As we drove down County Road 2077, Heman looked to the end of the road and wondered whose car was parked by the gate. I told him that was Tom's car and pulled up alongside and got out. We shook hands, opened the trunk, and took out our gear and prepared to walk out on Marysee Prairie to begin our service work.

Marysee Prairie, a name not known or said by many prairie lovers. Marysee is the only restored prairie in the Big Thicket. I knew that well since I had been in on the first restoration service trip over 23 years ago. As I looked out on the almost 10 acres I was amazed at how beautiful it looked, yellow, golden, Swamp Sunflowers and Bearded Tickseed waving in the gentle, Fall, breeze. This prairie, which has suffered so many starts and stops, has never looked better, radiant in its recovery.

I blinked, came back from my daydream, and started walking toward the prairie. Tom showed us a place where many small woody plants, mostly Common Persimmon, had sprouted in the prairie. Heman and I waded out through the thick grass, herbaceous plants, and vines and began cutting each of the woody plants at soil level. I worked out about 40-50 feet from the edge of the prairie and then worked my way back. The cool, breeze was delightful and I realized that I could work a lot more today than during the summer, where two hours of cutting woody plants resulted in a very tired, wet, and spent guy.

Periodically, I walked back to my day-pack and drank water. I also wrote down the grasses and wildflowers that were blooming that I could identify. This was a small way to understand and put into print what I saw and began to understand about Marysee Prairie. This small grassland, from March through November, was host to an array of grasses and wildflowers that bloomed in waves over the months. My small and incomplete list, which I mailed to Tom, was a poor representation of a natural phenomena that shaped Marysee and the plants that grew on it. To breed and seed was the central tenant of all plants or they would surely not survive, they would perish.

Back to work. Over time, Arlene, Ellen, Heinz, Julie, Frank and Glen arrived and fanned out on the prairie. We always had a good crew but now it was a bit larger than normal. Nine motivated people who loved beauty and would spend their time to protect it.

After about an hour I moved across Maysee to a large pimple mound that I had been eyeing due to the hazy wall of vegetation that stood above the horizon. I was right to come to this place to cut. There was way too much Common Persimmon, American Beautyberry, red oak, sumac, and vines for a prairie. I began at the foot and moved upward and then around the mound. I worked back and forth and slowly the brush hit the ground and the prairie grasses and wildflowers were unexposed to full sunlight. I finally finished and looked at my watch. Almost noon. I slowly trudged back to the gate. When I got to the shaded spot near the storage building, the chairs were set out, Maxine had set-up her usual spread of food and lunch was served! It was good to see everyone and to sit down and eat. Susan, who I had not seen in over 10 years, was sitting and she rose and we walked toward each other and hugged. It was good to be among those who loved Marysee Prairie as much as I do.

After eating a sandwich, potato salad, and drinking not one, but two lemonades, I went back out with Heman and we attacked another pimple mound. By the time we walked back to sit down and rest it was almost 2 pm. Several people had left but we still had a nice group.

Tom had been bugging me about walking Marysee and naming the grasses and wildflowers so we all decided to go: Tom, Arlene, Frank, Heinz, Heman, and myself. We walked slowly, counterclockwise, around Marysee and enjoyed the sun, cool air, company, and scenery. Every once in awhile Frank would cut a woody plant and then we would continue. It took us about 30 minutes but it was well worth the walk. Asters, Obedient Plant, Gerardia, Blue Mistflower, Sugar Cane Plume Grass, Little Bluestem, Canadian Goldenrod, Woolly Croton, Missouri Ironweed, Big Bluestem, Longspike Tridens, White Gaura, and many more. What a banquet to delight the eyes and a what a bouquet of natural beauty.

Heman and I talked as we drove back to Houston. What a day! What weather! What a Prairie!

Brandt Mannchen

October 4, 2015