For Prairie news, Click HERE!www.tigerprairie.org/prairie-news

About the prairie

Latest update!!!  On Thursday, March 28th, Katy ISD maintenance terminated the Tiger Prairie's first cover crop; don't be alarmed when you drive by and see dead or dying vegetation...this is a normal and healthy part of the prairie restoration process!  More recently, on Friday, April 12th,  the second round of cover crops were planted.  This new seed mix contains more peas and millet to restore crucial nitrogen content, acing as a natural fertilizer, while also helping to crowd-out other invasive species; this means that in the fall, when our native prarie plants go in, our new seedlings won’t face so much competition! Already we are seeing amazing changes in the soil: its texture has transformed from hard and compact, to soft and porous. The microbial count has also increased, and Earth worm casings are visible nearly evreywhere!  We are so excited to see all of the progress and share this amazing journey with the community...the Tiger Prairie reclamation is in full swing!

On Friday, April 12th, the second restorative cover crop went in at the Tiger Prairie.

Jim Willis of the Wildlife Habitat Federation shows the variety of seeds included in the second (and final) cover crop mix.

Conservation

Our prairie helps conserve native Texas plant and animal species, including important pollinators like the endangered honey bees.  

Education

The Tiger Prairie serves as a hands-on, real-world outdoor classroom for our students!  It is the ideal place for students to learn about biology, environmental science, agronomy and more!  Art and photography students will have a source for inspiration, just footsteps from the classroom door!

Community

The Tiger Prairie is not just for Katy High School students, but for the entire Katy community.  We want residents to wander in, sit for a while, and enjoy the beauty of a native Texas prairie!  We encourage visitors and feel that community outreach is a vital part of our prairie's success.

“I was born upon the prairie where the wind blew free and there was nothing to break the light of the sun. I was born where there were no enclosures and where everything drew a free breath. I want to die there, not within walls.”
―  Para-Wa-Samen (Ten Bears) Comanche Nation

OUR GOAL

To create native Texas greenspaces in our community.
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First Let's

Discover

 Katy High School is partnering with the Katy Prairie Conservancy, the Wildlife Habitat Federation, Turner Seed Company, Black Bear Diner, and Keep Katy Beautiful to restore the 1 acre site in the front of our school to a native Texas prairie.  This site will serve two purposes.  One, it will become an active outdoor classroom for Katy High School and other educators in the district.  We plan on having trails, benches, and seating for our learners out at the site.  We encourage folks to wander in for a chance to enjoy the scenery, or to do a study of the biology, management, and conservation advantages of the site;  visitors  are welcome any time!  Second, this will be a place where the community can come and enjoy the flora and fauna! ​

Now let's WORK

Conserve

Our bee keeping club will keep our native plants healthy through year-round pollination, and there will be many opportunities for schools in the area to help with the planting and prairie maintenance.   We will be restoring this area to what it looked like thousands of years ago.  Right now, the prairie is in its early stages, with a cover crop in place to help replenish the soil: it might look a little strange, but when you walk out there, and see what nature is doing, its beautiful!  As Jim Willis from the Wildlife Habitat Federation always tells us, "be patient and enjoy the process"!

IT'S UP TO US

Change

Native prairie plants have extensive root systems, which make them both drought-resistant, while serving as critical buffers against flooding.   Our hope is that other neighborhoods and organizations will also use these plants in their landscaping.   Tiger prairie is a place for all to use, to learn from, and to enjoy;  we are excited to invite the community into this space, and to be an active part of the prairie's transformation (stay tuned for upcoming events) !  Our school is full of tradition and a strong association with all things Katy.  The Tiger Prairie is another part of our story. I hope you enjoy this journey with us.

The Tiger Prairie is made possible by the generous donations from the following sponsors: