GALVESTON, November 15, 2017 – The Katy Prairie Conservancy was awarded the Statewide Wildlife Conservationist Award from The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the Association of Texas Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
This award is given to an outstanding wildlife conservationist who has incorporated wildlife conservation into farming and ranching activities. Katy Prairie Conservancy’s wildlife related activities, prairie restoration and enhancement, and collaborative conservation work on a district and state level contributed to earning this award.
As a State winner of this category, a video featuring the Katy Prairie Conservancy was developed and shared at the Awards Luncheon during the Annual State Meeting of Soil and Water Conservation District Directors. This luncheon attracts representatives for Soil and Water Conservation Districts throughout Texas who have a strong interest in preserving and restoring land.
The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) is the state agency that administers Texas’ soil and water conservation law and coordinates conservation and nonpoint source water pollution abatement programs throughout the State. The Association of Texas Soil and Water Conservation Districts is a non-profit organization of soil and water conservation districts (SWCDs) in Texas created to promote SWCDs through educational, scientific, charitable and religious activities.
ABOUT KPC
Since its inception in 1992, the Katy Prairie Conservancy has been working to protect a sustainable portion of the prairie and has distinguished itself as a leader in local land protection.The Katy Prairie is an important piece of the much larger Coastal Prairie, which was a vast expanse of tall grasses stretching from the Texas Gulf Coast all the way to Canada and has been reduced to a small fraction of its original size.
Nature is a critical part of a life well lived, and everyone should have access to nature and to fun. Land conservation affords places for families to explore the outdoors, opens up beautiful spaces for the public to enjoy, and conserves living laboratories for research and educational programming. While KPC now protects more than 20,000 acres in Harris, Waller, and Fort Bend Counties, we must continue saving land while we still can. Whether hunting, fishing, hiking, bike riding, bird watching, or volunteering, today’s and tomorrow’s adventure seekers have a place to go thanks to this vast preserve system.
The flora and fauna of the prairie need a vibrant home. KPC’s preserve system is located in the middle of the Central Flyway and is a safe haven for more than 300 resident and migratory bird species; 110 species of mammals, amphibians, and reptiles; 600 species of wildflowers and grasses, and thousands of terrestrial insects and aquatic invertebrate species. Restored Showcase Prairies are rich with native grasses and wildflowers and refueling stops for migrating Monarch butterflies. The Katy Prairie has been designated a Global Important Bird Area by National Audubon – one of only 17 sites in Texas – due in large part to the incredible habitat on the prairie that is available to upland species in decline.
KPC supports a vibrant ecosystem that plays an important role in flood control, cleaner air and water, and local food production. Prairie grasses absorb and hold floodwaters from downstream, native grassland soils store carbon, and wetlands filter water and help improve water quality. KPC works with the local community including sports enthusiasts, conservationists, landowners, local residents, farmers, and developers who are interested in the continued health and vitality of the prairie.
Moving forward, KPC seeks to protect the prairie lands that remain and to connect the people in the region with their prairie heritage on a vast Katy Prairie Preserve. To accomplish this vision, KPC will use direct land acquisition and voluntary partnerships with local landowners, collaborate with other organizations, educate the public through programming and outreach, and support sound land-use decisions through public policy and research.
For more information, visit katyprairie.org.