Coastal Prairie Partnership

The Coastal Prairie of Texas and Louisiana is critically imperiled. Although this once vast ecosystem covered most of Houston and the Gulf coast between Corpus Christi, TX and Lafayette, LA, less than1/10 of 1% of this ecosystem remains in a relatively pristine condition today.

 

Historically, much of Houston and parts of Hermann Park were covered by a sprawling, vibrant grassland known as the Coastal Prairie. This landscape was dominated by tall grasses towering up to 8 feet above the ground in fall. As development proceeded, fires were halted, and trees where grown, the prairie became increasingly rare and now is listed as a critically endangered ecosystem with few native prairies left in Harris County and no remaining sites left in Hermann Park.

 

The Hermann Park Conservancy (HPC), Coastal Prairie Partnership (CPP), and Texas

Master Naturalists are teaming up on a multiyear effort to restore three small but highly visible areas in Hermann Park back to native prairie. The goal is to replace non-native, weedy grasses at the targeted sites with a diverse assortment of colorful native warm season grasses and wildflowers to create better habitat for birds, butterflies, rabbits, and other park wildlife while augmenting the aesthetic qualities of existing grasslands. Another benefit of this project, and a small prairie garden planned for the Houston Zoo, is that it will help to raise awareness of prairie conservation among the Houstonians and others visiting this very popular park.