Guided Tours

Schedule your group's guided visit to one of our Katy Prairie Preserves! Guided tours are led by our coastal prairie docents and include a hands-on lesson on coastal prairie ecology, a guided walk through the preserve, and an overview on 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.

How to Schedule: Fill out the Field Trip Request Form below. Guided tour programs are scheduled on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, between 9am-1pm. 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 $50 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. We host tours at our Indiangrass Preserve, Warren Ranch, Shrike Prairie at Warren Lake, Williams Prairie, Nelson Farm, and 9 Natives Garden at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. 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 one restroom on site at Indiangrass Preserve and no restrooms 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: We offer the following hands-on explorations for school field trips, scouts, and other groups interested in hands-on learning. You may choose one of the following as part of your guided tour experience on the Katy Prairie.

• 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 101 - Use binoculars and bird silhouettes to practice birding, then take a birding walk with one of our experts.

• 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!

• Warren Ranch Tour - Visit the oldest and largest remaining cattle ranch in Harris County, right here on the Katy Prairie. Meet a calf, learn about our grassfed herd, and practice your roping skills!

• 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 on our Great Grow Out program. Take plant trays and seed home to continue your participation in this important prairie restoration effort across our region.

• Prairie Restoration Project - Remove invasive species and seed or plant natives in a section of our Indiangrass or Shrike Prairies.

• Remnant Prairie Tour - Visit the never-plowed, 11-acre Williams Prairie just north of Fulshear, Texas to learn about these endangered, biodiverse ecosystems

• Early Inhabitants of the Prairie - Tour the Indiangrass Preserve while learning about the early inhabitants who shaped our vast grasslands, from mammoths to early peoples. Try your hand at making a native clay bowl or prairie shelter.

• Helping Pollinators - Scout for pollinators on a guided walk then create your own pollinator hotel or watering station to take home.

• Wetlands in Winter Walk - Explore the wetland habitats at Warren Lake or Indiangrass Preserve while learning about the migrating cranes, geese, and ducks who depend on these freshwater oases. Binoculars and spotting scope provided.

• Nelson Farms Tour - Tour the last working rice farm in Harris County. Learn how rice farming has benefitted wildlife on the Texas coast and how you can help.

• 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. Optional service project in the 9 Natives Garden.