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 15-Mile toll road proposed to go through the Katy Prairie
Public comments on the proposed mitigation plan due September 8, 2010
The US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is now inviting comments on the proposed permit for the Grand Parkway, Segment E, a 15-mile stretch of highway that if built, will lie fewer than five miles east of KPC's preserves. The
proposed roadway alignment will affect ecologically important prairie pothole
wetlands on the Katy Prairie and increase development pressure on
this significant and valuable natural area.
Under federal law, when a developer fills in or alters an existing wetland, he must mitigate for the loss of that wetland, traditionally by creating wetlands or purchasing credits at a mitigation bank in the same watershed, same habitat type, and same ecosystem. The proposed plan includes no mitigation on the Katy Prairie. If you would like to comment on the proposed mitigation plan, KPC has provided a fact sheet for you to learn more. See our website www.katyprairie.org for more details.
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Take me out to the ballgame and save the prairie!
KPC teams up with the Houston Astros
Indulge in America's favorite pastime while saving the Katy Prairie! On three different dates you can support Houston's home team and a part of the proceeds from the already discounted ticket sales will go directly to KPC! Simply visit www.astros.com/kpc and log on using the password KPC and you can cheer on the Astros during the specified dates below. Know that you're helping KPC too. Remember to stay for the post-game show!
Houston Astros vs. Cincinnati Reds, Friday, September 17
Houston Astros vs. Cincinnati Reds, Saturday, September 18
Houston Astros vs. Chicago Cubs, Friday, October 1
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Events on the Prairie
Sunday Open Trails
Sunday, September 5 from 5 - 7:30 PM
Have a bit of free time this weekend? This Labor Day weekend, take a break from the busy days of September and check out KPC's Barn Owl Woods, a stand of pine trees that serves as a shade refuge right in the middle of the sunny prairie. A late afternoon self-guided tour will give you a chance to unwind as you try to spot the owls, frogs, insects and other wildlife that spring to life near dusk.
Date: Sunday, September 5 from 5 - 7:30 PM at Barn Owl Woods
Registration not required.
Open TrailsFridays in September from 9 AM - 12 PM KPC wants to get you out on the prairie as much as possible. That's why we've created Open Trails, a program that lets you walk selected KPC preserves at your own pace. We even provide a full-color guide. Every Friday, you can visit KPC's Indiangrass Preserve (formerly our Field Office Preserve) to see what we've been up to. Come check out our Native Seed Nursery, learn about plants in our interpretive garden, or walk the trail to the reservoir to spot ducks and maybe even hear the call of a covey of quail. View flitting sparrows and other wildlife and look out for wildflowers springing up everywhere!
Date: Fridays from 9 AM - 12 PM at the Indiangrass PreserveRegistration not required. Please email info@katyprairie.org for more details. Free!
Where in World is the Katy Prairie?Wednesday, September 8 from 6:30 - 8:30 PMWe get phone calls all the time from people asking us where exactly is the prairie. KPC and Keep Katy Beautiful are hosting a joint presentation of Where in the World is the Katy Prairie? to bring new people to the prairie. We'll discuss what the prairie might have looked like to early settlers, how it has changed over time, and why we're working to protect this irreplaceable area so that it can be enjoyed by its diverse wildlife and all Texans forever. Date: Wednesday, September 8 from 6:30 - 8:30 PM Location: Katy Heritage Museum @ Katy Heritage Park 5990 George Bush Drive, Katy, Texas Registration required. Space limited. This event is open to the public. Call 713.523.6135 or email info@katyprairie.org for more details. Free.
Prairie Discovery Tour
Saturday, September 11 from 5 - 7 PM
Our evening September Prairie Discovery Tour will highlight the prairie just when it begins to buzz with energy as the wildlife comes out of hiding from the heat. Listen for the sounds of twilight as the frogs, insects, and night birds venture out from their daytime spots. Experts guides will show you the sights that will entice you to return to this Flat Out Wonderful place. You can also find shade beneath a leafy ring of oak trees before taking a leisurely stroll down to the Crawfish Pond. September is also a great time to spot butterflies and to enjoy he golden hues of the late summer prairie.
Date: Saturday, September 11 from 5 - 7 PM at Nelson Farms Preserve
Registration limited and required. Email info@katyprairie.org for more details.
Bridgeland NatureFest
Saturday, September 25 from 10 AM - 6 PM
Bridgeland
will host its annual NatureFest on Saturday, September 25, which will
include fun for the whole family, including a petting zoo, hay and pony
rides rides, water-skiing squirrels, a live band, plenty of
refreshments, and more. Admission to NatureFest is free, a
ten-dollar donation will get you a bag full of goodies - donations will support the Katy Prairie Conservancy's efforts to project the Flat Out Wonderful Katy Prairie. This is the third-year running that
KPC has been fortunate to be selected as one of NatureFests's recipient
charities.
Date: Saturday, September 25 from 10 AM - 6 PM at Bridgeland
Visit the Bridgeland website for more details.
 October Preview
Saturday, October 2
Wild West Tour: Hawk Migration with Glenn Olsen - Visit some of the best KPC preserves with expert local naturalist Glenn Olsen and learn about the secret lives and habits of these amazing birds of prey.
Volunteer Orientation - Learn what it takes to be a KPC volunteer!
10 AM to Noon
ECOnnections: Stories and Statistics - One of the most valuable tools a teacher has is interpretation, turning visuals into a meaningful story. Our Stories and Statistics class will help interested volunteers how to look at a stretch of prairie and turn it into a story that encompasses the past, present, and future of the Katy Prairie. Noon to 2 PM.
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 prairie heats up and you will want to be able to shed that jacket. Hats are great if you want to be shielded from the sun. Please bring your own water and insect repellent.
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 The Texas Legacy Project: Stories of Courage and Conservation
Booksigning at Brazos Bookstore October 7 - 7 PM
An interview with KPC's own executive director, Mary Anne Piacentini, appears in The Texas Legacy Project: Stories of Courage and Conservation, edited by David Todd and David Weisman. The Texas Legacy project was launched in 1998 to record the extraordinary efforts by veteran conservationists and ordinary citizens to preserve the natural legacy of Texas.
The book holds stories from more than sixty people who represent a variety of causes, communities, and walks of life - from a west Texas grocery fighting nuclear waste to an Austin lobbyist pressing for green energy to KPC's own story fighting to save the Katy Prairie. Each speaks from the heart in personal reminiscences and first-hand accounts of battles fought for land and wildlife, public health, and for environmental justice. These impassioned accounts remind us of the importance of protecting and conserving the natural resources in our own backyards - wherever they may be.
Mr. Todd and Mr. Weisman will be signing copies at the Brazos Bookstore at 2421Bissonett Street on October 7. We encourage everyone to stop by to learn about the history of this project and what it wakes to be a conservationist in Texas. Space is limited; get there early.
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Birds of a Feather
Houston Audubon Honors Prairie Conservation at Birds and Bluestem
Our
friends at Houston Audubon Society are honoring the Katy Prairie
Conservancy alongside King Ranch and Flo Hannah for outstanding
achievement in prairie conservation at their annual gala coming up on
September 30. KPC is so grateful to be to be in such esteemed company! For more details about the event, please visit the Houston Audubon Society website.
 Junior Birding Program
Sponsored by the Texas Ornithological Society and Kleb Nature Center
These workshops, covering basic ornithology, bird identification, and field work, are intended to introduce a new generation (ages 8 - 18) to birding. Field trips to birding hotspots in the Texas Coastal Region, including a sparrow workshop on the Katy Prairie, throughout the fall and into the spring will help initiate students into the world of birding. Students will be encouraged to keep field notebooks and to participate in the Christmas Bird Count and the Texas Great Birding Classic in the spring. Additional classroom lessons will also be available during the week.
Students should be nominated by a parent, teacher, bird-watcher or naturalist, or wildlife professional. This program is designed to encourage and increase an existing interest and fascination about birds. While there will be no charge for this class, students must provide their own books, journals, binoculars, property entrance fees when required, transportation, chaperon, meals, and other items as required. Parents will be responsible for the students during field trips and workshops.
Upon completion of the program, the student should have a better understanding of bird identification, of ornithology as a career, of bird study as a life-long learning experience and as a social network.
If you would like to nominate a student, please do so by email to fred_collins@hctx.net. If you would like more information, you may contact Fred Collins at 281 357-5324 or 713-302-4720 or Ron Weeks at 979-299-0066 (evenings).
 Big Sit on Saturday, October 10
On Sunday, October 10, KPC will participate in the annual Big Sit, an international, noncompetitive birding event coordinated by Bird Watcher's Digest magazine. (See the Bird Watcher's Digest Big Sit 2010 Home Page for more info about the national event.) Observers stay within a 17-foot diameter circle and count as many bird species as they can over the course of the day. KPC will set up its circle at the east end of our Manor Property.
We view this as a very social event, and to that end we have invited several other like-minded organizations to participate with us. We have divided the day into 5 time periods; volunteers in each the group, as well as KPC volunteers, will be assigned one of these periods during which they will be responsible for compiling a list of birds observed. KPC will manage at least one of the time periods (exact times still to be determined). We are soliciting KPC's friends and volunteers to participate in the bird observation and to volunteer to help manage the event (e.g., greet and check in participants, be present with other organizations to be sure everything goes well, and answer any questions about KPC.
So note the date, and be on the lookout for an email with more info in the near future.
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Helping Hands - Volunteer News
by Terri Ficker, Volunteer Coordinator
Our volunteers are Flat Out Wonderful
Despite the summer heat and a spate of thunderstorms, KPC volunteers continue to step forward and do as much as they can to help KPC protect and enhance the Katy Prairie.
Volunteer Events
Rambling Rangers: Volunteers are encouraged to attend the Keep Katy Beautiful event at the Katy Heritage Museum (see Events section). KPC will host a Volunteer Orientation on Saturday, October 2 to be followed by a ECOnnections: Stories and Statistics class. Watch the KPC website for details on all these and special volunteer events.
PrairieWorks - A Fun Way to End the Week! Want to get your hands dirty? Every Friday from 8:30 to 11:30 AM, KPC hosts PrairieWorks at our Indiangrass Preserve. Volunteers can come and work in the Coastal Prairie Native Seed Nursery - watering, weeding, and potting seedlings. After or before your volunteer efforts, you can take a stroll on the Indiangrass Preserve as part of our weekly Open Trails program. Email info@katyprairie.org for more details.
Spotlight
Thanks to our Volunteers!
KPC would like to thank all the following volunteers who generously gave their time in August:
PrairieWorks Lauren Henderson Toni Huff Catalena Langlitz Colter Langlitz Joe Langlitz
Linda Langlitz Sheryl Marquez Sundae Social
Alan Richardson
Kris Branam
Great Grow Out Team Dan Lawlor Teri Schwab Cheryl Sedivec Oops! Did you volunteer with us in August and don't see your name? If we missed listing your volunteer contribution for the month of August, please email info@katyprairie.org, and we'll be sure you make it into the next newsletter.
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Support KPC
Regular support is critical to our success. Preserving the Flat Out Wonderful Katy Prairiedepends on the support of people like you.
Give to the Katy Prairie today and help protect this
special place for all Texans. Please click the JustGive button to donate now or you can visit our website at www.katyprairie.org
to find out how you can support our land conservation efforts,
educational programming, permanent protection of the Warren Ranch, and preserve enhancement activities.
Do you like to shop? Do you buy your groceries at Kroger or Randalls? If you do, you can link your Kroger and Randalls cards to the Katy Prairie Conservancy. Every time you shop, a portion of the amount you spend will go to help provide educational programming 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. This is a one-time
request so that Randalls can donate to KPC each time you use your Randalls Remarkable Card.
 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 where you can donate, 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.
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Photo Credits
All photos were taken by KPC staff unless otherwise noted.
Texas coneflowers at Indiangrass Preserve and Indiangrass Preserve by Carolyn Fannon
Red-winged Harrier, Swainson's Hawk, Dickcissel, Scissor-tailed flycatcher by Greg Lavaty
NatureFest by Bridgeland, a part of General Growth Properties
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| The Katy Prairie Conservancy
3015 Richmond Avenue, Suite 230
Houston, TX 77098-3114
713.523.6135
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