Houston’s Heartland: The Coastal Prairie Challenges and Promise Jaime Gonzålez, Community education Manager, KPC
Coastal Prairies: Houston’s Heartland
about katy prairie conservancy and the katy prairie
Protected Properties on the Katy Prairie
Jack Rd. North
290
Warren Ranch Jack Rd. South
JACK ROAD
Katy Prairie
CY
PR
ESS
CREEK
HOUSE & HAHL ROAD
Hebert
Warren Ranch So.
Cypress Creek Preserve
SHARP ROAD
Buller South
PAT T I S O N R O A D
Nelson Farms SHARP ROAD
Mary Manor
MORRISON ROAD
NORTH FM 2855
FM 362
FM 529
FM 529
KPC Owned
K AT Y- H O C K L E Y R O A D
Buller/Bing
Indiangrass
HEBERT ROAD
Other Protected Lands
Coastal Prairies: Houston’s Heartland about cpp
CoastalPrairiePartnership.org
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What is a Prairie? A Landscape Lexicon
Activity 1
Dry Wet Cold Hot Warm Shrubby Flat Rolling Colorful Drab Reptiles
Which of the following terms can be used to accurately describe prairies? Circle all words and concepts that apply Worldwide Sunny Shaded Tick-free Windy Not breezy Humid Arid Varied Monotonous Birds
Snake infested Sunny Ant infested Young ecosystem Ancient ecosystem Fire dependent Fire independent Common Squirrels Mice Amphibians
Where is here? History of the prairie in our area
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HoustonVoices on first impression from the Past
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Where is Here? It’s Part of an Ancient System
Forest-Savannah-Prairie Gradients From the Tallgrass Restoration Handbook
WHERE IS HERE? THE PRAIRIE: SAM HOUSTON’S SECRET
The grassland that help win Texas. The tallgrass prairie, which was “as tall as a horse’s belly”, found at San Jacinto allowed the Texians to sneak up on the unsuspecting Mexican Army at San Jacinto
WHERE IS HERE? IT STARTED WITH THE SOIL
WHERE IS HERE? RANCHING THE HEARTLAND
Black cowboys on Galveston Island - 1870s
Warren Ranch - 1920s
Pre-Civil War Cattle Trail
Post-Civil War Cattle Trail (Chisholm)
WHERE IS HERE? FARMING THE HEARTLAND
Bringing in the Harvest in Wharton County- Early 1900s
Pearland 1920
League City 1920s
Seabrook 1907
WHERE IS HERE? THE WIDESPREAD HEARTLAND
Rice University circa 1916
Tomball at six months
Arkansas Yucca Yucca arkansana Photo by Roseanne Romero
Katy 1912
Tanglewood 1950’s
Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus Photo by Greg Lavaty
Prairies are Diverse Ecology, Geology, and Biodiversity
Prairie Distribution A Meteorological Explanation
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Prairies are diverse North American Prairie Types
Short-grass Prairie - Colorado
Tallgrass Prairie - Kansas
Mixed-grass Prairie - Canada
Tallgrass Prairies – grows 8 feet ; receive between 28-56”of rain annually Mixed Grass – grows to be 2 to 3 feet ; receive 20-28” rain annually 16 10-20” annually Short Grass Prairie – grows up to 2 feet ; receive between
Prairies are diverse They are Dominated by Grass
Big Bluestem Photo by Jaime Gonzalez
Yellow Indiangrass Photo by Carolyn Fannon
Switchgrass Photo by Carolyn Fannon
Little Bluestem Photo by Carolyn Fannon
Prairies are diverse They are Showy and Varied Prairies are home to over five hundred different species of wildflowers The Coastal Prairie is dominated by members of the Sunflower, Pea, Parsley, Families and others.
Rattlesnake Master Photo by Larry Allain
Swamp Sunflowers
Texas Coneflower
Indian Plantain
Photo by Carolyn Fannon
Photo by Lisa Spangler
Photo by Carolyn Fannon
prairies are Diverse & Maybe not what you think They are very deep A Tale of Three Flowers
Yellow Star Grass Blooms: Spring Height: up to 8”
Drawing from www.nativeamericanseed.com
• Layers – Root zone – Herbaceous Zone – Ground Zone • Seasonality is important to this system
Candy Donahue explains roots
Texas Coneflower Blooms: Summer Height: Up to 5’ tall
Swamp Sunflower Blooms: Fall Height: Up to 10’ tall
prairies are Diverse & Maybe not what you think They are Wet!
prairies are Diverse & Maybe not what you think They are Wet!
Copepods: Eggs are easy to see www.daphnia.webplatez.com
Dragonfly nymph: Tiny terror farm2.static.flickr.com
Cajun Chorus Frog USGS Photo
The term "pothole" is used up and down the coast to refer rather loosely to any freshwater depression. The difference between a pothole and a marsh is mostly size - marshes occur in larger and generally less welldefined depressions than potholes.
prairies are Diverse & Maybe not what you think The term "pimple mound" is used to refer to small circular, sandy mounds that are from 2m-20 m in size. They are home to some of the most endangered and plants of the Coastal Prairie.
They are not completely Flat
Camphor Daisy www.nbii.gov
22 Texas Windmill Grass Center for Plant Conservation
prairies are Diverse & Maybe not what you think They sometimes have odd geology
Wesley Newman, KPC 23
prairies are Diverse & Maybe not what you think They depend on fire! Red Buffalo: Fire is essential
Prescribed burns mimic nature fires
Natural fires were often started by lightening strikes. Many were set by American Indians
prairies are Diverse & Maybe not what you think ...and Grazers Medium and Small Grazing Animals
Vertebrates are sometimes opportunistic, sometimes omnipresent
Invertebrates can have a profound effect
Prairie Nutrient Cycles The Grazing Cycle Activity 2
prairies are for the Birds { & butterflies, frogs,...} Bursting with sound
Northern Bobwhite
The Giving Grass The Prairie’s Ecosystem services
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The Giving Grass What coastal prairies still do for us today
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Passive recreation like birdwatching, horseback riding, etc.
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Hunting - waterfowl, upland game birds
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Ranching & Farming
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Carbon sequestration
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Biofuels of the future?
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The Giving Grass What coastal prairies still do for us today The Historic Boundaries of the Katy Prairie
Water filtered by prairies result in rivers with a 90% reduction in bacteria!
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Monarch Butterfly
Paradise lost?
Decline of the Houston’s Heartland
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PARADISE LOST? OUR VANISHING HEARTLAND
Paradise Lost? Chines Tallow | Prairie Scourge
Dr. Evan Siemann, Rice University
★Habitat Conversion ★Invasive Species ★Urban Sprawl ★Loss of Genetic Diversity
Paradise Lost? Our vanishing heartland
HARRIS COUNTY
FM
FM
WA L L E R C O U N T Y
FM
Proposed
KATY Historic Limits of the Katy Prairie Protected Properties Public Ownership Developed Area
HOUSTON
BARKER RESERVOIR
ADDICKS RESERVOIR
2010
Pickerelweed
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WHERE IS HERE? THE VANISHING HEARTLAND
Where is here? Ghosts of the Prairie
Paradise Lost? Prairie birds take a dive Many grassland birds are in steep decline
77%
82%
71%
return of the natives Texans working to restore the prairie
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Return of the Natives Texans conserving & restoring their heartland Barrens Silky Aster
Challenges in conservation What we are doing ★ Purchasing land ★ Plant rescues ★ Joint nursery initiatives ★ Exotic species control
Return of the Natives NEW TOOLS: HIGHLY VISIBLE PRAIRIE RESTORATION SITES
Project Blazing Star Looking across the flat prairie, Mrs. Palmer Hutcheson chose the lot on North Boulevard that had a single huiscahe tree growing on it. This huisache tree had always been used to tie up horses by the young men riding out from town to shoot prairie chickens. -Marguerite Johnston From Houston: The Unknown City - 1836 - 1946
Return of the Natives
Texans conserving & restoring their heartland
Return of the Natives HIGHLY VISIBLE PRAIRIE RESTORATION SITES
Return of the Natives HIGHLY VISIBLE PRAIRIE RESTORATION SITES
Knot-root Bristlegrass Setaria geniculata Photo by Carolyn Fannon
Return of the Natives INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES
I’m a
Monarch...
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. 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!
...and I need Prairie Blazing Star! Photos by Carolyn Fannon
The Handbook In 2010 we launched this new online resource for volunteer seed growers.Videos feature Tom Solomon.
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.
Return of the Natives A Growing Movement
What is the Great Grow Out? The Great Grow Out is a citizen-conservation program that relies on garden clubs, Texas Master Naturalists, Scouts, civic organizations, schools and other citizens to grow out prairie plants for prairie restoration
2010 results ★ Over 300 volunteer growers for KPC / Hermann Park ★ Approximately 4000 plants grown ★ Over 2000 plants planted already
2011 Goals ★ Over 400 volunteer growers for KPC / Hermann Park ★ Approximately 6000 plants to be grown ★ 8 public and private schools to participate ★ Even more involvement from garden clubs Rough Coneflower
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Return of the Natives FINDING PROPERTY & SEED SOURCES
Return of the Natives TEACHING THE PRAIRIE
Prairie C o a s t a l
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★
Heartland H o u s t o n ’ s
Place-based prairie lessons needed for both formal and informal educators ★ Must use technology smartly! ★ Teacher workshops begin September 10 We need to develop historical-culturalbiological storyline(s) to “justify” the prairie
Coastal Prairie 101 has launched!
Return of the Natives
Texans conserving & restoring their heartland
3rd
ANNUAL
of State Prairie THE C O N 3FrdE R E N C E ANNUAL The Garden Club of Houston
NOV. 18-19, 2011• H O U S T O N , T E X A S
This Year’s Speakers SPEAKERS
BUILDING PRAIRIES:
! Doug Ladd, Nature Conservancy of Missouri - National prairie expert ! Bill Neiman, Owner -Native American Seed Company ! Emily Manderson, LBJ Wildflower Center - Urban landscaping with prairie grasses and wildflowers ! Miles Phillips, Texas A&M Ecotourism opportunities for prairie owners ! Clifford Carter, Ranching consultant Prairies and cattle production ! Greg Green, Ducks Unlimited Building prairie wetlands for waterfowl and wildlife ! and many more great speakers...
FROM YOUR BACKYARD TO THE BACK 40
Workshops, lectures, and field experiences for ranchers, restorationists, educators, and individuals working to build prairies for wildlife, cattle, ecotourism, and urban and suburban environments.
CO-HOSTED BY
GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY
Bluestem Environmental Consultants Generous Individual Supporters
Registration and Full Conference Details @ www.CoastalPrairiePartnership.org
PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS
Return of the Natives
seeing the prairie in new ways
Please put on your 3D glasses
HELPING THE HEARTLAND WHAT YOU CAN DO
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★ ★ ★
Attend this year’s prairie conference or go to the website Grow plants for the Great Grow Out Donate to a local prairie group Tell folks about the prairie
Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii Photo by Carolyn Fannon
What is a Prairie? A Landscape Lexicon
Activity 1
Dry Wet Cold Hot Warm Shrubby Flat Rolling Colorful Drab Reptiles
Which of the following terms can be used to accurately describe prairies? Circle all words and concepts that apply Worldwide Sunny Shaded Tick-free Windy Not breezy Humid Arid Varied Monotonous Birds
Snake infested Sunny Ant infested Young ecosystem Ancient ecosystem Fire dependent Fire independent Common Squirrels Mice Amphibians