A Note from Nature in the City:
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You may have seen some mushrooms popping up in your garden beds. Usually, you see them most in beds that are mulched with bark or shredded wood; essentially a recycled wood product. The Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab gets a lot of questions with regards to these sightings, everything from “Is it dangerous?â€, “ Is it poisonous?â€, “Will it kill my plants?â€, to “How do I get rid of it?†Let’s break it down.
Swatting mosquitoes and dodging other biting bugs is nearly a year-round chore in the Southeast, but such pests are swarming across the country with the advent of summer weather. A traditional folk remedy, known among people in Mississippi's hill country for at least a century, may provide some relief without all the worries of DEET and other harsh chemicals.
Urban Patchwork, an Austin non-profit helping communities grow food where we live, has recently planted 200 fruit and nut producing trees in East Austin. The Neighborhood Orchard project is supported by American Forests’ nationwide Community ReLeaf initiative—dedicated to the assessment, restoration and monitoring of urban forests. American Forests recently identified Austin as one of the 10 best cities for Urban Forests and selected Urban Patchwork to help restore the aging tree canopy in an area of Austin where important pecan and citrus trees are a cornerstone of community history.
The Butler Trail along Austin’s Lady Bird Lake is one of the most popular and heavily used public spaces in the city. The Trail has over a million visits each year and is enjoyed by locals and tourists of all ages and backgrounds. It continues to garner increased attention due to Austin’s population growth and emergence as an international tourist destination. Improvements along the Trail have received statewide architecture awards, and much needed, innovative enhancements continue to improve the Trail user experience and access to nature. With financial assistance from the Urban Forest Grant Program, The Trail Foundation funded a comprehensive site assessment and developed the guidelines for the Lady Bird Lake natural areas that are associated with the Butler Trail.
Austin Parks Foundation, Hill Country Conservancy, and Texas Conservation Corps partner to host Austin’s local National Trails Day (NTD), the American Hiking Society’s nationwide trails awareness program, on Saturday, June 4th. In addition to trail work projects, we also provide several educational opportunities to take guided hikes at some of Austin’s favorite and hidden trails. Volunteers and community members improve the trails, and discover some of Austin’s most beautiful places!
Are you looking for colorful, low-maintenance plants for your garden? Learn about some terrific Texas native plants that can bring beauty and function to your garden while being well adapted to handle Texas’ blazing summers, drought, and other weather extremes.
June 9th | 10:00 am – 12:00 noon
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service-Travis County | 1600 Smith Rd, 78721
$15 | NO cash accepted – checks and credit cards only
Mondays June 6th, 13th, and 27th Certified Arborist Prep Course
International Society of Arboriculture
Interested in becoming an Certified Arborist? Having trouble wading through the exam prep guide on your own? You’re in luck! TreeFolks, the Texas A&M Forest Service, and the City of Austin are teaming up to host a classroom style prep course just for you. The class will occur Mondays in June. Visit treefolks.org/CAP for registration and more information.
The Cool House Tour is an annual self-guided tour co-produced by Austin Energy Green Building (AEGB) and the Texas Solar Energy Society (TXSES). The Tour showcases homes that are designed and built to high standards of energy efficiency, comfort and regional design. This signature event is a resource for learning how to live comfortably in the hot Central Texas climate. This year we are featuring eight homes, two communities and an Austin Energy open house showcasing energy saving programs to help you create your own cool house. More information and tickets at coolhousetour.com.
Learn low-maintenance tips for growing a beautiful garden! Grow Green will be traveling around to different libraries starting May 12th, sharing the best gardening info for Austin’s environment. Grow Green also features what's easiest on your budget, and healthiest for your pets, friends, and family! Attendees will get a packet of free seeds to start your own wildflower garden and a chance to win door prizes!
This workshop includes methods and techniques for safely planning and installing a park trail and is a three-part series including the two-day Trail Basics workshop, and the follow-up Trail Leadership workshop. Proper trail design and construction promote sustainable trails that maximize hiking aesthetics and minimize repair and erosion. Professional trail designers from S&S Trails Inc. will join us for a classroom session, a hands-on workday, and a follow-up session in the weeks following.
Join the Austin Park Foundation to learn more about the ACL Music Festival Grants Program, how to apply, what is funded and more! All are welcome to join this pre-deadline session.
The tour will lead participants through the process of guitar making, starting with the living tree and ending with a finished musical instrument. The tour will include a guided tree ID walk to learn about common Central Texas species followed by a visit to the Cardinal Instruments studio to see how Sam uses some of those trees to make his eco-friendly guitars. This event is free, but space is limited, so attendees must register at www.treefolks.org/tree-id.
The City of Austin's Urban Forest Grant Program, established to promote tree conservation and other projects that benefit Austin's urban forest, has funding available to help preserve and grow Austin's canopy of trees. Projects eligible for funding include tree planting and preservation, education, public service announcements, disease control, and management of invasive species.
Gather your shovels and gloves and get ready to load up on free wood mulch, courtesy of Austin Resource Recovery. Available to community members and residents*, this wood mulch is made from the yard trimmings collect curbside and is ready for use.
Now is the time to prepare for Austin’s long hot summer. By using a combination of mulch, compost and core aeration, your lawn will be ready for the long periods without rain we get in Central Texas. These techniques will ensure that water stays on your yard, reducing the need for supplemental irrigation.
Homeowners and schools may receive up to $500 ($0.30/sq. foot -- 100 sq. foot min.) for installing landscape features such as berms, terraces, swales, rain gardens, porous pavement, and infiltration trenches that direct and retain rainwater on the property.
Rebates of $0.50 per gallon (non-pressurized) and $1.00 per gallon (pressurized) are available to customers of Austin Water or a qualifying water provider for installing rainwater harvesting systems. The maximum lifetime rebate amount is $5,000, not to exceed 50 percent of the project cost.
Austinites can earn a $75 rebate on a home composting system through the City of Austin Home Composting Rebate Program. To qualify, attend a free composting class in the community or watch a class online. Then apply!
If you have a great idea for a park improvement project, or even a brand new park, Austin Parks Foundation grants can help! Become a Park Adopter and apply for grants of $500 to $100,000 to improve your favorite park.
Urban trees decrease energy bills for residents, reduce maintenance costs for streets and storm water infrastructure, increase property values by making neighborhoods more beautiful, walkable, and desirable places to live, and combat the urban heat island effect. NeighborWoods has distributed over 43,000 trees since 2002 and conserved an estimated 5 million kilowatts-hour of energy!
