A KPC citizen-conservation project for schools, scouts, garden clubs, churches, families, and individuals.
WANT TO SAVE THE PLANET? START AT HOME! A KPC citizen-conservation project for schools, scouts, garden clubs, churches, families, and individuals. Why is the Great Grow Out needed?
Volunteers are also highly encouraged to
Animals need plants - but not just any
keep some plants for their own use - hey,
plants. Our native wildlife does best when
it's part of the fun!
given plants that they’ve been in partnerships with for thousands of years -
KPC provides volunteers with the seeds
native plants. The best way of helping
and the know how; volunteer growers
wildlife then is to make sure that there are plenty of native grasses,
provide the water, soil, I’m a
pots, and time.
Monarch...
wildflowers, trees, and
How can you get
shrubs around for them
involved?
to eat, get much needed
(1) Volunteers first visit
water, and find shelter.
page and select which
...and I need Prairie Blazing Star! Photos by Carolyn Fannon
home improvement
the Great Grow Out
Along the way they stop to feed on the nectar of flowers and lay eggs on milkweed plants. Their bright orange color warns birds and other predators that they are poisonous!
Unfortunately, few native plants are sold at local
AMAZING MIGRATOR Monarch butterflies are amazing animals. Each year they travel (migrate), over several generations, thousands of miles between their winter home in Mexico and their summer homes in the United States and Canada.
stores and that’s where you come in! Great Grow
ABOUT PRAIRIE BLAZING STAR OR LIATRIS Flying takes a lot of energy! Whether you are a monarch, a swallowtail butterfly, a bee, SEEDS or a hummingbird you need flowers that provide high amounts of sugars. Fortunately blazing stars (also known as Liatris) provide rich nectar which is high in sugar. The beautiful purple flowers make this prairie native easy to spot for prairie insects and make a very enjoyable flower for gardens and as cut flowers.
Out volunteers grow and nurture native plants at their homes so that they can be used in restoration projects on the Katy Prairie, at local pocket prariies, and even at schools who are enrolled in our Prairie Builders School initiative. You
seeds they would like to grow based on the appearance of the plant and which animal(s) uses the plant. (2) Seeds are sent to
growers by Jaime Gonzålez (3) Volunteers use online instructions to grow out the plants (4) Several months later plants are returned to KPC for planting.
decide which location you want to grow for.
A PROJECT OF
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HOME ON THE RANGE At one time the majority of the Greater Houston-Galveston area was blanketed by the prairie. The Katy Prairie was a wonderful diverse part of this grassland wilderness.
A Year-round Activity Collect Seeds Volunteers collect seeds in late summer through fall at local prairies.
1 Volunteers are invited to
Seed Packing Pizza Parties
participate in a big planting
KPC organizes a series of seed
day on a KPC preserve,
packing pizza parties (gotta
Planting Day!
have food!) where we
public park, or local school.
6
2
typically pack 2,000 seed packets per party.
Return Plants Volunteers return plants to KPC once the roots of their plants are starting to
5
3
Distribute Seeds Volunteer growers
poke out of their
request seeds for growing
4� pots or 1 gallon
at home by contacting Jaime
pots.
GonzĂĽlez. Seeds are distributed from March - September.
4 Grow Seeds at Home or School Volunteers grow plants at home or at school for several months using online instructions.
DID YOU KNOW? The Katy Prairie Conservancy has protected nearly 18,000 acres of prairie lands since 1996!
katyprairie.org/ggo.html [2]