About
What Is It?
A 51-acre example of one of the most endangered ecosystems, the tallgrass prairie. Surrounded by housing, it was scheduled to be developed but was saved in 2014. It is now a protected preserve.
Help Needed:
The Prairie hosts work days twice a month, when volunteers help remove invasive species and do other habitat restoration work.
Details
Minimum Age to Volunteer
16, to volunteer independently. Volunteers age 12 and up are welcome when accompanied by a responsible adult. All volunteers should bring a printed and signed volunteer waiver.
Time Commitment
Regular work days are 3 hours long, from 9 AM to noon.
Suitable for Groups of Volunteers?
Yes. If you have a group and would like to schedule a workday other than the regular ones, please email HNPAT@TexasPrairie.org or call 713-771-1415 (leave message).
Training Needed
None. All instructions will be provided.
Because volunteers may encounter uneven terrain, biting insects, plants with thorns, etc., they should wear outdoor clothing (closed-toe shoes and long pants) and a long-sleeve shirt (recommended), and bring a hat, water, and insect repellent.
Help Needed
REGULAR WORK DAYS
The Prairie’s workdays take place on the second Wednesdays and fourth Saturdays of each month, 9 AM – noon. Volunteers remove invasive plants and do other habitat restoration work. Please RSVP to Lan Shen (email below) with your cell phone number in case she needs to contact you due to inclement weather or other changes.
SEED COLLECTING
On one morning a month, from June to December, volunteers collect seeds from the prairie’s native plants. These seeds are used in the Coastal Prairie Seed Increase Program, restoration projects, city pocket prairies, and the Great Grow Out. To be placed on the seed collecting email list, please contact Lan Shen (email below).
Contact Details
Contact
Lan Shen
Email: shen.gcmn@gmail.com
Please visit the prairie’s web page for information about volunteering.
Location
LAWTHER-DEER PARK PRAIRIE PRESERVE
Deer Park, Texas 77536
Location Details
Deer Park, Texas 77536
Entrance is through the Visitors Center, which is in a former home at 1222 East Purdue Lane. Note: Please do not park on the curb directly in front of the prairie’s neighbors’ houses.
Additional Information
Bayou Land Conservancy – Save the Deer Park Prairie (4 minutes) (2013)
Preserving Our Environment (1 minute 51 seconds) (2019)
Shell Deer Park created this video about their support of Deer Park Prairie and Prairie Education.
Examples of past Scout projects
Mark Oldham (Troop 641) conducted a workday to remove invasive species (2014). George Kutac (Troop 641) removed a metal cyclone fence and a non-native flower bed; he recycled the fence at a scrap yard and donated the proceeds to the Native Prairies Association of Texas (2015).
Gallery
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