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Mary Anne Piacentini Honored with Inaugural Terry Hershey Award
 We are so pleased to announce that our very own Executive Director, Mary Anne Piacentini, is among the inaugural honorees of the Terry Hershey Award for Texas Women in Conservation sponsored by Audubon Texas. The award, named for renowned Houston conservationist Terry Hershey, is well deserved for all of Mary Anne's hard work and dedication to the Katy Prairie Conservancy and its mission. The other honorees are Carol Dinkins, Susan Rieff, and Ellen Clarke Temple.
Conservation Education Specialist, Jaime Gonzalez, applauded Mary Anne for being recognized among other similarly exemplary honorees. He noted that this recognition of women in conservation, especially those in Texas that make such an impact in conservation state-wide, is well overdue and is a welcome inspiration to other women in the field of conservation.
We are so proud of all of Mary Anne's accomplishments and cannot wait to celebrate her success at the awards luncheon on February 5th! For more information on the honorees and the event, please go to texaswomeninconservation.org.
Cypress Creek Christmas Bird Count
 This year marks the 39th annual Christmas Bird Count! Birders of all skill levels are welcome to come out Thursday, January 1st at 6 am to count the birds of the Katy Prairie. Participants will meet at Paul Rushing Park and should contact Fred Collins if they are interested in participating. This is not a KPC event; however, several groups will be counting on KPC preserves.
Holiday Office Hours
KPC's offices will be closed for a few days to allow staff to observe the holidays, but we will still be having our weekly and monthly volunteer work days! View the schedule below for more information:
KPC Houston Office
- Closed: December 24th - January 1st
KPC Field Office at the Indiangrass Preserve
- Open: December 23rd, December 30th, and January 3rd for volunteer work days (hours listed in the volunteer section below).
- Closed: December 24th - 26th and December 31st - January 2nd.
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UPCOMING KPC EVENTS
 Winter Camp - Backyard Beasts
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, December 29, 30, 31, 2014 | 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Audience: Children ages 5 - 8
Cost: $7 per student per class - children can attend one, two, or all three days.
Registration: Click here to register.
Volunteers: We need volunteers to help lead activities. Email Jaime Gonzalez if you can help!
Wild West Tour: Waterfowl of the Prairie
Saturday, January 10, 2015 | 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Audience: Adult Learners
Cost: $50 per person
Registration: Click here to register.
Unplugged Adventure: Realm of the Eagle
 Saturday, January 17, 2015 | 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Where: Matt Cook Wildlife Viewing Platform at Warren Lake
Audience: Groups and individuals - children welcome!
Cost: $3 per person
Registration: Click here to register.
Volunteers: We need volunteers to help lead activities. Email Jaime Gonzalez if you can help!
 Wild West Tour: Owl Prowl
Saturday, January 24, 2015 | 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Audience: Adult Learners
Cost: $50 per person
Registration: Click here to register.
2015 Calendar Coming Soon!
What to wear for trips to the prairie? All participants should wear appropriate outdoor clothing, including closed-toe shoes and long pants. A long-sleeve shirt is also recommended. Be sure to dress in layers as sometimes the temperature of the prairie can change rapidly - from hot to cold and windy. Hats are great if you want to be shielded from the sun. Please bring your own water and insect repellent.
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VOLUNTEER UPDATE:
KPC Field Days
KPC has weekly Field Days at the Native Seed Nursery on the Indiangrass Preserve. Help us seed, re-pot, and plant prairie natives as we work to restore one of Houston's historic habitats! Join us for one of our weekly volunteer days or email us for more details.
- Tuesdays | 9 am - 3 pm
- The first Saturday of the month | 9 am - 1 pm
Great Grow Out
Growers, are your plants ready to return to KPC or do they need to be bumped up to one-gallon pots? Email Christine if you'd like to bring your plants in, or check out this bumping up video to learn how to keep caring for your plants.
Thanks to all our volunteers, especially those who helped out recently!
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Photo Credits
- Red Tailed Hawk - Greg Lavaty
- Raccoon - Shutterstock, Eric Isselee
- Snow Geese - Greg Tipton
- Bald Eagle - Jimmy Kall
All photos were taken by KPC staff unless otherwise noted.
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| The Katy Prairie Conservancy
3015 Richmond Avenue, Suite 230
Houston, TX 77098-3114
713.523.6135
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