Establishing & Maintaining a

Schoolyard Prairie

Photos copyright Chris LaChance, WaterSmart Program

Gulf Muhly Photo: Carolyn Fannon
Successful Projects…
Choose species you’d naturally find
in our local prairies;
GOAL – native local flora & fauna
Successful Projects…
Incorporate the prairie into school’s
daily lessons, TEKS/TAKS
Successful Projects…PLAN AHEAD!
! Who is your team? Are they committed to this long-term?
! What happens if the lead teacher leaves – have a succession plan.

! Who will do the site preparation? District? You?

! Who will plant? When? What?
! Where will you get the plant material / seed?

! Who will monitor prairie regularly & alert to a problem?

! Who will do the regular maintenance per month?
! Who will attend regularly scheduled work days?
! When will work days occur?
!Weekday during school hours? Weekend? After school?
! Will you use herbicides or not? If not, how will remove weeds?
! Who will do the weed-eating / mowing?
! How will you water the site if there’s no rain?
! How will you obtain seed / plant material for future?
 Successful
Projects…
Consider Future
Expectations.

Decide the height and

“look” your team is
comfortable with as the
prairie matures. Plan
ahead to achieve that
goal.
 Grasses only represent 1/3 of your prairie,
Forbs (wildflowers) are huge component for beauty
and function, wildlife needs
GOAL - variety of bloom times, shapes, colors.
Successful Project: EIH WaterSmart Pocket Prairie
BEFORE
Site Prep – Sod removed, sand layer added
May 2007

Sod removal:
• sod cutter / backhoe
• solarization
• dig repeatedly
• herbicide
Site Prep – Topsoil added
Site Prep – Pathway defined
Site Prep – Leveling planting area
Ready for planting
Raised Pathway – Crushed concrete base
Packed pathway – Decomposed granite gravel surface
Planting Arrangement
- Containerized plants
Planting – start from inside
Top Layer – Add mulch!
Ready for Seed Planting
Mix seed with fine mulch or sand
Spread the seed! Plant native
seed, supplement with wild
collected seed
Walk over area carefully to ensure
seed – soil contact. Don’t bury
seed
October 2007
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008 Prairies Need SUN!
 Remove woody species as they appear

June 2009
October 2009
October 2010
October 2010
Maintenance
First Season:
Monitor regularly – weekly or once/month
Know your plants – both natives & undesirables
Remove undesirables before they produce seed
Water to establish deep root systems
Monitor regularly, know your plants
(notebook, digital scrapbook, powerpoint)
Recognize seedlings when they come up
Water gently, don’t let soil dry out completely once sprouts appear
Water until seedlings get established, as needed
Schedule regular workdays
Make sure all volunteers can recognize desired plants!

Adult volunteers—Parents, Master Gardeners,

Master Naturalists, Business Partners/Community volunteers
 Late Winter
Weed-eat or Mow once
(Act like bison)
Leave 4-8 in. high stubble
Prescribed burn
Don’t fertilize
 Rake up and remove
thatch

Compost trimmings or
use as mulch around the
garden
‘Weed Dragon’ in use
www.weeddragon.com

Minimize pathways - Paths allow access, but also can introduce weeds
Eliminate undesirables regularly, don’t let them become overwhelming
Second season and beyond
• Water during drought
• Weed regularly
Over-seed in late
fall 2nd Year &
beyond
Involve your Students!
Lifetime Learning…
Enjoy your efforts!
RESOURCES
Native American Seed
800-728-4043
www.seedsource.com

Weed Dragon – www.weeddragon.com

Coastal Prairie Partnership

• Project Blazingstar
• Coastal Prairie Plant Grower’s Handbook
www.coastalprairiepartnership.org

Native Plant Society, Houston chapter

• Native plant rescues
• Seed/plant swaps

Texas Master Naturalists – native plant

propagation projects
• Gulf Coast chapter
• Galveston chapter
• Coastal Prairie chapter
• Heartwood chapter Photo: Lan Shen, Project Blaziingstar
 RESOURCE PEOPLE
Diana Foss
Urban Wildlife Biologist, Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept.
281-456-7029 ext. 21
diana.foss@tpwd.state.tx.us

Chris LaChance
WaterSmart Program Coordinator
Texas Sea Grant / Texas AgriLife Extension Service
281-218-0721
c-lachance@tamu.edu

Sheila Brown
Habitat Curriculum Specialist
Environmental Institute of Houston
University of Houston – Clear Lake campus
281-283-3946
BrownSM@uhcl.edu

Ron Jones
Wildlife Biologist, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
281-286-8282
Ron_jones@fws.gov