08/27/2026
“Be the buffalo!”
Ever wonder why we shred the sides of the trails out on the Katy Prairie? It might look like destruction, but it’s actually one of several tools we use to keep the prairie healthy.
Coastal prairies are disturbance-dependent ecosystems. Historically, roaming bison, wildfire, and other natural processes regularly disturbed the landscape, helping keep woody plants in check and creating the conditions native grasses and wildflowers need to thrive.
Today, CPC uses a variety of management strategies to mimic those processes, including rotational cattle grazing, prescribed burns, mowing and shredding, and invasive species management.
Along trail edges, shredding helps knock back encroaching woody species, disperse native seed heads, and maintain the regular disturbance that a healthy prairie needs.
Each tool works a little differently, but they share the same goal: keeping the prairie diverse, resilient, and functioning as a prairie.
Because when you’re short on bison, sometimes you’ve got to BE the buffalo! 🦬