By Brynna Williamson
It all started when Pat Merkord sent out “fliers ” (pun absolutely intended, because this story is about birding and wildlife conservation!)
Pat Merkord, the as-yet unofficial leader of the Northeast Texas Chapter of the Native Prairies Association of Texas (NPAT), says that these fliers, and a following grass identification workshop, gave rise to the birth of this new chapter this past October. Believe it or not, although it’s only been a few months since the new chapter’s inauguration, the Northeast Texas Chapter already covers 14 counties and has event attendance of “hundreds.”
There’s not even an official membership roll yet, but Merkord says that she’s “always” getting emails from interested parties, who hold the same passion that she does for conservation and cultivation of natural ecosystems.
“You wouldn’t think learning how to identify grasses would be something everybody would be jumping to go see, but apparently, there’s a lot of interest in that,” said Merkord. “And I think it’s because there’s a lot of interest in restoration in general.”
Birding? Or Much More?
Merkord says that, while birding is a big part of what they do at NPAT, it is only a part. To her, every varying goal, activity, event, and focus that her chapter and organization does is to help save dwindling populations of animals, and to conserve land that may otherwise soon disappear.
“As a child, my grandparents had a ranch north of Austin. I grew up there in the summers, as well as anytime that I could get up there to visit. And it made such lasting impression on me,” said Merkord. “When my grandfather died, they had to sell the ranch, which I was devastated by, because that was sort of my place (in the same way), people have suddenly realized that what they took for granted is no longer, maybe, always going to be there.”
According to Merkord—who holds a master’s degree in biology with a focus on wildlife and who uses her skills professionally in wildlife consultation—prairies are integral formations that are rapidly becoming overhauled. This, she says, can be due to solar panel farms, mining, development, infrastructure growth, or any number of other reasons. Without the conservation of these prairies, Texas will lose its already-imperiled grassland birds and other wildlife, which had previously been very common. “We’re doing the best we can to draw attention to that, and to protect our prairies and our wildlife in this part of Texas,” she said.
East Texas’ Natural Beauty
According to Merkord, Northeast Texas has a major “concentration” of beautiful, large, and active prairies, with several rare animals in these untouched tracts of land. In order to protect these vulnerable populations, Merkord’s chapter of NPAT looks forward to holding all sorts of events and to attending local events in Wood County, Texas. These include workshops, holding owl sightings, “moth nights” (where folks can walk through stations in the summer evenings and see moths by blacklight), and perhaps even a “wildflowers and wine” tour. Events and meetings, Merkord said, are free for anyone to attend.
Yantis Prairie Day
The Northeast Texas Chapter of NPAT also has close ties to Yantis Prairie Day, which is annually set in September right here in Wood County.
Prairie Day is held at the Northeast Texas Prairie Community Classroom, which is a 5-acre property located outside Yantis, Texas. Their purpose, according to the Prairie Day website, is to “(celebrate) community, nature, and our grazing lands at the Yantis Prairie.”
“We are here to educate people that they can restore native prairie and have livestock, as long as it’s properly grazed,” said Julie Mattox, who founded the Northeast Texas Prairie Community Classroom.
For her active efforts to preserve wildlife, conserve prairies, and raise awareness about these dwindling populations, Mattox won the hard-earned Land Steward Award for the Post-Oak Savannah Ecoregion from Texas Parks & Wildlife in 2024
What Is It?
Prairie Day is not one of those hole-in-the-wall activities that just disappears. From local individuals to the Yantis Volunteer Fire Department to Texas Parks & Wildlife to the Wood County Master Gardeners, Yantis Federal Credit Union, Main Street Tire & Lube, Tractor Supply, and more, Prairie Day is an event that hundreds of people attend and help organize..
“I have lots of help, too, so it’s not just me by myself,” said Mattox. “I enjoy sharing with all of the agencies; what one agency or group can’t do for somebody, maybe another one can. It’s all about sharing their ideas. We all have the same goal in mind: we all want to be good land stewards, and we all approach it at different ways.”
Everything at the Prairie Day is family friendly and free. Events included at the 2024 Prairie Day included “prairie walks” to give interested people a glimpse of what all goes on in a wild prairie habitat; hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, and drinks for donations; a “special program presented by The Blackland Prairie Raptor Center to educate children and adults about the role of birds of prey;” raffle tickets, and more. There was even—believe it or not—free limousine service from Yantis Elementary school back and forth to the event, which was handled by Express Transportation.
Yeah, But When Is It?
Mattox says that she annually spends about eight months planning the Prairie Day event.
“It’s a good time for all,” she said. “It’s a learning opportunity; it talks about how important our native prairie is—less than 1% of it remains in our area here—and what you can do to restore it, and all the wildlife that comes back if you do.”
In 2025, Prairie Day will be held on September 27th, which is the last Saturday of the month, from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 or 3:00 p.m.
Northeast Texas Prairie Community Classroom
If you want more than just a one-time event, never fear—the Northeast Texas Prairie Community Classroom (NTPCC) is so much more than just a place to see Prairie Day.
“We offer small groups with a wide variety of fun, hands-on, learning opportunities,” said Mattox. “(These include) science (backyard habitats), outdoor exploration and discovery in the prairie ecology, nature journaling, math lab, Spanish / ASL, art, poetry, reading theatre, book to film club, and cultural festivities. Kids lead as they lean into their passions with curiosity and collaboration and experience nature and all of its diversity.”
The NTPCC has events and workshops throughout the year—some for adults and some for children. According to the Yantis Prairie website, classes are held Mondays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and are led by Kelli Ebel from the Ebel Grasslands Ranch. For more information about the Northeast Texas Chapter of the Native Prairies Association of Texas, email patmerkord@gmail.com. For more information about Prairie Fest or about the Yantis Prairie, visit the Facebook profile or the website.