Dear Coastal,

We hope you'll join us for volunteer opportunities on the prairie in the coming weeks, including our August 10th Webinar on Gulf Coast Invasive Species and Stewardship Saturday and Ranger Trek on August 12th.

July/August Volunteer Opportunities are included below. Please email me with any questions, and let me know if you'd like to setup a one-on-one volunteer orientation to get started with us. We can schedule these on Tuesdays, Fridays, or Saturdays.

Our next Volunteer Orientation is scheduled for September 23, 10 AM - 1 PM. Register today! Please note: Orientations are not required to volunteer! We encourage long-term volunteers to complete an orientation within their first year of volunteering.

See you soon on the prairie,

Bethany Foshée

Stewardship & Outreach Director

In Town: 9 Natives Garden at HMNS

Volunteer Spotlight: Alyssa Heikkila & the SCA

We'd like to thank our student intern, Alyssa Heikkila, for spending her summer with us on the Katy Prairie. Alyssa is studying Environmental Studies and Horticulture at Texas A&M. She's been a wonderful addition to our team this summer!

We'd also like to thank the Student Conservation Association. Their high school conservation crew has been hard at work this week on the new out-and-back trail overlooking the Hebert Reservoir. Check out the new trail next time you visit the Katy Prairie!

Volunteer Training Opportunities

Several engaging trainings are coming up soon. Email Bethany for more information.

• Battling Invasive Species on the Gulf Coast - Texas Invasive Species Institute Partnership Webinar - August 10th, 12 PM to 1:30 PM - Registration is now live.

• Fall Volunteer Orientation - September 23, 10 AM - 1 PM at Indiangrass Preserve.

Docents on the Prairie:

Outreach Volunteer Opportunities

From hosting outreach booths to guiding preserve field trips, we are seeking volunteer docents who would like to help educate and inspire others to care for our coastal prairies. Email Bethany if you’d like to assist with any of the programs below and to join our Docent/Outreach Volunteer Group where you'll have access to the full calendar of outreach opportunities. Training and materials are provided.

• 5 Star Montessori Summer Camp Field Trip - 2 Leaders Needed - Tuesday, July 25th, 10 AM to 12 PM
• Maud Marks Library - Volunteer Fair Booth Host Needed - August 5th, 10 AM to 2 PM
• Houston Museum of Natural Science Field Trip - 2 Leaders Needed - Saturday, August 26th, 10 AM to 12 PM

Katy Prairie Preserve Stewards

Every Tuesday and Friday

9 AM to 1 PM

Help us care for the Katy Prairie Preserve! If you join us as a preserve steward, you will join others in helping improve and care for the prairie every Tuesday and Friday. Volunteers like you maintain the hiking paths, plant native wildflowers and grasses, remove invasive species, build and repair preserve improvements, and ensure the safety of the preserve for visitors of all ages.

• Where: Based at Indiangrass Preserve (31975 Hebert Road) with additional work at other preserves.
• Who: All individuals are welcome to participate - no experience necessary.
• Physical Requirements: Bending, kneeling, or sitting on the ground; some light lifting.
• What to Wear: Closed-toe shoes, tall socks, long pants, long-sleeved shirt, and hat.
• What to Bring: Packed lunch or snacks, reusable water bottle, and work gloves (gloves are available to borrow). All other tools are provided.



Email Bethany to join our Tuesday/Friday Volunteer Group.

Stewardship Saturdays

Second Saturday of Each Month

9 to 11 AM

Are you looking for a way to get your hands dirty on the prairie? Join us for a Stewardship Saturday! We welcome corporate groups, service organizations, families, and individuals on the second Saturday of each month. More information here.

A special THANK YOU to our to our friends at Cox Automotive/Manheim for volunteering on the 15th and to our July 8th volunteers for braving the heat with us!

Seed Collecting and Great Grow Out

Thank you to our new and returning Great Grow Out volunteers! We'd like to extend a special shout out to some of our GGO Superstars - Sara Allen and her family pictured above. They dropped off almost forty Seaside Goldenrod this past week!

We are now in summer growing season, and we welcome Great Grow Out volunteers who will grow prairie plants from the comfort of their own homes for restoration projects in our region. Seed packed for our 2023 Great Grow Out is available. We are happy to meet with you and give you all the materials needed to get growing. We are hosting our next Great Grow Out workshop on September 26th at John Paul Landing Park. Registration will be announced soon. We provide seed, soil, germination trays, and hands-on instruction at these workshops.

Join us for our next Seed Collecting Trip of the summer! We will be at Rock Hollow Prairie at the Warren Ranch, collecting seed from plants such as Monarda punctata. We will update the Seed Collecting webpage with the date very soon.

Join Our Facebook Group for CPC Volunteers

Join the Facebook group for Coastal Prairie Conservancy volunteers to share photos and news from the prairie, collaborate with one another, announce volunteer opportunities, and more.

coastalprairieconservancy.org