Katy High School teachers and students as well as those visiting the Tiger Prairie now have a comfortable spot to hone their skills in biology, environmental science, art and nature photography thanks to a gift from Katy’s Cane Island.
The Katy community of new homes located minutes from the school has donated four, large outdoor tables and benches to create a new outdoor classroom setting within the nature-inspired property at the corner Highway 90 and 1463.
Situated under a giant live oak on the northeast corner of the prairie property, the new benches are large enough to seat up to 32 students at a time.
“The tables and benches are a wonderful focal point for the prairie and will be the central gathering area as we conduct lessons,” notes teacher Kelly Knight of the Katy High School Science Department. “Since each bench seats eight, we can fit an entire classroom at the same time. That’s a big plus.”
Dr. Rhonda Burrough of the school’s Science Department adds the new, all-weather benches and tables also provide a comfortable spot for residents visiting the property.
“The Tiger Prairie is not just for Katy High School, it’s for the entire Katy community,” she says. “We want residents to wander in, sit for a while and enjoy the beauty of a native Texas prairie.”
The donation came about when the Cane Island development team learned of the Katy Prairie’s needs for tables and benches.
“Our families attend Katy High School so we certainly feel a special connection to the prairie,” says Lawren Eckhardt Couvalt, director of marketing for Cane Island. “We’re delighted to support such a worthwhile endeavor.”
The native prairie ecosystem at Katy High School was created under the direction of the Katy Prairie Conservancy and the Wildlife Habitat Federation.
To learn more about the Tiger Prairie at Katy High School, go to www.tigerprairie.org.