In this episode, we’re taking you back to our Park Summit Session from June 17, 2020. This session is titled: Essential Spaces: Making Parks A Priority and focuses on the importance of parks and civic engagement in the time of COVID-19. Our guests include Austin City Council Member Paige Ellis, Christine Chute Canul from the Austin Parks & Recreation Department …
S1E4 Parks Are Essential: Budgeting to Reflect Austin’s Values
Today’s conversation focuses on how our city’s budget impacts public assets like our parks, trails and green spaces. What can we do to make sure the City of Austin budget reflects our values? Budgets are often described as “moral documents.” Investments in education, healthcare, parks and recreation and other social services can directly address social issues that our community is …
S1E5 Parks for All: Promoting Equity in Austin’s Parks
In today’s episode, we’ll learn how the city and community partners are working to understand, uncover and address racial equity in Austin. Specifically, we’ll focus on our city’s parks, trails and green spaces. We invited a group of panelists to tackle tough but essential conversations about equity in Austin’s outdoor spaces. We’ll hear about the goals and challenges of racial …
S1E6 Next Generation: Youth Leadership and Environmentalism
The Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan is a community-driven planning process to establish a guiding framework for the restoration and future development of Zilker Metropolitan Park. It is the first comprehensive planning initiative to encompass the park’s 350 acres and associated facilities. In today’s episode, we host the first of 3 conversations about the planning process of Austin’s oldest Metropolitan Park. We …
S1E7 Youth in the Lead: Racial Equity and the Environment
We’ll be hearing from members of the Youth Leadership Working Group and their work to empower young leaders in outdoor spaces. Let me tell you a little bit about what they do: The Youth Leadership Working Group is a collaborative effort by the city and community partner organizations to give young leaders an opportunity to learn and elevate their leadership …
S1E1 6 Feet A Park: Covid-19 Safety in Parks
In our first episode of Season 1, we’re taking you back in time to May 2020. This session originated as a livestream video titled 6 Feet A Park: COVID Safety in Parks. See what we did there? This discussion is focused on keeping parks open on both a city and state level, with an emphasis on doing our part to …
S1E8 Savvy Stewardship: Volunteerism as Critical Parks Care
In our final episode of Season 1, we’re talking about something near and dear to everyone at Austin Parks Foundation: volunteerism. Volunteer projects are critical to the health of our city’s park system. Coordinated efforts between park stewards and city staff can lead to incredible, positive outcomes in our city’s outdoor spaces. We’re thrilled to have Barry Rivera, our Volunteer …
Lunar New Year & COVID-19: Year of the Metal Ox
Featured photo by Nell Carroll. Check out their their website here! Tomorrow marks a brand new year in the lunisolar calendar and celebrations in many Asian countries including China, South Korea and Vietnam. Here in Austin we would normally be preparing for parades, fireworks and festivals at parks and cultural centers across the city. Unfortunately, the threat of COVID-19, coupled …
Austin Marathon 2021: Run with the Austin Parks Foundation Team!
Austin Parks Foundation (APF) is proud to have been selected again as an official charity partner of the 2021 Austin Marathon! That means we need YOU to run with us and help us cross our fundraising finish line. Our goal is $5,000 and we hope you’ll join us in supporting our parks, trails and green spaces. Whether you join us …
Introducing APF’s New Board Members and Officers!
Austin Parks Foundation is excited to announce three new members of our Board of Directors, as well as a new slate of officers who will lead us through new opportunities in 2021! With a wealth of leadership experience, these new board members and officers bring unique expertise to support our work in making our public parks, trails and green spaces …