The Katy Prairie Preserve IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK...

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The Katy Prairie is such a place, and the Katy Prairie Conservancy is working to keep it that way, for all of you, forever.

Imagine a place close by where families, hikers, birders, and nature lovers can enjoy a rich mosaic of natural wonders. Where shallow wetlands sustain huge flocks of birds, cypress-lined bayous shelter abundant wildlife, and fields of native grasses and wildflowers sway in the gentle Gulf breeze.

Just 12 miles north of downtown Katy, and about 45 miles west of downtown Houston, the Katy Prairie is part of a larger coastal prairie that originally encompassed 9 million acres of land along the coasts of Texas and Louisiana. This pristine paradise was a vast expanse of tall grasses, wildflowers, and wetlands. Today, the Katy Prairie is in danger of disappearing. Every 30 seconds America loses a football field of natural lands to roads, houses, pipelines, and other developments. Every year, Texas loses more farmland than any other state in the nation. Houston’s growth has resulted in the conversion of farms, fields, and prairies into strip malls, offices, parking lots, and proliferating suburbs, consuming thousands of acres of the coastal prairie, one of the most important and threatened ecosystems in North America. It is estimated that less than one percent of the coastal prairie remains, with another 15 to 20% in a degraded but restorable state. As the prairie goes, so too goes a rich Texas legacy of wildlife habitat, rice farming, cattle ranching, outdoor recreation, and native plants and animals.

century-old rice fields, shy bobcats prowl muddy bottomlands, and red-eared slider turtles lounge near fallen Cypress trunks. But the prairie is not just a home for wildlife. It is so much more. For our communities, coastal prairie conservation and restoration ensure healthier land, healthier watersheds, and healthier communities. Prairie grasses absorb and hold back floodwaters while also sequestering carbon. Lands kept in agriculture produce local food. Wetlands protect water quality and quantity. Adventure awaits on a walking trail or the wildlife viewing platform. Protecting coastal prairie now means current and future generations will always receive the benefits of these wideopen spaces. We are working with you to preserve these natural spaces because we care about people and wildlife, and the prairie benefits both.

Our VISION for the future is open spaces for all.

It’s the RIGHT prairie in the RIGHT place.

The Katy Prairie has been called an ecological treasure for good reason. It supports more than 300 species of migratory waterfowl, shore birds, and song birds, more than 100 species of mammals, amphibians, and reptiles, and nearly 700 species of grasses and wildflowers. Bald eagles soar above

The Katy Prairie Conservancy watches the prairie like a hawk. We have been acquiring land and conservation easements since 1997. As a nationally accredited 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and a trusted leader in local land conservation, the Katy Prairie Conservancy protects over 24,000 acres of coastal prairie in Texas, with nearly 18,500 of these protected acres being in the ecological heart of the Katy Prairie. We are also working to expand coastal prairie conservation into other Texas counties towards the coast. We know our region’s growth will continue, but we also know that if we work today to protect large, connected pieces of coastal prairie, future generations will thank us. The Katy Prairie Conservancy’s ultimate goal is to conserve as many sizable pieces of coastal prairie as we can. The Katy Prairie Preserve will form a regional “central park” for our growing population that provides access to nature, both for people and wildlife.

It’s our region’s own BACKYARD, and it’s getting smaller every day.

In addition to increasing protected coastal prairie lands, the Katy Prairie Conservancy is working to restore and enhance conserved lands, collaborate with other organizations to ensure a vibrant and resilient community, and connect the public with nature through public access, educational programming, and outreach.

Now you are probably thinking – how does the Katy Prairie Conservancy accomplish all this work? We certainly could not do it without the passionate and generous support of individuals like you. Every hour of volunteer work helps us advance restoration projects or host great events. Every donation made helps KPC preserve and enhance land and provide outdoor programming for children and adults. Every story shared gets the word out, so that more and more people hear about the work we are accomplishing together, and in turn they support our work, too.

If, as Jane Jacobs wrote, “big cities need real countryside close by,” the Katy Prairie is as real as it gets – a working landscape of farms and ranches intermingled with wildflowers, wetlands, and world-class wildlife habitat. Your help can ensure it stays that way.

To learn more, or to join this effort by volunteering, visiting, or donating, go to our website at katyprairie.org