By ZAK WELLERMAN

news@woodcountymonitor.com

Yantis Prairie Day will continue this year with its second annual event to educate the community on nature and how to grow the prairie ecosystem.

Prairie Day will be held Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Northeast Texas Prairie Community Classroom (NETXPCC) located at 124 West Oak in Yantis. 

NETXPCC is a nonprofit organization with the mission of giving hands-on nature stewardship programs and knowledge about endangered prairie systems, Yantis resident and event organizer Debbie Rhodes said.

“We will have the event outside in the prairie classroom site this year. The old dairy barn is being converted to a classroom and the site is in the beginning stages of being reseeded with prairie grasses,” Rhodes said. “Various organizations will be located around the prairie with hands on activities for kids and families, including painting outdoors, pond studies, making animal casts, and more.”

Texas Master Naturalists, 4-H, the Native Plant Society of Texas, Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Winnsboro Center for the Arts, Wood County Beekeepers, Audubon Society, Creature Teacher and the Raptor Center will be participating for the event. 

Planned activities include hands-on education and art activities, prairie walks and land management talks during the event. A donation-based yoga will take place at 9 a.m. in the classroom before the official start.

Food and tickets for raffle prizes will be available for purchase. The event is free and open to the public. Prairie Day is being sponsored by the Mattox family, the Rhodes family and some members of the community. Yantis City Council and members of the community are supporting this project.