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April 2026
THE LATEST DIRT
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NPAT is committed to local education and native prairie restoration. To support our Fayette Prairie members across 11 counties, we organize field trips, conduct outreach, and collaborate on conservation and restoration efforts. When you join the Native Prairies Association of Texas, you are part of a statewide community that conserves and restores native prairies and educates Texans about their remarkable benefits!
Your membership connects you to the local chapter of folks like you who love nature and supports the conservation of a crucial, endangered ecosystem.
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2026 Annual Spring Grow-Out
Locally grown native grasses
Pre-order now. Pick up in April
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Boost your prairie restoration projects or create beautiful pocket prairies with our seven one-gallon grasses. These plants can make a big difference in your landscape while providing essential habitat for wildlife.
- Big Bluestem
- Little Bluestem
- Eastern Gamagrass
- Cheyenne Indiangrass
- Alamo Switchgrass
- Sideoats Grama
- Inland Seaoats
This is the opportunity to make a positive impact on your landscape and local wildlife!
Every purchase benefits NPAT’s mission and supports habitat creation.
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ORDERING IS AS EASY AS 1-2-3
VISIT our online store to place your order while supplies last.
INCLUDE your contact information, including email and cell phone, so we can contact you with final pickup details.
CONTACT US at fayette@texasprairie.org if you have questions
| *NOTE* Include your contact information at check-out so we can contact you for pick-up, if necessary. | | "When did you stop seeing grass, and start seeing grasses?" -- Chase Brooke, AgriLife Extension | |
PRE-ORDER
your selection while supplies last
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PLAN FOR PICK-UP
Our plants are working hard to grow big and tall for you!
The planned pick-up options are offered to those who pre-order
** BEST CHOICES **
Hostyn Hill Greenhouses, La Grange
Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Friday, April 10, 2026, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
ANOTHER CONVENIENT OPTION
Washington County Expo, Brenham
Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Details and any necessary changes due to weather
will be communicated by email
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Elder Prairie Workday
Enjoy learning valuable prairie restoration practices you can apply to your prairie project while volunteering to help NPAT restore this important Blackland prairie in beautiful Washington County.
Join us in caring for Elder Prairie workdays, where we will focus on removing woody debris and invasive plants. We'll spend the morning clearing areas to support the recovery of native plants and improve habitat for wildlife.
Thank you for helping us restore one of the largest remaining tracts of the Fayette Prairie!
Monthly every first Wednesday (excluding July & August)
RSVP for the map and directions.
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Elder Prairie Bird Watch
Join us for a spring morning at Elder Prairie Preserve. Whether you're new to birding, looking to improve your identification skills, or already an expert wanting to share the experience, this outing is for you. Continue learning while spending time with other prairie and wildlife enthusiasts. Discover local birdlife at your own pace in a welcoming environment.
Erik Wolf and Debbie McMullen, experienced local birders, will lead the walk and share practical tips to help you spot and identify prairie birds.
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Binoculars will be available, so come out even if you do not already have binoculars.
New and future birders welcome!
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Saturday, April 11, 2026
Elder Prairie Preserve, Chappell Hill
7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Free but registration required
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Part 2: Accessing Information & Resources
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
Whether you find yourself balancing city life with a rural escape or you've made the jump to full-time land ownership, this series is designed for new and beginning landowners eager to define their land use goals and set clear expectations
- Understand what you can do with your land
- Connect with resources, information, and expertise in your community
- Create habitats that support diverse wildlife and pollinators
- Improve water quality for a thriving ecosystem
- Implement effective erosion control strategies
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WHAT TO EXPECT
Our goal is to empower you with strategies to thrive as a land steward and connect you with the vital resources and expertise you need to succeed.
Prepare to gain valuable insights that will help you embrace your land, reduce your learning curve, and achieve your aspirations!
- This four-part series includes three Zoom presentations plus a "capstone" workshop & land tour.
- We encourage you to take advantage of the whole series; however, attend as many as you can.
- Register for Zoom presentations to receive the link, notifications, and reminders.
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Missed previous sessions?
Recordings of the three Zoom presentations and more details are available here: Landowner Series
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Land Judging Workshop and Property Tour Capstone
This “capstone” workshop and property tour concludes our four-part series. Attendance at the previous presentations is not required to gain value from this final session, but space is LIMITED so register early
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Merging Regenerative Ranching and Wildlife:
A dive into planning, funding, and implementation
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Join Wildlands, LLC for a tour of their 1,100-acre working ranch and learn how they use holistic tools to encourage the establishment of climax native grasslands, manage brush, and enhance wildlife habitat.
Our experts will equip you with the knowledge, resources, and networks you need, starting with the fundamental question – Why restore? We will then guide you through the critical processes of implementation, maintenance, outcome management, and the support available to you.
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- Planning a Post Oak Savannah habitat restoration
- Wildlife habitat management in the Post Oak Savannah
- Using prescribed fire to manage for wildlife
- Brush management techniques
- Habitat restoration funding opportunities for private landowners
- Identifying historic use and soil structure while matching objectives and practices
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Will Kearney, 88Ranch
Paul Crump, TPWD
Zachary Truelock, ARC
Bring your camp chair to enjoy introductory presentations in the New Holland Garden
and your lunch to take advantage of QA&
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Friday, April 24, 2026
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
88 Ranch
Registration Required
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Elder Prairie Spring Plant Walk
At the Speed of Botany with Tim Siegmund
| Join Tim Siegmund, from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, for a morning tour focused on identifying spring forbs and grasses and observing how restoration efforts are shaping Elder Prairie. This is a great opportunity to sharpen your observation and plant ID skills in a hands-on setting. | |
Friday, May 1, 2026
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Elder Prairie, Chappell Hill
Free but Registration Required
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Looking Ahead
Mark Your Calendar Now and Register Early
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Gamagrass for the Prairie Win!
What an incredible effort! Our amazing members and TMN-Gideon Lincecum friends rallied together to rescue hundreds of Eastern gamagrass plugs from I-10 construction and give them new life on Elder Prairie. We're thrilled to share that many more will also be planted on the NPAT Dowell Ranch prairie. Thank you to everyone who made this conservation success possible!
| Check out Krystyn Westfield's insight as an enthusiastic member of both the TMN-Gideon Lincecum and the NPAT Fayette Prairie Chapter. We're so grateful for everyone who puts in the effort to support our shared mission as a community of conservationists! | | | |
Native Prairie Soil Health: Dig Deeper
"The nation that destroys its soil, destroys itself."
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt
The NPAT Fayette Prairie Chapter's Soils Workshop successfully combined classroom instruction with hands-on field applications.
This workshop provided practical skills, expanded knowledge, and deepened participants' appreciation of the foundational role of healthy soils in ecological sustainability.
Led by Nathan Haile of WHF, the session highlighted the critical importance of healthy soils in maintaining prairie ecosystems and supporting overall environmental health.
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Native Plant Propagation
Chris Bailey and Lan Shen led an informative, hands-on workshop at the Coastal Prairie Conservancy's Indiangrass Preserve greenhouse. Participants enthusiastically dug in and learned how to start plants from seeds, plugs, and cuttings, which will aid in ongoing restoration efforts in an effective and affordable way.
Collect seeds "like a drunken bee." - Lan Shen
If you missed this workshop, you can still volunteer at the Indiangrass Preserve, visit the greenhouse, and enjoy a stroll along the trails through this vital prairie. For more information, visit:
https://www.coastalprairieconservancy.org/event-calendar.
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Bringing Texas Prairie Back to Life
by Marvelyn Granger, NPAT Fayette Prairie Chapter
Imagine 3,000 acres of vibrant native prairie, alive with monarch butterflies, buzzing bees, singing songbirds, and vibrant wildflowers, where limited diversity and life once stood. Our NPAT Fayette Prairie Chapter is partnering with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to turn this vision into reality!
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Why Buy a License, Even If You Don’t Hunt?
The Role of Hunters in Wildlife Conservation
by Mark Lange, TPWD
As an employee for the State of Texas, when I ask folks where they think the money comes from to pay our salaries, pay for the trucks we drive, and all the other equipment needed to do our jobs effectively. The answer is typically "I don't know" or "from the state". While "from the state" is obviously correct, that money must come from somewhere, and as a taxpayer, I am sure you understand that. However, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is not funded solely by any "general everyday tax".
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Spring Stream Cleanup
Join us in cleaning up bridge sites in the Mill Creek Watershed! We will be picking up litter and removing tires at the bridge over Mill Creek at FM 2429. There will also be satellite locations where select volunteers will be deployed after the initial meeting.
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Date: May 9, 2026
Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Cleanup Location: Mill Creek
Meetup Location: 2245 Farm to Market Road 2429, Bellville, TX 77418
| | | | | | | Sturdy 18X24 aluminum fence sign - $50 | | |
Available at Fayette Prairie Chapter Events
All proceeds from sales support our mission to
conserve, restore, and educate about the value of Texas prairies.
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Chapter Officers
Marvelyn Granger, President
Trey Granger, Vice President
Norbert Dittrich, Treasurer
Yolanda Cuéllar, Secretary
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Steering Committee
Mark Brown
Cheryl Brown
Jesus Cuéllar Fuentes
Bobby Eichler
Bethany Foshee
Rory Johnston
Virginia Johnston
Dianna Kocurek
Mark Lange
Chuck Linton
Jeff Post
Connie Shortes
Dr. Don Steinbach
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