PRAIRIE BUILDER SCHOOLS
A PROJECT OF
katyprairie.org
PRAIRIES ON YOUR CAMPUS + IN YOUR CL ASSROOM
WHAT IS A PRAIRIE BUILDER SCHOOL? The Katy Prairie Conservancy is fostering a prairie renaissance by supporting both on-theground restoration and in-classroom support.
The Katy Prairie Conservancy is committing significant resources and staff time to bring prairies to schools to develop curricular support. KPC continues to develop materials that use the prairie as a vehicle for genuine placebased multidisciplinary lessons.
To ensure the success of our mission to protect the Katy Prairie forever, we must engage a new generation of
Prairie Builder Schools enjoy a special relationship with the
conservationists and decision-makers who understand
Conservancy. They are eligible to receive help in developing
and are enthusiastic about prairies. We also believe that young people benefit from learning about the prairie's
and maintaining pocket prairies on their campuses. They gain access to a variety of online and biological artifacts, and can
rich history, biodiversity, and its role in shaping our region and culture. Equally important is an
partner with KPC education staff for educational lessons, assistance in designing interpretive signs, and more!
understanding of how precious and rare our remaining prairie is and how we can all become involved in its protection and renewal.
If your school has an interest in becoming a Prairie Builder School, please contact Jaime Gonzalez at jaime@katyprairie.org or call 281.660.6683
Experiencing the prairie first hand is a great way of sharing its striking beauty and learning about its biological, cultural, and economic significance. Yet,
HOME, HOME ON THE RANGE...
with tight budgets and rigorous testing schedules, many students from the Greater Houston area don't
At one time the majority of the Greater HoustonGalveston area was blanketed by the prairie.
have the opportunity to visit a prairie off campus. This is where the Katy Prairie Conservancy comes in. We recognize that having living, on-campus
The Katy Prairie was a wonderful, diverse part of this grassland wilderness.
prairie habitat can be extremely helpful in giving students much-needed field studies opportunities. It also gives them a real world experience with seasonal changes and service opportunities. In addition, it gives campus visitors, students and teachers a chance to see an
Greater Houston region
example of one Earth’s most endangered ecosystems - the prairie.
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RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO PRAIRIE BUILDER SCHOOLS 1
Assistance with creating pocket prairies KPC staff can assist schools in creating a pocket prairie on their campus and help develop a maintenance schedule as well. KPC staff will help you select seeds and plant material, advise on prairie location, and determine its size. We can even help students collect wild seeds and conduct plant rescues from nearby prairie sites to boost your habitat’s biodiversity. KPC can also help you in developing signage to tell your prairie’s story and assist you in meeting standards required for popular certification programs such as Monarch Waystation and NWF’s Wildlife Habitat program.
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At School Presentations KPC staff is available to do interactive, on-campus visits, and presentations for single or multiple groups. We offer 20-45 minutes lessons on: ★ Prairie basics ★ Prairies and history ★ Prairie biodiversity ★ Songs of the Prairie
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Coastal Prairie 101 Teacher Workshops KPC offers interactive workshops designed to encourage local educators to incorporate prairies into their lesson plans and campus. The cost of these interactive workshops is only $10/ teacher and can provide you team with ideas and ready-to-use lessons and resources
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RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO PRAIRIE BUILDER SCHOOLS 4
Online Resources KPC oers online educational resources such as the new Prairie101.org , a comprehensive educational resource for teaching about the ecology, geology, history, and culture importance of prairies. In addition KPC has created a Project Noah mission for our Prairie Builder Schools. Teachers and students can use this exciting app and web-based utility to photograph plants and animals in their prairie planting and get help identifying what you discover.
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The Great Grow Out Citizen-conservation project that enlists volunteers and students to grow plants at home or at school. Plant material helps to fuel pocket prairies and can be used to teach valuable lessons in plant propagation, seed collecting, plant selection, etc. Click here to see a video about the Great Grow Out!
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Prairie 101 Education Kits Educational kits that contain prairie lessons, biological specimens, literature, videos, sound recordings, and other resources to enable teachers to bring the prairie to life in their classrooms. Boxes are generously funded by the Houston Zoo’s Conservation Department. Available November 2012.
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