Native Prairies Association Of Texas

The mission of the Native Prairies Association of Texas (NPAT) is to conserve and restore native prairies and educate Texans about their remarkable benefits. Grasslands are the most endangered habitat on Earth. Of the 26.5 million acres of tallgrass and coastal prairies in Texas that existed prior to European settlement, less than 1% remains. We collaborate with landowners to encourage prairie conservation and restoration. We enlighten students, teachers, and community leaders about the beauty and benefits of native prairies. This comes to life through outreach, field trips, workshops, webcasts, videos, volunteer projects, and youth education programs. Texas prairies provide a variety of social, environmental, and economic benefits: surprising plant and animal diversity, natural beauty, rich soil, water filtration, flood mitigation, hunting and birding recreation, healthy livestock forage, and more reliable carbon storage than forests. They are part of our state's heritage, and we need to save them. NPAT is a nonprofit membership organization and accredited land trust, founded in 1986 by a group of Texans concerned about our disappearing prairie heritage, especially endangered tallgrass prairies. We protect over 5,000 acres of this rare ecosystem through acquisition, partnerships, and conservation easements. Our holdings include eight owned properties and 17 easements.