Prairie Power: The Tandy Hills Cleanup Has Begun

City crews have been cutting brush all day today and will continue Thursday and Friday.

We need all the "Friends" we can get to finish the job.

The first ever Tandy Hills Brush Bash is this Saturday, Feb. 21. 9 am - 3 pm.

Come join this motley band of brush-bashers and get in touch with your inner, grass-hugger.

WHO:
Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area. That means YOU!

WHAT:
Tandy Hills Brush Bash. Phase 1.

WHEN:
Saturday, February 21
9 am - Noon
1 pm - 3 pm
Work one or both shifts.
(Rain Date, and possible second date, March 7)

WHERE:
Tandy Hills Natural Area
3400 View Street
Fort Worth, TX 76103

BRING:
Gloves, work clothes, sturdy shoes, hat, sunscreen, picnic lunch.

CONTACT - RSVP:
Don Young
817-731-2787

See you on the prairie!

This week's FW Weekly has an excellent article about the Tandy Hills cleanup and other Tandy Hills events like the upcoming Prairie Fest.

Below is an excerpt from the FW Weekly article....click the above link to read the entire article.

The city’s best example of native grassland prairie isn’t all that great anymore. Trees have been taking over Tandy Hills Natural Area for years, choking out the wild grasses and flowers that have made the park unique in North Texas.

Now, after years of neglect, the city of Fort Worth is showing a renewed commitment to restoring the park to the way it looked back when wildfires periodically cleared the land of trees and promoted the growth of grasses that sustained huge herds of buffalo.

A crew of chainsaw-wielding tree-slayers will begin laying waste to the unwanted canopy this week, and volunteers will converge on the park on Saturday to drag the cuttings to the curb for removal. What’s more, the city is pledging to make the tree-clearing an annual effort, ensuring the grasslands remain intact for ensuing generations.

“This is a huge step forward,” said Don Young, one of numerous Eastside activists who have pleaded with the city to better maintain the park in recent years.

The informal group began calling themselves the Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area about four years ago, and created the Prairie Fest. The annual outdoor festival uses music, art, dance, environmental displays, and wildlife tours to bring attention to the park. That first year the festival attracted only a handful of vendors, visitors, and entertainers. Since then, however, the celebration has exploded. About 2,500 visitors attended in 2008, along with 100 vendors.