Native Prairies of Texas - June Link of the Month

Many of you have heard me recommend planting native grasses or making other efforts toward restoring native prairies on the properties you manage. What are native grasses? What is a native prairie? I didn't plant these grasses, so aren't they native? These are some of the responses I get when I suggest restoring native grassland areas. Your properties lie in the Post Oak Savannah ecosystem. This means that historically the landscape was a savannah with a prairie understory and an open canopy of post oaks and other trees above. A prairie is a diverse ecosystem of mainly native grasses and flowering plants with wildlife, soil, geology, and fire playing important roles. Cotton and grain farming, cattle ranching, and urban development have eliminated or severely altered more than 99% of the nearly 20 million acres of prairie that once existed in Texas.

This month's link of the month is to the Native Prairies Association of Texas. Click on the title of this post or the similarly named link on the right panel of this blog to learn:

• What is a prairie?
• How is a prairie different from fields of grass?
• Where you can visit native prairies in Texas
• How to recognize and protect prairie remnants
• How to plan and install small prairie areas
• What to plant in your native prairie area

You will also be able to follow links to pictures and slide shows of native prairies and beautiful wildflowers, NPAT newsletters, suggested reading materials, and additional links concerning native plants and prairie restoration. If you are interested in restoring natural beauty and wildlife value to the open areas of your property, this website (especially the 'photo album' and 'learn' tabs) deserves at least 20-30 minutes of your time!

For details on restoring native prairie plants on your property or cost share programs offered by state and federal agencies, contact me or comment to this post.