M E E T I N G THE NEED FOR
Mottled Ducks
COMMUNITY EDUCATION ABOUT THE FLAT OUT WONDERFUL KATY PR AIRIE Prepared by
June 2012
Jaime Gonzalez, M.Ed., Katy Prairie Conservancy
The Katy Prairie offers a wide variety of educational experiences.
WHAT IS KPC’S INSIDE - OUTSIDE GAME?
sketch of Buffalo Bayou Master Plan
Katy Prairie Conservancy’s community education goals are predicated on three strategies (1) Educate people about Katy Prairie (2) Elevate the status of prairies and (3) Create and strengthen strategic partnerships What is Community Education?
Today, KPC is working to produce and deliver
Community Education entails seeing everyone
top-quality programming {such as Summer
that comes in contact with the Katy Prairie as a potential student and in some cases as a teacher. Therefore we teach school children but also consider board members, KPC staff, volunteers, our partners, and our preserve tenants as members of a learning community. Our goal is always to get the best teachers in
Science Nights} to visitors on the prairie. We offer a full-slate of activities throughout the year for children and adults. This is what we call our inside game We also recognize that we are a part of a larger environmental community and that our goals
front of our students regardless of title.
and aspirations are partially dependent on the
What is KPC’s Inside/Outside Game?
with many environmental institutions, in a time
To be optimally successful Katy Prairie Conservancy will have to connect people to the land through traditional programming like hikes but will also have to cultivate new advocates through it’s online presence and its strategic partnerships.
health of this community. KPC is partnering of tight budgets, to reach larger collaborative goals while incurring less cost for KPC. We are also working to strengthen communication and capacity among our colleagues to elevate prairies in the consciousness of the general public and to make information sharing much easier. It helps our partners while making us stronger. This is our outside game.
[1]
Katy Prairie Preserves
KPC “INSIDE” GAME PROGRAMS + VOLUNTEER INITIATIVES
Legend EXISTING PROGRAMMING
PROGRAMMING ON THE KATY PRAIRIE PRESERVES
FUTURE PROGRAMMING WITH MORE STAFF + FACILITIES
PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN + FAMILIES
PROGRAMS FOR SCOUTS + TEENS
ADULT PROGRAMMING
VOLUNTEERING PROGRAM
COLLEGIATE PROGRAMMING
SUMMER SCIENCE NIGHTS {AGES 5-10}
EAGLE SCOUT PROJECTS {AGES 14-18}
WILD WEST TOURS
RANGER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
UNIVERSITY FIELD TRIPS FROM A&M, UH, LONE STAR COLLEGE
WINTER CMP {AGES 5-10}
SCOUT TOURS BY APPOINTMENT {AGES 6-18}
UNPLUGGED ADVENTURES
RANGER RAMBLES {FIELD TRIPS}
UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
UNPLUGGED ADVENTURES
YOUTH WATERFOWL HUNTING {WESLEY NEWMAN}
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES {NURSERY, ETC]
TEXAS MASTER NATURALIST LECTURES
STORY HOUR FOR TODDLERS {AGES 3-5}
UNPLUGGED ADVENTURES
INTRODUCTION TO BIRDING CLASSES
TEXAS MASTER NATURALIST FIELD TRIPS
BIRTHDAY PARTIES {AGES 4-12}
SCHOOL YEAR PROGRAMMING WITH YES PREP, ETC.
ECONNECTIONS CLASSES {LECTURES}
OVERNIGHT SCOUTING {AGES 11-18}
BOY SCOUT AND GIRL SCOUT WORKSHOPS
PERIODIC DINNERS
FULLY-FLEGED SCHOOL PROGRAM {AGES 5-18}
MORE ROAD TRIPS TO LOCAL SUBDIVISIONS {FAMILIES}
[2]
KPC “INSIDE” GAME ONLINE RESOURCES
Legend EXISTING PROGRAMMING
ONLINE RESOURCES
KPC WEBSITE
OTHER WEBSITES
EVENTS
PRAIRIE101.ORG COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATORS’ WEBSITE
FUTURE PROGRAMMING WITH MORE STAFF + FACILITIES
SOCIAL MEDIA + COMMUNICATIONS
INTRA-STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
KATYPRAIRIE.ORG
VIMEO + YOUTUBE CHANNELS
CONSTANT CONTACT NEWSLETTERS
INFORMATION ABOUT KPC
FACEBOOK.COM
PRESS RELEASES
SKYPE VIDEO CONFERENCING
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
CALENDAR UPDATES
ROLL CALL TELECONFERENCING
DIRECTIONS
ISSUE.COM
CONSERVATION INFO AND OPPORTUNITIES
PINTTREST.COM {IN DEVELOPMENT}
DONATION OPPORTUNITIES
KPC NEWS AND NEWSLETTERS
A MORE ROBUST VOLUNTEER EDUCATION SECTION
[3]
SHARED GOOGLE CALENDAR
STAFF MEETINGS
KPC “OUTSIDE” GAME STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS + OUTREACH
Legend EXISTING PROGRAMMING
KPC STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND OUTREACH
GET OUTDOORS MOVEMENT
PARTNERSHIPS WITH PRAIRIE COMMUNITY
OUTREACH TO SCHOOLS
COFOUNDED GREEN 13 GROUP
COFOUNDED COASTAL PRAIRIE PARTNERSHIP
AT SCHOOL PROGRAMMING
KPC SERVES ON STATE COMMITTEE FOR TEXAS CHILDREN IN NATURE
GET OUTDOORS WEBSITE INITIATIVE
BIOCITY INSTITUTE FOR EE EXCELLENCE
CO-TEACHING PRAIRIE WORKSHOPS
DEVELOPED GREAT GROW OUT INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL
PRAIRIE 101 INITIATIVE
PRAIRIE BUILDERS SCHOOLS
DEVELOPED PRAIRIE101.ORG WITH ASSISTANCE FROM OTHER GROUPS
PRAIRIE 101TEACHER WORKSHOPS
SIGNATURE SPONSOR OF ANNUAL STATE OF THE PRAIRIE CONFERENCE
ROAD TRIPS TO LOCAL SUBDIVISIONS {CROSS CRREK RANCH, BRIDGELAND, ETC.}
BUILDING ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY
TRAILHEAD INITIATIVE TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS
PROGRAMS AT LOCAL LIBRARIES
PROGRAMS FOR GARDEN CLUBS META-WEBSITE CONCEPT
GREAT GROW OUT
JOINT RESEARCH WITH WILDFLOWER CENTER ON LAWN ALTERNATIVES
OUTREACH TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES
GET OUTDOORS WEBSITE INITIATIVE CAMPAIGN
JOINT SEED COLLECTIVE INITIATIVE FOR UPPER TEXAS COAST
BUILDING POCKET PRAIRIES IN HOUSTON {HERMANN PARK, MEDICAL CENTER, BUFFALO BAYOU}
FUTURE PROGRAMMING WITH MORE STAFF + FACILITIES
TRAVELING PRAIRIE EXHIBIT
PRAIRIE 101WORKSHOPS
PRAIRIE 101 EDUCATION KITS
[4]
LECTURES AT LOCAL UNIVERSITIES
NEWSPAPER EDITORIALS AND
What’s in it for KPC? COLLABORATIVE BENEFITS OF KPC’S OUTSIDE GAME BY INITIATIVE TEXAS CHILDREN IN NATURE
1. Help foster an appreciation for
clubs, civic organizations, etc. lectures all
In 2010 Jaime González was appointed by
outdoor recreation making the Katy
across the Greater Houston area.
Carter Smith to the state-wide Texas
Prairie a more desirable destination
BENEFIT: By working with this effort KPC
Partnership for Children in Nature which
for people in the Houston area.
is able to:
resulted in a collaborative campaign to get
2. The Get Outdoors website will have
more people outdoors throughout the Lone
heavy traffic and this will mean
Star State. This includes the creation of
increased visibility of KPC in an
local regional collaboratives including The
increasingly crowded online world;
Green 13 which is our local collaborative.
helps us cut through the clutter.
Jaime continues to serve as a leader in this movement. BENEFIT: By working with this effort KPC is able to:
3. The website will provide connection to KPC events and programs. 4. The Trailhead will get most
1. Raise the Katy Prairie’s profile in the local community 2. Serve as actively engaged and relevant neighbors STRENGTHENING THE PRAIRIE COMMUNITY KPC has always worked collaboratively with others in the prairie community but
environmental/sustainability groups
has steadily increased this critical work in
on a common calendar ensuring a
the last five years. KPC believes that
potential funding sources) with
quicker, smarter way of sharing and
strengthening the prairie community and
sectors that we have not reached
amalgamating information.
working with others in the community to
1. Create new partnerships (and
out to historically such as the health
increase the coastal prairie’s visibility (and BIOCITY INSTITUTE
acceptance) provides both immediate and
One of the major roadblocks for teaching
long-term benefits for KPC.
larger initiatives at the fraction of the
about local ecosystems like the Katy
BENEFIT: By working with this effort KPC
cost for KPC going it alone.
Prairie is the availability of locally
is able to:
community. 2. Collaborate with others to create
3. Garner positive public perception
appropriate curricular products. The
by being a leader in a movement to
BioCity Institute will harness resources and
improve the health of children and
teaching skill from over 60 different
families.
institutions to produce a clearinghouse
4. Help foster a community that is
1. Help develop new sources of prairie plant material which are vital to the restoration of its preserve system. 2. Help connect KPC to new sources
website and teaching-mentoring program.
of funding including potential
actively engaged in the outdoors
BENEFIT: By working with this effort KPC
entrepreneurial ventures such as
and therefore more likely to be
is able to:
native seed production.
involved in protecting the natural spaces like the Katy Prairie.
1. In essence increase its educational
3. Connect with free or discounted
staffing without additional cost.
services such as seed-drilling
2. Ally KPC with larger more publicly
services, video production services,
GET OUTDOORS INITIATIVE
visible institutions; we can hitch our
etc. In the end KPC gets the
KPC spurred the development and
public relations efforts to folks like
equivalent of more staffing without
direction of an executive committee
the Zoo who have massive e-mail
comprised of a diverse set of
lists and easy access to the media.
environmental, business, health, and
significant new costs 4. Help raise the value of prairies in the minds of the general public and
recreational experts whose mission is to
ROAD TRIPS TO LOCAL
funders. We are looking to create a
create a comprehensive get outdoors
SUBDIVISIONS AND TALKS AT LIBRARIES
positive public image of prairies
campaign for the 13-county Houston-
KPC is now offering local subdivisions on-
throughout the region which should
Galveston Area Council’s service area.
site field trips {we call these Road Trips).
lead to a clearer path for raising
BENEFIT: By working with this effort KPC
We also continue to offer libraries, garden
funds, etc.
is able to:
Green Anole
[5]