Over the last year, a group of men in the Ellis Unit at the Huntsville prison have been experimenting to find the best methods to raise and propagate the American Water Willow.
WATCH THE 3 MINUTE VIDEO (at https://youtu.be/Zr7Jj9Ff1BQ )
This video was awarded 1st place and $500 in a statewide Texas Masters Naturalist competition at the state conference. The $500 project award was presented to the Lake Livingston Friends of Reservoirs.
The men are working towards an associate’s degree in Horticulture from Lee College while in prison. There are seven propagation tanks inside the Ellis Unit. They learned about and became interested in the Texas Master Naturalist program through Scott Ball, a TMN Heartwood chapter member. Scott is involved with the Lake Livingston Friends of Reservoirs. He wore his TMN shirt to the Ellis Unit while checking on the propagation of the water willow plants and the prisoner students asked him about it. They were interested and wanted to go through the training.
Students at Ellis Unit propagating the American Water Willow for use in Lake Livingston
Scott pursued the request with the Heartwood chapter board of directors and the state program directors. After getting approval to proceed with a pilot project, Scott coordinated the volunteers and materials. Visitors are limited inside the Ellis Unit on weekdays between 7 am and 1 pm, so it was difficult to get volunteers.
The pilot project was a collaboration with the Ellis Unit, Lee College Horticulture program, Lake Livingston Friends of Reservoirs, Texas Waters curriculum and the Texas Master Naturalist program. Four TMN chapters donated the textbooks.
The Heartwood chapter volunteer participants include Scott Ball, Al Barr, Diana Foss, Rodger Lee, Michael McGee, Jim Renfro and Jennifer Seale. There were a few other instructors from Jones Park and TPWD. Krien VerBerkmoes and Teri MacArthur participated in the graduation ceremony of 40 graduates of the TMN curriculum and the Texas Waters curriculum.
Scott Ball, TMN Heartwood chapter member, and Scooter Langley of Lee College, with students of horticulture at Ellis Unit.
The project and the video will be presented at the TMN Annual Conference in Corpus Christi in October. Kudos go to all the volunteers for making the training available to the horticulture students at the Ellis Unit!