Harris County pocket prairie

First grader Edward Walton (pictured) digs in the dirt to prepare the ground for native plants at The Saint Constantine School pocket prairie. What is a pocket prairie? It’s a small gardening area designed to mimic the ecosystem of the larger surrounding area. For the students at Saint Constantine, the goal is to design a space that depicts what Harris County would look like if it were all open spaces, without the 5 million residents. The school’s gardening classes are engaging kids across all grade levels to design and create the pocket prairie, and expand it each year going forward. The first step is to seed prairie grasses and wildflowers that are native to our region. Ultimately, new plants will provide habitat for birds and pollinating insects, which helps the surrounding plants grow and expands the prairie. 

Editor’s note: The Buzz congratulates our regular Buzz About Town writer, associate editor Jordan Steinfeld, and her husband Matthew on the recent arrival of baby Sloane. Jordan is taking a short break to spend time with Sloane. In the meantime, Buzz writer Angie Frederickson is handling this column. As usual, please send your high-res photos and community news to [email protected]. Items are published on a space-available basis.