By Brandt Mannchen

It’s been a long time, but it’s nice to come home to the Katy Prairie.  The last outing I led for the Houston Sierra Club, before the “pandemic” hit, was to the Katy Prairie in February 2020.  We did service work, gave back to steward the prairie, by digging up invasive Brazilian Vervain.

Now two and one-half years later, here we were back on the Katy Prairie doing service work, digging up Deep-rooted Sedge (another invasive plant), planting native prairie plants, removing vegetation from old grow beds, and placing that soil on a new trail.

A lot has changed in two and one-half years.  While we still visit the beautiful Indian Grass Prairie, the Katy Prairie Conservancy has changed its’ name to the Coastal Prairie Conservancy (CPC) as it expands its’ prairie protection, conservation, and preservation activities to a larger geographic area.

As we have all found out in the past three years, the Summer just gets hotter.  Although Summers have always been hot, the intensity of the heat is incredibly stronger due to humans which have created climate change.

But what hasn’t changed is the people and the joy of meeting, working, and breaking bread with them after that work at a “potluck” on the Katy Prairie.  That is fun!

We also had a wonderful walk in Indian Grass Prairie led by “Ranger” the CPC’s volunteer coordinator.  She led us through blooming Firewheel, Texas Verbena, Brown-eyed Susan, primrose species, Lance Leaf Indian Plantain, False Goldenrod, Pokeweed, Prairie Gaura, Common Sunflower, Knot-root Bristle Grass, Partridge Pea, Axocatzin (Sida), Rattlesnake Maser, Common Morning Glory, Chocolate Weed, Goldaster, Hairy Clustervine, Blue Waterleaf, and more.

Gulf Fritillary and many small and large sulfur butterflies were flushed out by our moving legs and flitted over the prairie.  Dragonflies zoomed, backed up, moved sideways, and mated in the air above the prairie and our heads.  The wind in the pine shelterbelt that delineated our trail created a soothing sound and cool breeze.  Periodic clouds shaded the sun for a few precious minutes.

It all seemed so surreal yet was so real.  To share all of this with the wonderful people (and Sierrans) who joined and gave their time, energy, effort, sweat, and love, all made this trip to the Katy Prairie worthwhile.