Planting at Brush Square, downtown Austin

On Sat, October 20th volunteers from the Friends of Brush Square, Austin Parks Foundation, the Hilton Hotel and the Austin Fire Department Station #1 came out and planted 19 trees (18 yaupon holly trees, 1 wax mrytle) and 15 crossvine plants and spread 16 cubic yards of mulch in our next effort to revitalize Brush Square. All of the plants and trees were planted along the east, south and west sides of the fence that surrounds the fire station’s staff parking lot. The Trees and vines (which will produce tons of orange yellow flowers in the spring and through out the summer) will be provide a green screen to the fence and make the park more inviting.

Many holes were dug thanks to Hilton employees with a Power Auger (and coffee, drinks and snacks provided by the Hilton.) Check out the photos of our work. Next up is the installation of 3 benches and two new trash cans later this fall. We had hoped to have the new benches installed today, but delays in the recycled material that makes up the seats and backs of the benches has forced a delay of at least one month.
Look for more quarterly volunteer workdays ahead as we work to make this park more inviting and reflecting the input and ownership of the neighboring residents and businesses. Big thanks to the Hilton employees and Austin Fire Station #1 staff for all of their help.

Pease Demo Plots – Statesman Article

In the Saturday October 20th edition of the Austin American Statesman, you can read about our Pease Park Demonstration Restoration project. Click here to read the article and check out the pictures.

We’re plotting some dirty restoration

Here they are, our much ballyhooed Pease Park Soil-Restoration Test Plots. What you see here is a long view of several plots. Each plot is divided into six parts – three tilled, three untilled. Each part is then treated with a layer of either Dillo dirt, liquid compost (also known as compost tea), or nothing. Below the first picture is a key identifying the different areas.

Thanks everyone who’s helped out so far, including volunteers, Parks Department staff, Sustainable Growth Texas, Austin Water Quality, and others I’m forgetting to mention. Please read more about this project on our main website, www.austinparks.org/shoalcreek.html, and in future blog updates.

Red Bud Project Takes Off

Here are a couple pictures from Friends of Red Bud’s recent volunteer day. They used APF grant funds to purchase benches, cedar fences and a kiosk. Bern Abplanalp, project organizer, reports that people were using the benches before they even got them bolted down!

You can find out more about the group and their plans for Red Bud Isle at http://redbudisle.org/

It’s My Tee Shirt!

We are still getting compliments on our 2006 It’s My Park! Day tee shirt, designed by Enviromedia. Today I even received this picture in my email – of Jessica from Keep Austin Beautiful wearing the shirt on her vacation to Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. It’s a good reminder-Austin Parks Foundation is just a small piece of the puzzle. Wherever we go parks are there for all of us to enjoy and protect.

I hope next year’s tee-shirt design can live up to this one – Jessica promised to get a picture of herself wearing it on Mt. Kilimanjaro!