MJV welcomes the Wildlife Habitat Federation (WHF) to our partnership. WHF is a non-profit that has been working for conservation along the coastal areas of Texas for 16 years. Their focus is grassland habitat restoration and their mission is to “provide on-the-ground restoration, management and generational sustainability of grassland habitats for the conservation of soil, water, air and wildlife”.
WHF works with many landowners and conservation organizations to successfully restore larger, more diverse grassland habitats that provide the necessary habitat requirements for Monarch butterflies migrating within the Texas Coastal Flyways. WHF has revised their grassland seed mixtures to increase the amount of pollinator-friendly plants that bloom throughout the pollinator year, and therefore further aid in the conservation of Monarch butterflies, other native at-risk pollinator species, federally listed species, additional species of concern and wildlife generally dependent upon quality native grasslands.
From 2016 to the present, WHF has planted 3,082 acres of grassland habitat, and is scheduled to plant 2,918 more acres in 2020 and 2021. Each project uses specialized equipment, native seed mixes, and Habitat Action Teams (HATs). HATs consist of professional-level personnel that provide information, education, outreach, technical guidance and on-the-ground implementation.
WHF is working to increase their outreach. They have worked closely with Katy High School, located in Katy, Texas, to create the “Tiger Prairie” native outdoor classroom, and WHF has worked with other conservancies and public gardens to build and manage their pocket prairies.
MJV is pleased to partner with WHF, working directly on the ground to restore critical and diverse habitat in Texas, an important area for monarch breeding and migration.
For more information on WHF, please visit their website at https://whf-texas.org/.
The Monarch Joint Venture is a national partnership of federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, businesses and academic programs working together to conserve the monarch butterfly migration. The content in this article does not necessarily reflect the positions of all Monarch Joint Venture partners. Header photo provided by WHF.