The Nature Conservancy (TNC) of Texas’ Jaime González is an exuberant teacher about the coastal prairie ecosystem. For over two decades, he has taught classes of five Houston area chapters – including Coastal Prairie (TMNCPC) – of what was once millions of acres of native grasses and perennial wildflowers. He connects people with their historic past, many of whom are learning about it for the first time. Today, the city, its neighborhoods and farm land have supplanted prairie; little of that valuable system remains. It is up to each new member to understand not only how important the ecosystem is for our weather and climate resilience but for the disappearing wildlife and plants as well.
Both Master Naturalists and Jaime are no strangers to the restoration project. Over the years, we have partnered with local HOA’s, cities, counties, school districts and even private landowners to help convert land back to the diverse, sustainable coastal prairie paradise it once was. Preserving and conserving lands closer to pristine is preferred over restoring what has already been converted for human consumption, such as a hay or cotton field, a non-native turf front yard. But restoration requires significant effort on behalf of many people within “an army of logos” in order to be successful. It truly takes a village.
When a request to Master Naturalist volunteer corps is sent out, we answer the call! As TNC’s partner in conservation, our volunteers get the training for the systems and the ‘ologies’ within our service counties by trained professionals like Jaime, and in turn we get to engage the public through projects, outreach, and further education of the public. It’s joyful work, and we need every Texan to join the Master Naturalist program to pay it forward.
Last week, president of TMN Gulf Coast Chapter, Irmi Wilcockson, and more of her members met others of us from TMN Coastal Prairie Chapter at Jaime’s office. We shared stories of our many projects, gossiped of the good news for coastal prairie, all the while stuffing envelopes with various native seed previously collected from nearby prairie remnants like TNC’s Nash and Texas City Prairies. The mixing and dispersal out into the environment of these seeds from not-so-faraway lands helps protect the DNA and resiliency these plants once had naturally. “Cross-pollinating” as Jaime calls it is not just for plants but for people and their knowledge too. Sharing is caring.
Come to the grand opening of Memorial Park’s Land Bridge and Prairie at “The Big Picnic.” Reconnect with our coastal prairie heritage in the middle of the city, and learn more about why we need the prairie … and why today, the prairie needs us.
About the Header Image
These seed packets will be shared with those attending the Memorial Park Conservancy “Big Picnic” this Saturday, February 11. Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and longspike tridens (Tridens strictus) are just two of the dozens of perennial grass species that once dominated the Houston area. With their long, deep roots, they help store and slow stormwaters into our waterways and The Gulf. Those same roots act as a forest of trees would. Prairie is quite adept at sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and storing that carbon deeply, permanently within the soil through the living soil ecosystem.
Learn More About Coastal Prairie and Grasses
- The Nature Conservancy Texas | Planting the Seed for Future Generations
- Memorial Park Conservancy | Land Bridge and Prairie at Houston’s Memorial Park on YouTube
- iNaturalist.org | Grasses of Memorial Park, Houston