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Heartlandheart·land (härt l nd ). n. A central region, especially one that is politically, economically, or militarily vital to a nation, region, or culture.

We are at a crossroads in prairie conservation. After decades of decline our heartland, the coastal prairie, which has fed us, given us cultural touchstones like cowboys and rodeos, absorbed floodwaters, provided sporting opportunities, and helped forge our self-reliant Texas character - is in danger of vanishing from our area forever. Yet, there is hope.New efforts to save, restore, and teach about our prairies are making a difference.

Can we take the next step?

If we are to protect our prairie in a rapidly developing world, we will have to save the best of what’s left and to develop the resources necessary to restore or even reconstruct prairies. Furthermore, if we want the prairie to

once again be a prominent and valuable landscape in our

region, we will need to pioneer new ways of embedding prairies in the heart of our cities, suburbs, and towns.

Your work as a volunteer seed collector is essential to this

project’s success. With several new prairie plantings in development, the next 18 months are critical. Together we will preserve and restore this unique natural resource for generations to come.

A VOLUNTEER SEED COLLECTING INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT PRAIRIE RESTORATION ON THE UPPER TEXAS COAST

PROJECT PARTNERS

LESS THAN

OF OUR PRAIRIE REMAINS IN PRISTINE

CONDITION

1%

R E B U I L D H O U S T O N ’ S

HEARTLAND

Home,home on the RangeAt one time the majority of the Greater Houston-Galveston area was blanketed by the coastal prairie. The Katy Prairie was a diverse part of this grassland wilderness.

Giant SwallowtailPhoto by Gene Luhn

REBUILDING OUR HEARTLANDThe Prairie is our Heartland - yet it is in big trouble. We need your help to rebuild this treasure for Texans and wildlife.

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1. Houston Urban Prairie Initiative An ambitious project to reconstruct two highly visible prairies along Buffalo Bayou and in the Texas Medical Center.

2. Coastal Prairie Seed Increase ProjectA project to produce prairie seeds on a large scale for prairie restorations on private and public lands.

3. The Great Grow Out + Texas Master Naturalist Grow OutA conservation program which empowers volunteer seed growers to grow plants at home or school for restoration projects at schools, parks, or Katy Prairie preserves. Seeds will also be used by Texas Master Naturalists to grow out plants for state parks and local nature centers.

REBUILD HOUSTON’S HEARTLANDW H O W O U L D I B E C O L L E C T I N G S E E D S F O R A N Y W AY ?

W H O W I L L C O O R D I N A T E S E E D C O L L E C T I O N ?

Volunteers will be working one seed collecting teams to collect resources for three Houston-area projects. Together these projects will help restore pocket prairies to prominent locations in Houston, provide starter seeds for efforts to grow large quantities of seed for landscape-level prairie restoration, and give families and individuals an opportunity to grow prairie plants at home.

SEED COLLECTIONS MANAGER - SCOTT BARNES• Under contract for 6 hours weekly• Job is to coordinate, update, focus, and assist seed collecting

teams.• Will be heavily assisted by Katy Prairie Conservancy, TNC, Texas

Master Naturalists, etc.

Katy Prairie TeamLeaders E-mail: Jaime González + Scott Barnes

TMN -Gulf Coast/NPSOT Houston/NPAT Houston TeamLeader E-mail: Lan Shen + Katy Emde

Nature Conservancy Team 1 (Upper Coast)Leader Email: Aaron Tjelmeland

North Country Team (Montgomery Co., etc.)Leader E-mail: Glenn Merkord

FOR COASTAL PRAIRIE SEED INCREASE PROGRAM ONLYSeeds mailed directly by collectors to Kika de la Garza Plant Materials Center, 3409 N FM 1355, Kingsville, TX 78363-2704 using special provided envelopes.

FOR ALL OTHER PROJECTSSeeds dried 3 days at home and then placed into labeled paper sacks. Deliver seed bags to KPC Home office @ 3015 Richmond Ave., Suite 230, Houston, TX 77098

Nature Conservancy Team 2 (Mid-Coast)Leader E-mail: Kirk Feurbacher

Wildlife Habitat Federation Team(West of Houston)Leader E-mail:Jim Willis

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Common Name Scientific Name Cibalo Prairies on Buffalo Bayou

MD Anderson Prairie

CP Seed Increase Program

Volunteer Grow Out Efforts

GRASSES

Brown-seed Paspalum Paspalum plicatulum ✓ ✓ ✓

Yellow Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans ✓+ ✓ ✓

Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii ✓+ ✓ ✓

Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium ✓+ ✓ ✓

Seacoast Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium var. littorale

✓ ✓

Switchgrass Panicum virgatum ✓ ✓ ✓

Florida Paspalum Paspalum floridanum ✓ ✓ ✓

Sideoats Grama Bouteloua curtipendula ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Red Lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora ✓ ✓+ ✓ ✓

Eastern Gamagrass Tripsacum dactyloides ✓ ✓ ✓

Knot-root Bristlegrass Setaria geniculata ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Virginia Wildrye Elymus virginicus ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Silver Bluestem Bothriochloa saccharoides

✓ ✓

Little Barley Hordeum pusillum ✓ ✓ ✓

Winter Bentgrass Agrostis hyemalis ✓ ✓ ✓

WILDFLOWERS

Texas Coneflower Rudbeckia texana ✓ ✓+ ✓

Illinois Bundleflower Desmanthus illinoensis ✓ ✓ ✓

White Prairie Clover Dalea candida ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Maximilian Sunflower Helianthus maximilianii ✓ ✓+ ✓ ✓

Swamp Sunflower Helianthus angustifolius ✓+ ✓ ✓

Roundhead Prairie Clover Dalea multiflora ✓ ✓

Plains Coreopsis Coreopsis tinctoria ✓ ✓ ✓

Horsemint spp. Monarda punctata, citrodora, and fistulosa

✓ ✓ ✓

Liatris spp. Liatris pychnostayca and acidota

✓ ✓+ ✓

American Basketflower Centaurea americana ✓? ✓ ✓

Prairie Agalis Agalinis heterophylla ✓ ✓ ✓

Rough Coneflower Rudbeckia grandiflora ✓ ✓ ✓

Rosinweed Silphium spp. ✓ ✓ ✓

Green Millkweed Ascelpias viridis ✓ ✓+ ✓

Rattlesnake Master Eryngium yuccifolium ✓ ✓+ ✓

Prairie Parsley Polytaenia nuttallii ✓ ✓ ✓

Seaside Goldenrod Solidago sempervirens ✓ ✓+ ✓

WHICH SPECIES WILL BE COLLECTED?

✓+ = Likely to be added by M.D. Anderson ground crews after initial August 2012 hydroseeding

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Common Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov DecGRASSES

Brown-seed Paspalum

Yellow Indiangrass

Big Bluestem

Little Bluestem

Seacoast Bluestem

Switchgrass

Florida Paspalum

Sideoats Grama

Red Lovegrass

Eastern Gamagrass

Knot-root Bristlegrass

Virginia Wildrye

Silver BluestemLittle BarleyWinter BentgrassCommon Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov DecWILDFLOWERS

Texas Coneflower

American Basket-flower

Illinois Bundleflower

White Prairie Clover

Maximilian Sunflower

Swamp Sunflower

Roundhead Prairie Clover

Plains Coreopsis

Horsemint spp.

Liatris spp.

Prairie Agalis

Rough Coneflower

Rosinweed

Green Millkweed

Rattlesnake Master

Prairie Parsley

Seaside Goldenrod

WHEN DO I COLLECT EACH SPECIES?

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REBUILD HOUSTON’S HEARTLANDH O U S T O N U R B A N P R A I R I E I N I T I A T I V E

Cibalo Prairies on Buffalo Bayou Houston’s Largest Urban Prairie Takes Shape Near Downtown

SEED COLLECTING WINDOW: Summer 2012 through early fall 2013.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Through the establishment of a strong public‐private partnership led by the Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP), the City of Houston and Harris County Flood Control District, with catalyst funding from Houston’s

Kinder Foundation, a major enhancement project is underway to improve aesthetic and recreational opportunities along the Shepherd to Sabine segment of Buffalo Bayou while simultaneously regaining the waterway’s flood conveyance capacity and environmental qualities. 

One key feature of this transformation will be the creation of the Cibalo Prairies totaling 11+ acres. These plantings, formally known as meadows, will be a string of pocket prairies showcasing coastal prairie species and will greatly increase the general public’s access to native grasslands in the urban context.

This will be the largest urban prairie planting inside the 610 Loop - creating wonderful wild bird and butterfly habitat, giving Houstonians a link to their history, and providing a rich aesthetic tapestry along the banks of Houston’s signature waterway.

INITIATIVE BENEFICIARIES

FOOD FACTORY

Common Night Hawks and Brazilian Free-tail Bats, from the Waugh Street bat colony, will likely use these prairies as prime hunting grounds each summer.

Common NighthawkPhoto by Greg Lavaty

Brazilian Free-tailed BatPhoto by Merlin Tuttle

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REBUILD HOUSTON’S HEARTLANDH O U S T O N U R B A N P R A I R I E I N I T I A T I V E

M.D. Anderson PrairieHeal the People. Heal the Land.

SEED COLLECTING WINDOW: May 2012 through December 2013.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: M.D. Anderson is planting two acres of prairie at the corner of Holcombe and Fannin in the heart of the world-famous Texas Medical Center. This planting will stand in the site of a recently demolished building for 3-5 years, educating people from around the world about our prairie. Before rebuilding on the site, plants will be redistributed to local public and private schools and City of Houston parks.

Signage at this site will be delivered in many languages to connect with the highly diverse population that visits, works, and are undergoes treatment at M.D. Anderson, one of the world’s premier cancer hospitals.

INITIATIVE BENEFICIARIES

+ Schools and Local Parks

SEED SEEKERS

Expect to see birds like this American Goldfinch visiting this new prairie in search of seeds from swamp sunflowers and other plants each winter.

American GoldfinchPhoto by Greg Lavaty

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WANT TO SAVE THE PLANET? START AT HOME!A KPC citizen-conservation project for schools, scouts, garden clubs, churches, families, and individuals.

Why is the Great Grow Out needed?Animals need plants - but not just any plants. Our native wildlife does best when given plants that they’ve been in partnerships with for thousands of years - native plants. The best way of helping wildlife then is to make sure that there are plenty of native grasses, wildflowers, trees, and shrubs around for them to eat, get much needed water, and find shelter.

Unfortunately, few native plants are sold at local home improvement stores and that’s where you come in! Great Grow Out volunteers grow and nurture native plants at their homes so that they can be used in restoration projects on the Katy Prairie, at local pocket prariies, and even at schools who are enrolled in our Prairie Builders School initiative. You decide which location you want to grow for.

Volunteers are also highly encouraged to keep some plants for their own use - hey, it's part of the fun!

KPC provides volunteers with the seeds and the know how; volunteer growers

provide the water, soil, pots, and time.

How can you get involved?(1) Volunteers first visit the Great Grow Out page and select which seeds they would like to grow based on the appearance of the plant and which animal(s) uses the plant. (2) Seeds are sent to

growers by Jaime Gonzålez(3) Volunteers use online instructions to

grow out the plants(4) Several months later plants are returned

to KPC for planting.

A KPC citizen-conservation project for schools, scouts, garden clubs, churches, families, and individuals.

HOME ON THE RANGEAt one time the majority of the Greater Houston-Galveston area was blanketed by the prairie. The Katy Prairie was a wonderful diverse part of this grassland wilderness.

ABOUT PRAIRIE BLAZING STAR OR LIATRISFlying takes a lot of energy! Whether you are a monarch, a swallowtail butterfly, a bee, or a hummingbird you need flowers that provide high amounts of sugars.

Fortunately blazing stars (also known as Liatris) provide rich nectar which is high in sugar. The beautiful purple flowers make this prairie native easy to spot for prairie insects and make a very enjoyable flower for gardens and as cut flowers.

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I’m a Monarch...

...and I need Prairie Blazing Star!

AMAZING MIGRATORMonarch butterflies are amazing animals. Each year they travel (migrate), over several generations, thousands of miles between their winter home in Mexico and their summer homes in the United States and Canada.

Along the way they stop to feed on the nectar of flowers and lay eggs on milkweed plants.

Their bright orange color warns birds and other predators that they are poisonous!

SEEDS

+ Public & Private Schools

INITIATIVE BENEFICIARIES

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Collect SeedsVolunteers collect seeds in late summer

through fall at local prairies.

Seed Packing Pizza PartiesKPC organizes a series of seed packing pizza parties (gotta

have food!) where we typically pack 2,000 seed packets per party.

Planting Day!Volunteers are invited to participate in a big planting day on a KPC preserve, public park, or local school.

Distribute Seeds

Volunteer growers request seeds for growing

at home by contacting Jaime Gonzålez. Seeds are distributed from March - September.

DID YOU KNOW?The Katy Prairie Conservancy has protected nearly 18,000 acres of prairie lands since 1996!

Return PlantsVolunteers return plants to KPC once the roots of their plants are starting to poke out of their 4” pots or 1 gallon pots.

Grow Seeds at Home or SchoolVolunteers grow plants at home or at school for several months using online instructions.

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katyprairie.org/GGO.html

Gulf Fritillary on PassionflowerPhoto by Wally Ward

DID YOU KNOW THAT THE GREAT GROW OUT IS A YEAR-ROUND ACTIVITY?

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Collect SeedsVolunteers join a seed collecting team and collect seeds late spring through fall at local wild prairies.

Clean + Dry SeedsVolunteers take seeds home, remove rough debris and chaff, and dry seed for 3 days on pieces of newspaper that have been laid flat on the floor

Pack in Paper SacksSeed collector labels paper sacks with the following four pieces of information:1. Collection date2. Collection location3. Species name4. Collector’s nameSeed collect fills seeds into appropriately labeled paper sack

COLLECTING + PREPARING SEEDS ALL PROJECTS EXCEPT COASTAL PRAIRIE SEED INCREASE PROJECTS

Return to KPC Home OfficeTeam leader or individual delivers or mails seed to Katy Prairie Conservancy Home Office:Katy Prairie Conservancy3015 Richmond Ave., Suite 230Houston, TX 77025

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Green Treefrog on Rough ConeflowerPhoto by Carolyn Fannon

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REBUILD HOUSTON’S HEARTLANDC O A S T A L P R A I R I E S E E D I N C R E A S E P R O J E C T

Coastal Prairie Seed Increase ProgramIt’s Time to Think Big!

SEED COLLECTING WINDOW: Summer 2012 through December 2013.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The most pressing challenge for restoring large tracts of coastal prairie in Houston and its environs is the availability of locally adapted seeds which can be grown in large quantities.

An effort is underway to collect 15 species from all of the counties of the upper Texas coast.

Seeds will be scientifically assessed for grow out potential and will eventually be released to commercial growers who will provide seeds to conservation groups and ranchers.

We will collect a mixture of late succession species like Little Bluestem, and early successional species like Lovegrass. This will ensure that feature restoration will be able to follow a normal process of succession and will immediately see some measure of visual success.

By early summer 2012, the entire upper Texas coast collecting area will be parceled up to specific groups. Volunteers will be asked to collect the 15 candidate species in one of those areas.

We are also asking folks collecting for this effort to collect for the Urban Prairie Initiative and Great Grow Out while they are out in the field.

INITIATIVE BENEFICIARIES

+ Private Landowners

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Collect SeedsVolunteers join a seed collecting team and collect seeds late spring through fall at local wild prairies.

Clean + Dry SeedsVolunteers take seeds home, remove rough debris and chaff, and dry seed for 3 days on pieces of newspaper that have been laid flat on the floor.

Mail to NRCS in KingsvilleVolunteers fill out all appropriate information on NRCS envelope, pack seeds, and mail to Kika de la Garza Plant Materials Center, 3409 N FM 1355, Kingsville, TX 78363-2704

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Eastern MeadowlarkPhoto by Mark Shufelt

COLLECTING + PREPARING SEEDS COASTAL PRAIRIE SEED INCREASE PROJECT ONLY

REBUILD HOUSTON’S HEARTLANDC O A S T A L P R A I R I E S E E D I N C R E A S E P R O J E C T

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REBUILD HOUSTON’S HEARTLANDC OA S TA L P R A I R I E S E E D I N C R E A S E P RO J E C T P ROTO C O L

Seed collection protocol for Coastal Prairie Seed Increase Program

What to bring• Gloves• Drop cloths• Pruning shears• Boxes, buckets, or baskets• Paper, burlap, or canvas bags• Data forms and pencils• Camera

Collection protocol• Unless otherwise requested, only seed should be collected• Make sure you can identify the species properly• Make sure seeds are ripe and ready to be collected (*see note below)• Bag seeds individually by species (unless requested to bag seeds from each parent plant sampled

separately)• Use woven plastic, burlap or paper bags for seeds, never plastic• Collect from as many plants (or clones) of a single species as possible selected randomly and

evenly from throughout the site. Collect from at least 50 plants in each site (population) but never from less than 30 plants (unless that is all there is). Try to get at least 700 seed/collection site.

• Collect seed from each species several times throughout the seed ripening period if possible• Complete collection form for each species, each site, and each date. Always GPS collection sites.• Label bags with id#, to correlate with data form. Include species, location and date in case data

form is lost.• Store bags in dry place to continue to air dry, either in an air conditioned or heated building or a

drying device of some type

Information to record• Collection date• Name of collector• Species identity• A unique number or identifier for each collection• Descriptive and precise location information including GPS, habitat, and associated species• Site conditions including soil type, aspect, slope, elevation, site wetness• Local abundance, population size and number of individuals sampled• Fruiting stage of the plants sampled, e.g. early, ripe, or late

After seed collection {absolutely critical for success!}• Notify area collection leader of what you collected so they may keep records of what has been

collected• Dry seeds if necessary. Store paper bag in a dry, well-ventilated area. Storing the paper bag at

room temperature until dry is sufficient for most collections. For large quantities or wet seeds, lay out on paper with as much ventilation as possible until dry. Do not store outside overnight since dew and condensation may occur.

Continued on next page...

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• Once dry, give seeds to area collection leader or send directly to:

John Lloyd-ReilleyUSDA-NRCS Plant Materials Center3409 FM 1313Kingsville, TX 78363

*Identifying ripe seeds – Seeds generally ripen 2-5 weeks after flowering. Sees are ripe when they shake in the pod, are easily removed from the plant, and/or are turning dark in color. Fertile achenes easily detach from the floral receptacle while sterile and parasitized achenes will remain within the floral involucral cup long after the healthy seed has dispersed. Seed cones containing fertile seed will generally open naturally while cones with a high percentage of sterile seed may not open at all. The quality of fertile seed produced by a plant population and individual plants can vary considerably from year to year. •

COASTAL PRAIRIE SEED INCREASE PROJECT AREA COORDINATORS

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SEED COLLECTING DATA SHEET PLEASE ATTACH TO BAGS BEFORE TURNING INTO KPC

Plant Genus and Species ________________________________________Plant Family _____________________________________________________ Common Name __________________________________________________

Date of Collection _______________ Name of Team ______________Name of Collector _______________________________________________

Collection Site GPS Coordinates ________________________________________________ Landowner _______________________________ Permission ______ Address________________________________________________________ County __________________________ Elevation __________________ Site Description Estimated Size of Site, in acres _______________________________ Estimated Number of Individual Plants _____________________ Estimated number of individuals collected _________________ Soil Type _________________________ Soil Color _________________

Associated Species ______________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

Ecoregion ________________________________________________________

SEED COLLECTING DATA SHEET PLEASE ATTACH TO BAGS BEFORE TURNING INTO KPC

Plant Genus and Species ________________________________________Plant Family _____________________________________________________ Common Name __________________________________________________

Date of Collection _______________ Name of Team ______________Name of Collector _______________________________________________

Collection Site GPS Coordinates ________________________________________________ Landowner _______________________________ Permission ______ Address________________________________________________________ County __________________________ Elevation __________________ Site Description Estimated Size of Site, in acres _______________________________ Estimated Number of Individual Plants _____________________ Estimated number of individuals collected _________________ Soil Type _________________________ Soil Color _________________

Associated Species ______________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

Ecoregion ________________________________________________________