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July 2022

Ecological Restoration
at Seiders Springs

Below a large parking lot and above Shoal Creek’s eastern bank, water spills from a steep limestone bluff and flows overland into the creek. Native elbowbush cascades down the cliff face near the springs, and large live oak and pecan trees tower over the creek banks.

Seiders Springs is a unique and peaceful place to visit, a site rich in history and important to Austin’s identity. Over the years, the area around Seiders Springs has become ecologically degraded by the same factors that affect all of Shoal Creek and the rest of our urban waterways. Parts of the banks lack healthy riparian buffer, and invasive species abound: Ligustrum trees line the hillside above the east bank, elephant ear grow in dense monocultures in the spring flow, and Johnson grass has taken off on the western bank.

In 2021-2022, we partnered with the Junior League of Austin to begin the process of ecological restoration around Seiders Springs. Read more about the successes of this ongoing project on our blog, or sign up here
 to help us continue these efforts on July 22nd. 

Mile by Mile, Building the Big Loop!

The City of Austin's Public Works Department is making progress on the MoKan Trail, a 1.5 mile trail that will connect Govalle Park to Pedernales Street. This short but mighty trail will make up the southeast corner of the Big Loop, the planned 30+ mile loop of urban trails and bikeways that includes the Shoal Creek Trail as its western arm. Construction will begin this month on a .25 mile section of the MoKan Trail between Airport Blvd and Springdale Road. Planning will also begin this summer for a .75 mile section of the MoKan Trail between Springdale and South Pleasant Valley Road. The MoKan Trail is funded in part by the 2020 Mobility Bond

Map by City of Austin Public Works Department

Shoal Creek Social: Call for volunteers!

Each year the Shoal Creek Social brings multiple, family-friendly events and activities to the Austin community along the Shoal Creek Trail. Help us bring them to life by volunteering before or during the events (between September 1-15th). Volunteer roles include on-site setup for trailside events, transportation of event supplies & event promotion.

Please email Michelle at
 michelle.slattery@gmail.com, if you're interested in volunteering.

Supporter Spotlight 

This month’s supporter spotlight is on Cirrus Logic!

As an original supporter of Shoal Creek Conservancy, Cirrus Logic has been a long-standing and very engaged neighbor to Shoal Creek. This year Shoal Creek Conservancy hosted a tree planting, in partnership with TreeFolks, with Cirrus Logic staff and hosted a cleanup and seedball-making workday with their summer interns. Catch their team at the Shoal Creek Social on September 10th for fun, trailside activities. Thank you Cirrus Logic!

Upcoming Creekside Events

This Friday, 7/22, from 8-10am we will be removing invasive elephant ear from Seiders Springs Park. Sign up here to get your hands dirty with us!  On August 4th, we will return to Seiders Springs to remove any remaining elephant ear and you can register here if you'd like to join us.

We will host our next volunteer cleanup on Saturday, August 13th from 8-10 am. This is a family-friendly opportunity, so feel free to sign the whole family up via our website and join us creek side before the heat sets in!

 Check out our events page frequently for upcoming event announcements, so you don't miss out on the fun.

Ongoing volunteer opportunity -- Do you have access to a truck/vehicle and want to help us haul trash to nearby dumpsters after our cleanup projects? If so, email us at info@shoalcreekconservancy.org

Please note, masks are optional at our volunteer events and tours. Thank you for your understanding. 

Image from SCC's July Volunteer Cleanup at the Shoal Creek headwaters
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