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Dry Spell
Worst Single-Year Drought on Record on the Prairie and All over Texas  | |
Roseate spoonbills are forced further afield in search of water while scavengers like caracaras feed on the carcasses of fish and other dying aquatic creatures.
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Even though this past weekend's long-awaited rainclouds provided a brief respite, Texas is still suffering one of the worst one-year droughts on record. The entire state is affected by this year's lack of rain, from urban dwellers to rural farmers and ranchers, and the prairie is no exception. Wetland units that traditionally support the prairie's ducks, water birds, aquatic insects, and other wildlife have shrunk to muddy pools, some have dried up completely. KPC's Warren Lake is more like a puddle. We're getting reports of critters venturing further and further afield in search of much-needed water and as the local watering holes shrink, more and more animals are forced to share a dwindling resource. In the news, we've heard reports from farmers and ranchers in the area, including KPC's own Warren Ranch, selling off cattle, importing hay from as far as North Dakota, reducing crops, or simply getting out of the business all together, even families who have ranched and tilled the land for generations.
 | Top: KPC's Mary Manor Preserve in October 2010.
Bottom: Mary Manor Preserve in May 2011. |
With your help, KPC can work take some of the financial burden off the backs of our area's farmers and ranchers through conservation agreements that preserve the natural values of the land and help to alleviate the burden placed by the drought. In addition, KPC can continue working to preserve the prairie's natural wetland-grassland complex. Give today and your fully tax-deductible donation will help KPC maintain the diversity of the prairie for the benefit of its wildlife and for the enjoyment of everyone forever. We may not be able to make it rain, but we can work to alleviate impact that drought has had on the prairie's inhabitants - humans and critters alike.
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Upcoming Events
Texas Stream Team Meeting of the Monitors with Houston-Galveston Area Council
September 29 - October 1 Texas Stream Team is partnering with the Houston-Galveston Area Council to hold the 2011 Meeting of the Monitors from September 29 to October 1 at the Hilton Houston NASA Clear Lake. This 3-day event is designed to: - encourage communication and networking between regulatory agencies, community members, volunteer monitors, and other stakeholders;
- provide opportunities for citizen monitors to expand their skill-sets as citizen scientists by participating in many hands-on workshops;
- recognize and reward citizen water quality monitoring efforts; and
- provide educational and professional development opportunities.
There will be presentations and booths from Houston-area groups, workshops and trainings by experts, fun field trips, and much more! Please follow this link for registration information and Meeting of the Monitors schedule. Katy Rice Harvest Festival
Saturday, October 8 and Sunday, October 9
Come visit KPC at this year's Katy Rice Harvest Festival in Old Town Katy! The annual Katy Rice Harvest Festival offers two full days of excitement and family fun, including two stages with continuous live entertainment, craft and food booths, carnival rides, and more.
When: Saturday and Sunday, October 8 & 9 - 11 AM to 6 PM
Where: Old Town Katy
Visit the Katy Rice Harvest Festival website for more details.
 Bio Blitz
October 22, 2011
On Saturday, October 22 amateur and professional naturalists will tour the Flat Out Wonderful Katy Prairie to catalog as many living organisms as possible during a one-day period. Previous Bioblitzes have yielded over 300 species of plants and animals!
This is a great opportunity to learn more about the flora and fauna found on coastal prairie remnants, wooded creeks, prairie wetlands, and farms. No experience is necessary. Those interested should read the flyer, select a team, and use the registration information below.
When: Saturday, October 22
Where: Various KPC preserves
Registration required. Please contact Jaime Gonzalez at 713.523.6135 or email jgonzalez@katyprairie.org for more information.
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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Special Alert
Wildfires Bastrop State Park
Texas Parks Wildlife Employees Relief Fund set up to help Texans who have lost their homes
 Texas made national news when wildfires burned across the state. The air appeared hazy with ash and some of our friends on the west side reported that their neighborhoods smelled smoky and acrid. As many of you probably know, one of these wildfires destroyed 95% of Bastrop State Park. In addition to the damage to the park itself, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, who are great friends and supporters of KPC, lost tens of thousands of dollars in equipment and a number of employees lost nearly everything in the fire. TPWD employees who lived adjacent to the park have lost their homes and all their belongings. The Department has set up an Employees Relief Fund to help TPWD employees who were affected by the wildfire. Please consider making a fully tax-deductible donation to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation with a note directing that your contribution be dedicated to the TPW Employees Relief Fund. You may send your check to:
Sara Kelleher
Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation
1901 N. Akard
Dallas, Tx. 75201-2305
Please note on the check that it is for the Employees Relief Fund. You may also donate online
here but please note that a small percentage of your donation will be deducted by the credit card companies as a processing fee. Therefore, sending checks directly to the TPW Foundation is the best method to to ensure that your full donation goes directly to the employees.
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| 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
Thank you so much to the volunteers who donated their time and energy in the month of August.
Nursery Warriors
Kim Barlett
Mason Elkins
Noah Elkins
Felix Fu
Catalena Langlitz
Coulter Langlitz
Sheryl Marquez
Karen Miller
Citlalin Ossio
Ulises Ossio
Dianne Russell
Kris Sheppard
Sarah Sheppard
Unplugged Adventures: Meteor Madness
Lesli Edge
Oops! Did you volunteer with us in August 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 Boy with binoculars by Carolyn Fannon
Bastrop Fire by Chase A. Fountain, TPWD
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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