Want to get your hands dirty? Every second Thursday and Friday of each month, KPC hosts PrairieWorks at our Indiangrass Preserve. Volunteers can come and work in the Coastal Prairie Native Seed Nursery watering, weeding, and potting seedlings. Thursday times are 8 AM to 3 PM; Friday times are 9 AM to 1 PM. Email info@katyprairie.org for more details.
Spotlight by Linda Langlitz
Our volunteers are the greatest! Even during the hottest months of the year, they turn out time and again to help out KPC. Bold, courageous, and high-spirited volunteeers labored in 98° temperatures to install a wind break on the south side of the nursery shade structure. Prevailing and strong winds had neutralized the advantages provided by the curtains and sprinkler system. We hope this privacy barrier traditionally used on tennis courts will work as a windbreak.
Kathie Shultz and Tina Boyd adopted the Demonstration Garden at Indiangrass Preserve. They work hard mulching, weeding, planting, and watering so our visitors can see native prairie plants progress cyclically through the seasons. Extreme drought conditions have destroyed much habitat for all the prairie creatures and our blooming plants are some of the very few on the Katy Prairie. This American basketflower provides sustenance for Gulf fritillary butterflies, bumblebees, and others.
Diane Russell adopted a section of the Seed Garden that was planted this spring. Regular watering is required due to the drought. She is also experimenting a bit to find the threshold between a symbiotic and competitive relationship among the plants and weeds that "nurse" by providing shade and protection from damaging variables such as wind, pedestrians, etc. Prairie plants are resilient and tough; but even those lucky enough to receive water this year are producing less than half to one-third of the foliage and blooms produced in years of normal precipitation.
KPC would like to thank all the following volunteers who generously gave their time in July:
Nursery Warriors Kate Bechtold Tina Boyd Jordan Catlett Wendy Catlett Craig Cooper Johnny Fife Catalena Langlitz
Coulter Langlitz Joe Langlitz Mark Johnson Sheryl Marquez Karen Miller Kieryn Ota Kindra Ota Diane Russell Lisa Scott Kathie Shultz Kaia Stephens Kristen Stephens
Land Monitoring
Johnny Fife Timothy Moorehead
Summer Science NIghts
Lesli Edge Kaia Stephens Kristin Stephens
Oops! Did you volunteer with us in July and don't see your name? If we missed listing your volunteer contribution, please email info@katyprairie.org and we'll be sure you make it into the next newsletter.
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Support KPC
Your support is critical to our success. Preserving the Flat Out Wonderful Katy Prairie depends on the support of people like you. Give to the Katy Prairie Conservancy today and help protect this special place forever. Click the JustGive button to donate now or visit our website at www.katyprairie.org to find out how you can further our land conservation efforts, educational programming, and preserve enhancement activities.
Shop and save - the Katy Prairie! As you shop for essentials at Kroger or Randalls, you can also shop for the essential Katy Prairie. Simply link your Kroger or Randalls card to the Katy Prairie Conservancy. Every time you shop and use your savings card, a portion of the amount you spend will fund KPC's educational programming to connect kids with nature on the Katy Prairie. To donate through Kroger, please click on the link Buy Groceries Now to download the form you need. Bring the form to Kroger's Customer Service booth and link your card to KPC. To link your Randalls card to KPC, simply visit the customer service desk at your nearest Randalls store and ask the clerk to link your card to our code: 6658.
 Earth Share of Texas represents the Katy Prairie Conservancy in workplace payroll contribution plans throughout Texas. You can help support the Katy Prairie Conservancy with a workplace giving pledge through EarthShare Texas. Earth Share Texas represents KPC and 69 other nonprofits across Texas. If you are an employee of the cities of Austin, Houston, Dallas, El Paso, San Marcos, the State of Texas, the Federal Government, REI, Dell Incorporated, Wal-Mart, Hewlett Packard, and many others, you already can donate to KPC so please check out KPC's page for our numbers to fill out on your donation forms. Thank you! If you would like your company to consider establishing an EarthShare workplace giving program, please call Mary Anne Piacentini at 713.523.6135 for more information on how you can help.
 The Reliant EcoShare is a new way that Texans can support the Katy Prairie Conservancy and offset their own carbon production at the same time. Reliant Energy and EarthShare of Texas have launched a program that allows Reliant customers to help reduce their carbon footprints through the purchase of carbon offsets. And for each customer-purchased offset, Reliant will make a contribution to EarthShare of Texas and its participating organizations. As an EarthShare of Texas participating organization, KPC will benefit from this program. For more information, follow this link to the EarthShare of Texas website or go directly to reliant.com/ecoshare.
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Photo Credits Indiangrass Preserve by Carolyn Fannon
Fulvous whistling ducks with deer at Warren Lake and Various birds at Warren Lake by Frank Farese
All photos were taken by KPC staff unless otherwise noted. |
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| The Katy Prairie Conservancy
3015 Richmond Avenue, Suite 230
Houston, TX 77098-3114
713.523.6135
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