Guided Tours and Field Trips

Schedule your group’s guided visit to one of our Katy Prairie Preserves! Guided tours are led by our coastal prairie staff and docents. Tour programs include a hands-on lesson on coastal prairie ecology, a guided walk through the preserve, and an overview of current conservation efforts and how you can get involved. We also offer several hands-on exploration options depending on your group’s interests and preferred location (see list below). Fill out the Field Trip Request Form below, and a staff member will reach out to you shortly. Email Marley Moran (marley@coastalprairieconservancy.org) with any questions.

How to Schedule: Fill out the Field Trip Request Form below. Guided tour programs are scheduled on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, between 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. We typically need at least one-month notice.

Fees: We request a field trip fee of $5.00 per person when paid by check and $5.50 when paid online using a credit card. Payment can be made with a check payable to the Coastal Prairie Conservancy or online using the form below.

Minimum — 10 persons or $100 fee. Ages 3 and up. No charge for children under 3 years. If your group has financial limitations, please let us know, and we will work with you.

Group Size: We host guided tours for groups from 10–60 persons.

Locations and Logistics: Guided tour programs last 1.5 – 2 hours. Most tours are hosted at our Katy Prairie Welcome Center at the Indiangrass Preserve. Groups may tour these additional properties by request: Williams Prairie, Blazing Star Prairie, and our 9 Natives Gardens at the Houston Museum of Natural Science and Katy Heritage Museum. Groups may arrive by car or bus to most of our locations. We have parking for up to 60 cars at our Indiangrass Preserve. We have restrooms and a classroom on site at Indiangrass Preserve. There are no facilities at our other preserves. A port a can may be reserved for your group's visit at an additional fee depending on group size and tour length.

Theme and Activity Options: Each tour includes a guided prairie walk, a Prairies 101 presentation on why the Katy Prairie is “flat out wonderful,” and a hands-on activity. You may choose one of the following hands-on activities as part of your experience on the Katy Prairie.

• Prairie Restoration Project – Remove invasive species and seed or plant natives in a section of our Indiangrass Preserve, Blazing Star Prairie, or Shrike Prairie.

• Native Plant Nursery – Tour our native plant nursery and assist with the growing of rare, local plants that need our help. Take seed packets home as well to continue helping!

• Seed Ball and Seed Stomp Activity – Make prairie seed balls that you can take home to establish your own pocket prairie. Stomp seed into our restored prairie to help new plants thrive.

• Great Grow Out – Participate in a hands-on training to join our Great Grow Out program. Take plant trays and seed home to continue your participation in this important prairie restoration effort across our region.

• Insect Study – Use sweep-nets and magnifying glasses to explore the incredible invertebrate diversity on the prairie.

• Pond Wildlife Study – Use dip-nets and pond viewers to learn about the wildlife that thrive in our wetlands and prairie potholes

• Birding Walk – Explore the wetland and grassland habitats at Indiangrass Preserve while learning about the migratory birds who depend on these environments. Binoculars and spotting scope provided.

• Sustainable Grazing Tour – Hike on one of our grazed preserve tracts and learn how cattle help us to restore native prairie habitat.

• Prairie Scavenger Hunt - Hone your observation skills as you search for flora and fauna across the preserve.

• Nature Journaling - Enjoy a quiet moment on the prairie as you sketch and create field notes.

Additional Tour Locations by Request:

• Williams Prairie Tour – Visit the never-plowed, 11-acre Williams Prairie just north of Fulshear, Texas, to learn about these endangered, biodiverse “remnant prairie” ecosystems.

• Blazing Star Prairie – Visit our newest prairie restoration site, which also features our Certified Conservation Burial Ground, Blazing Star Sanctuary.

• In-Town Pocket Prairie Tour – Meet at our 9 Natives Garden at the Houston Museum of Natural Science and stroll or caravan to the nearby pocket prairie in Hermann Park. Includes a service project in the 9 Natives Garden.

Field Trip Request Form