Native Plant Nursery
Tuesdays from 9am to 3pm
Sponsor Contact: Volunteer Information
TMNCPC Contact: Izzy Retiz via email
Location: Native Plant Nursery, Demonstration and Rescue Gardens located at the CPC Field Office (Indiangrass Preserve)
Description: Native Plant Nursery is being developed as a source of seeds and plants for prairie restoration; activities include but are not limited to seed collection, invasive plant destruction or removal, seed/plant propagation, nursery and garden maintenance, and creating seed balls; Williams Prairie Preserve is a CPC property containing native prairie plants; volunteers work there to keep invasive plants in check and occasional seed-collecting outings
# of Volunteers Needed: As many as wish to participate
Supplies Needed: Depending on the scheduled tasks, may include clothes and gear appropriate for weather and gardening, such as rubber boots, work gloves, hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, drinking water, appropriate apparel, especially closed-toe shoes and long pants for walking through a tall grass prairie (where thorny dewberry exists)
Difficulty Rating: Easy, slow walking through level ground is required, sometimes lifting of bags of soils, compost
Maximum VSP hours: Time spent (including commute up to the time served)
Summer Science Nights: A Summer Activity Camp for Kids
Annually, June and July
Sponsor: Coastal Prairie Conservancy
Sponsor Contact: Volunteer Information
TMNCPC Contact: TBD, volunteer needed
Status: Active, annual event during the summer
Location: Various Coastal Prairie Conservancy properties
Description: Summer Science Nights is a series of children’s classes. Classed cover a wide range of topics related to prairie ecosystems. For instance, the 2009 classes covered four distinct topics: Frogs, the Night Sky, Nocturnal Mammals, and Birds of Prey. Each class includes a number of educational activities and a walk. Class size is limited to 25 children, divided into three groups, with two volunteers per group (i.e. two volunteers might be working with about eight children)
# of Volunteers Needed: Up to 6 per class
Supplies Needed: All will be provided
Difficulty Rating: Easy, slow walking through level ground is required
VSP hours: Time spent preparing for a class, during the class, and commute time up to the time served in class
Seed Grow-out and “Project Blazingstar”
At Home (On Your Property)
Sponsor: Coastal Prairie Conservancy
Contact: CPC Education Coordinator
TMNCPC Contact: TBD, volunteer needed
Status: Active, Ongoing
Description: The Coastal Prairie Conservancy has embarked on a program where persons interested in the restoration of local prairies can volunteer to grow out native grasses and forbs from seed. These seeds are collected during the summer and fall months, and then distributed to volunteers in January and February. Volunteers sow their seeds and grow them out to the 1-gallon stage. Plants grown out will be returned to the CPC for planting on Conservancy restoration areas and to CPP for Project BlazingStar, a series of pocket prairie restorations at Hermann Park in Houston
# of Volunteers Needed: As many as want to participate
Supplies Needed: Seeds are available from the prairie at CPC during seed collecting days. Volunteers will also need soil and growing containers (seed flats, 4″ pots, and 1 gallon containers)
Difficulty Rating: Easy, slow walking through level ground is required. Sometimes lifting of soils, plants or compost.
Maximum VSP hours: 4.0 hours per month