About our Prairie
As you drive by the front of Katy High School, you may have noticed some changes to the front of our campus. Katy High School, under the direction of the Katy Prairie Conservancy and the Wildlife Habitat Federation, is creating a native prairie ecosystem. This site, on the corner of Hwy 90 and 1463, will become an outdoor classroom for our students and our community! Before Katy became a growing and thriving suburban area, before Katy began rice farming and ranching, this area was a coastal prairie ecosystem. The beauty of the native Texas prairies will again be available for our whole community to enjoy. For our students, they will have real experiences in our Katy prairie allowing their textbooks to come alive and have real world, hands-on meaning. This process will take time, but our kids will be a part of it every step of the way.
On Monday, September 24th, 2018, disking and planting with a cover crop took place targeted at improving the nutrient and microbial content in the soil. In the spring, we hope to begin planting the native prairie species.
This process would not be possible without the generous donations by the Black Bear Diner and the Turner Seed Company. They have fully funded this project for us and made a commitment to help make our prairie possible!
We encourage all of our students, their families and our community to watch for upcoming changes and enjoy this journey with us.
On Monday, September 24th, 2018, disking and planting with a cover crop took place targeted at improving the nutrient and microbial content in the soil. In the spring, we hope to begin planting the native prairie species.
This process would not be possible without the generous donations by the Black Bear Diner and the Turner Seed Company. They have fully funded this project for us and made a commitment to help make our prairie possible!
We encourage all of our students, their families and our community to watch for upcoming changes and enjoy this journey with us.
Why a prairie?
Although Katy is currently a thriving suburban community, the landscape looked much different 10,000 years ago. Most of the gulf coast once thrived as a diverse, species-rich prairie; tall grasses, flowers, birds and insects once flourished where Katy High School stands today. As densely populated urban areas continue to expand, greenspaces are quickly disappearing from our community, and native plant species are being replaced with exotic and invasive varieties; in turn, we are removing natural buffers that can combat the effects of climate change, while also fragmenting critical wildlife habitats.
In August of 2017, the Greater Houston area was hit by Hurricane Harvey, a catastrophic flooding event. Many areas received 40" or more of rain; rising flood waters had nowhere to go in a city covered in concrete (a barrier to natural infiltration), causing over $125 billion in damage, and inundating hundreds of thousands of homes. More than 30,000 people were displaced.
In 2018, Katy High School responded by kicking-off a project that will restore an acre of public campus property to native Texas Gulf Coast prairie. The prairie will ultimately contain 30-50 different native plant species, serving as an outdoor classroom for students, and a greenspace for community outreach; it will also act as a natural retention area for future flooding events. These mini-ecosystems can potentially mitigate billions of dollars in flood damages while conserving precious habitats for native species. It is our hope that the Tiger Prairie will serve as a model of conservation best-practices, helping our community reap the many benefits gained by restoring native greenspaces in urban communities!
In August of 2017, the Greater Houston area was hit by Hurricane Harvey, a catastrophic flooding event. Many areas received 40" or more of rain; rising flood waters had nowhere to go in a city covered in concrete (a barrier to natural infiltration), causing over $125 billion in damage, and inundating hundreds of thousands of homes. More than 30,000 people were displaced.
In 2018, Katy High School responded by kicking-off a project that will restore an acre of public campus property to native Texas Gulf Coast prairie. The prairie will ultimately contain 30-50 different native plant species, serving as an outdoor classroom for students, and a greenspace for community outreach; it will also act as a natural retention area for future flooding events. These mini-ecosystems can potentially mitigate billions of dollars in flood damages while conserving precious habitats for native species. It is our hope that the Tiger Prairie will serve as a model of conservation best-practices, helping our community reap the many benefits gained by restoring native greenspaces in urban communities!
To build a prairie...
Restoring the land to native Texas prairie is a process of patience! Here is a summary of the steps needed to replenish the soil and reseed the area with native species:
Restoring the land to native Texas prairie is a process of patience! Here is a summary of the steps needed to replenish the soil and reseed the area with native species:
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Site Before Treatment Site After Herbicide Treatment Site After Cover Crops native texas prairie
Prairie Podcasts: Click to Learn more about our prairie
Springtime on the Tiger Prairie
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History of the Tiger Prairie
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Challenges and Opportunities on the Tiger Prairie
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For questions or comments about our prairie, please contact:
Dr. Rhonda Burrough rhondalburrough@katyisd.org
Kelly Knight kellymknight@katyisd.org
Dr. Rhonda Burrough rhondalburrough@katyisd.org
Kelly Knight kellymknight@katyisd.org
