Prairie Restoration Crew – St. Mark’s School of Texas, American Climate Leadership Awards 2025 Youth Finalist

Winner, Runner-Up will be Announced on April 16, 2025

The following blog is a part of our American Climate Leadership Award 2025 Series.

St. Mark’s School of Texas is among 10 American Climate Leadership Award finalists to be recognized at the American Climate Leadership Awards Broadcast on April 16.

The Prairie Restoration Crew began with a unique idea: to revive Texas grasslands and engage their community through hands-on teaching about their beauty and ecological significance. Now, they have rejuvenated over thirty native species across the metroplex and are actively growing dozens more in their greenhouse. Species like Monarda fistulosa and Echinacea angustifolia are more than flowers. These species symbolize the rich biodiversity that once dominated Texas ecosystems.

Their work spans the entire rescue and restoration process. They start by collecting seeds from remnant prairies across the state and propagating them in our greenhouse. Once the seeds have grown, they organize large-scale planting events to return them to our ecosystem.

Alongside revitalizing the prairie, their goal is to make this project a community effort, focusing on education and collaboration. With schools and organizations, they are educating students on the vital role of prairies and species biodiversity. To encourage participation, they offer volunteer hours. In 2024 alone, they logged nearly a thousand volunteer hours and engaged dozens of new members who had no previous climate-related experiences through educational experiences.

Join us for the American Climate Leadership Awards broadcast to honor St. Mark’s School of Texas and the other ACLA finalists. For more information about the ACLA finalists, Register Today.

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