We want to thank the fine people of the Parks Department’s Forestry Division – specifically, Walter, along with Foresters Angela, Keith and Emily and forestry crews for their amazing work in organizing and managing the Zilker Tree Rescue Project, now nearly completed. The Austin Parks Foundation and the Austin Heritage Tree Foundation assisted by applying for funding for arborist services and compost for 91 of the biggest trees as well as organizing over 400 volunteers to come out for five separate workdays to spread mulch under nearly 500 trees.
The Parks Forestry Division did much of the heavy lifting, writing the specifications for work, bringing hundreds of cubic yards of mulch, purchasing water cisterns and fencing and working side by side with volunteers to mulch and spread compost. Having experienced equipment operators filling motorized carts and up to four wheelbarrows at a time made a huge project go a lot faster in the hot August and September days when we were working.
There’s more to do and we want to return annually to mulch these trees again, but our tremendous thanks to the parks department’s forestry group and our many volunteers for making this project happen.