Message From Ryan Hammons:
I am trying to map out native prairie remnants in Freestone, Leon, Lee, and Walker counties for the Native Prairie Association of Texas. They were able to get funding from the NRCS for this effort to identify some of our last remaining native prairies in Texas. If you know of any remnants or areas dominated by native grasses, even if it is kind of a savannah, please contact me. My phone number is (979)450-1971 and my e-mail is
ryanhammons2000@yahoo.com
To all,
I would like to clear up any questions you might have about what exactly I am looking for in terms of native prairie remnants.
While I would like to find areas that are lush with a perfect mixture of native grasses and forbs, that will probably not happen, so what I would like to map out are any areas (> 1 acre) that have a significant presence of native grass/forb species in a prairie or lightly wooded savannah landscape.
This project is funded by the Native Prairie Association of Texas (NPAT). Their goals for this project are to:
1) Protect native Texas prairie plants and plant communities
2) Protect declining grassland birds, native pollinators, and other wildlife
3) Conserve Texas cultural and natural heritage and history
4) Provide potential educational opportunities for current and future Texans
5) Establish local seed sources for prairie restoration efforts
6) Possibly reducing global warming and increasing energy independence via biofuels from native prairie pastures
Benefits to landowners include supplying them with the knowledge of the rarity of what they own, material on native prairies, management and conservation, and building relationships with them.
I hope this clears any questions you might have had. Please let me know if you have any areas (> 1 acre) of native grasses/forbs in a prairie or lightly wooded landscape. And also if you have any additional questions.
Sincerely,
Ryan Hammons M.S.
Research Associate at Texas A&M University
Department of Ecosystem Science and Management
Help with Walker Cty Native Prairie Mapping
