by Brynna Williamson
photos by Pat Merkord
Good ol’ Gene Autry sang it best: “Oh, give me a home, where the buffalo roam, where the deer and the antelope play.”
Unfortunately, at least here in Northeast Texas, you might have to change those words to past tense – “Where the buffalo roamed, where the deer and the antelope played.” According to Northeast Texas wildlife expert Pat Merkord, who holds a Master’s degree in her field, the natural declining of Texas’ native prairie lands has become a dire situation due to solar farming, increased construction and development, mining, and more.
“It’s been really hard on the habitats and the people that have gone out and bought land in these places, you know,” says Merkord. “People have organized, trying to keep some of that development from destroying the places that they love and the properties that they have.”
Because of the endangered prairies, Merkord says that several species of East Texas wildlife animals are dying off. “Some of the bird species that live on those grasslands have dropped in number, drastically,” says Merkord. “Some as much as 70% of their original numbers.”
Merkord cites the example of Eastern Meadow Larks, which she says “you would see… sort of like we see big flocks of grackles now.” Well, she says, because of declining prairie lands, those aren’t seen nearly as often anymore – not even on “pristine prairies.”
Julie Mattox, another wildlife lover who holds a Texas Parks and Wildlife Land Steward Award for the Post-Oak Savannah Ecoregion, confirms these sad facts:
“Less than one percent of (our native prairie) remains in our area here… (Wildlife) need this type of tall-grass prairie,” she says.
However, there is good news to go alongside the bad. Merkord, and her team of volunteers and interested parties, are starting a new chapter of the Native Prairies Association of Texas (NPAT) to bring back the “wild” beauty of Texas’ natural wildlife.
“There’s some of the most beautiful prairies left in Texas (here in Northeast Texas),” says Merkord. “There is nothing to compare to (local wildflowers). It’s like no other part of Texas.”
Merkord’s chapter of NPAT was just begun in October, but already has an interested list of “hundreds.” This, she says, goes to show just how much resurgence there is in the area of restoring the animals and grasses of native Texas.
According to Merkord, many people enjoy birdwatching out at the NPAT prairies. However, what they offer is so, so much more.
“Birds are one of the things that bring a lot of people out and bring a lot of interest to the prairies. But we also look at every kind of wildlife,” says Merkord. “Some people are interested in the larger wildlife that might exist.”
Merkord says that people can see anything when they go to a native prairie, from coyotes to beaver to otters, raccoons, frogs, owls, and more. Prairie restoration isn’t just about making grass grow again: to Merkord, it’s about seeking out, finding, conserving, and protecting life in a rapidly-declining ecosystem. It’s about being rooted to the land in a very real, very tangible way.
“We’re seeing a big uptick in interest in the whole land trust business… for that very reason. (People) just don’t want to think that, when they’re gone, that their property becomes a parking lot,” says Merkord. “People are so attached to that piece of land… and that’s not just for a few; for anybody that’s had a close association with the land, I think (that connection) develops those feelings, and they’re pretty strong.”
Through the efforts of Merkord, her volunteers, and those of others at NPAT, many species of animals and grasses have been discovered or protected which might otherwise have disappeared to time.
“We’ve got some rare ones at Daphne Prairie, (like) the crayfish frog, which lives down in the crayfish holes,” says Merkord. “For a long time, we didn’t know for sure if it even existed. We thought it didn’t. We finally got some specialists in herpetology… and they finally found one and got it photographed. So we know it occurs there.”
Today, while native prairies still aren’t nearly as common as they used to be in East Texas, Merkord says that “a lot of people don’t realize that prairies are abundant in Northeast Texas.”
“In fact, we have more properties in that area of Texas right now than we do in any other part of Texas,” says Merkord. “There’s a lot of prairies there, although they’re scattered all throughout, so it’s not unusual to find them. And they’re some of the most beautiful prairies left in Texas.”
In other words: groups are forming; people are interested; spring is coming; and things are growing and beginning to come back.
If you’d like to get involved or support the efforts of NPAT, check out their website! All events, says Merkord, are open to “anyone who wants to come.”
