Katy’s Tiger Prairie Gets Outdoor Seating for Classrooms, Community Enjoyment

KATY MAGAZINE NEWS

November 1, 2020

By Natalie Cook Clark

Katy High School’s evolving Tiger Prairie now features outdoor tables and benches, donated by the nearby Cane Island residential community.

Katy High School teacher Kelly Knight addresses students in a new outdoor classroom space at the school’s Tiger Prairie.

Cane Island Donates Outdoor Tables, Benches

Katy High School’s Tiger Prairie covers one acre of land located at the corner of Highway 90 and FM 1463. The nature-inspired area is used as an outdoor classroom for biology, environmental science, art, and nature photography.

The Cane Island community, located in Katy High School’s attendance zone, donated four new all-weather,large outdoor tables and benches that are positioned under the shade of a giant live oak. The new “outdoor classroom” area can seat 32 students.

“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 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.”

The location is also available, when the school is not using it, for community use and is a popular photography location.

“The Tiger Prairie is not just for Katy High School, it’s for the entire Katy community,” says Dr. Rhonda Burrough of the school’s Science Department. “We want residents to wander in, sit for a while and enjoy the beauty of a native Texas prairie.”

The native prairie ecosystem at Katy High School was created under the direction of the Katy Prairie Conservancy and the Wildlife Habitat Federation. The project started in 2018 and will take time to continue to build and grow.

Ultimately, the Katy Prairie will contain 30-50 different native plant species, and also act as a natural retention area for future flooding events.

The location has quickly become a great area for the community to appreciate nature and the rich prairie history of Katy.

Learn more at the Tiger Prairie website.