New Trail Connection Under Airport Blvd along the route of the Big Loop!

A new section of the MoKan Trail is now open! The new trail segment extends from Shady Lane to Springdale Road, and includes a trail underpass at Airport Blvd.  Upon completion, the MoKan Trail will follow the former Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MoKan) railway for 1.5-miles, ultimately connecting the Southern Walnut Creek Trail to the Lance Armstrong Bikeway, which in addition to the Shoal Creek Trail makes up the Big Loop. 
 

(Image courtesy of City of Austin Public Works Department)

SCC 2022 Year In Review! 

We are so proud of what we accomplished last year, thanks to your help! We invite you to celebrate these accomplishments with us by viewing our 2022 Reflections Report. 

Do your New Year's resolutions include spending more time in nature, or giving back to your community through volunteering? Through our Creekside Neighbors Cleanup Program, we want to support residents of the Shoal Creek Watershed in cleaning up trash along Shoal Creek -- as a solo activity or with your friends and neighbors! Let us know about your creek cleanup plans and we will supply you with all of the tools and materials you need. We can loan trash grabbers and give you gloves, trash bags, and City of Austin "extra trash" stickers so the trash you collect from the creek can be picked up curbside by the city. Get in touch, and help create a cleaner Shoal Creek today!

Green and growing,
Austin's public spaces

Austin is a green beacon of Texas and is ranked among the most ecological cities in the United States with roughly 15% of its land dedicated to green spaces. Typically thought of as parks, gardens, and urban woods or forests, green spaces are areas of grass, trees, or other vegetation set apart for recreational or aesthetic purposes in otherwise urban environments. Green spaces (and blue spaces like creeks, rivers, lakes, coastlines, and other bodies of water) have profound positive impacts on both humans and the environment, and in a city like Austin with ever-growing urbanization, these spaces are becoming increasingly important. To read more, please visit our blog. 

Upcoming Creekside Opportunities

We are ready to hit the trail running this January! This Saturday, Jan. 21st, we are hosting a volunteer cleanup near 12th Street and Shoal Creek Blvd, and we hope you'll join us by registering here. On Jan. 27th, you can really get your hands dirty at our riparian restoration workday near Shoal Creek Blvd and Gaston Ave, be sure to register here!

Our first tour of the new year will be in partnership with Travis Audubon Society for a Birding Tour in Northwest District Park on January 28th at 7:30am. Visit our website for more info regarding which birds we might spot and how to register!

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

Supporter Spotlight 

Urbanspace, a local real estate and interior design company, located on Shoal Creek is this month’s Supporter Spotlight. Urbanspace supports Shoal Creek Conservancy and is an active neighbor in maintaining public space around their Shoal Creek and W 3rd Street offices. Thank you for your dedication to keeping the Shoal Creek Trail a safe, clean and attractive place for all Austinites to enjoy.