Three people sitting at the top of a hill overlooking trees and a river.

Keep your New Year’s Resolutions in Austin’s Parks

Susan Selesky COVID-19, Blog Page, Park Top LPs Featured, Featured Top LPs, All Parks, APF News, Parks, Featured Projects (Home Page), Featured Parks

New year, new opportunities to explore! Maybe your resolution is to get your heart rate up, try a new hobby or spend more time offline with loved ones (two and four-legged alike). No matter how you want to spend your time this year, Austin’s parks have you covered. We’ve rounded up the perfect spots to help you take your resolutions …

Another Wonderful Year of People + Parks: APF’s 2021 Highlights

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People + Parks
, Featured Projects (Home Page), Featured - Nav (Our Work), Featured - Nav (Fund Your Park), Featured - Nav (Explore the Parks), City Budget, Community Grants, Featured Events (Event Calendar Page), APF News, ACL Music Festival Grants, ACL Grants Landing Page, Featured Top LPs, Park Top LPs Featured, Blog Page, COVID-19, Advocacy

In 2021, Austin Parks Foundation was able to accomplish so much thanks to the generous support of our community. From our donors and sponsors, to volunteers, event attendees, partners and community leaders, we are incredibly grateful for all the ways you have shown your support for parks, trails and green spaces. Below is a brief recap of what we accomplished …

austin's parks rank 45 of 100 largest U.S. cities

Austin Ranks #45 in ParkScore Report, Falling 8 Spots from 2020

AustinParksFoundation ParkScore, Featured Projects (Home Page), APF News, Park Development, Featured Top LPs, Park Top LPs Featured, Blog Page, COVID-19

The Trust for Public Land (TPL), the national organization responsible for assessing and ranking parks in America’s 100 largest cities, released its annual ParkScore rankings. The rankings are based on the five qualities that make park systems great: park access, acreage, amenities like playgrounds and basketball courts, funding to create new parks and maintain and improve existing ones, and, new …

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Protecting People + Parks: It’s My Park Day Spring 2021 Update

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It's My Park! Day
, Parks, Volunteer, Support Our Parks, APF News, All Parks, Featured Top LPs, Blog Page, COVID-19

Though we wish we could return to the original format of It’s My Park Day, the pandemic means it isn’t safe just yet. That’s why we’ve moved the first It’s My Park Day of 2021 to early June. We’re planning a week-long event of virtual volunteering opportunities kicking off on National Trails Day – Saturday, June 5th – and stretching …

mom and daugther flying kite at zilker

8 Great Austin Parks and Green Spaces for Flying a Kite

AustinParksFoundation Featured Parks, Featured Projects (Home Page), Parks, APF News, All Parks, Featured Top LPs, Park Top LPs Featured, Blog Page, COVID-19

As the usual warm Texas weather approaches us, it’s time to get outside and enjoy it! What better way to do so than flying kites? Founded in 1929, the ABC Kite Fest is one of Austin’s favorite, family-friendly traditions. Austin Parks Foundation is thrilled that the kite fest is returning to Zilker Park on April 3, 2022 for the 93rd …

lunar year and covid

Lunar New Year & COVID-19: Year of the Metal Ox

AustinParksFoundation APF News, Blog Page, COVID-19, Parks Equity

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 …

volunteers build outdoor classroom

Outdoor Learning: APF Awards Grants to Several Austin ISD Elementary Schools

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In December 2020, Austin Parks Foundation (APF) awarded grants to six Austin ISD schools to create new outdoor classroom areas. The following elementary schools received a grant for $2,000 each: Oak Springs, Pecan Springs, Andrews, Cook and Pickle. Gullett Elementary School received a matching “Challenge Grant” of $1,000 to help build an outdoor stage for the school and community.  “We are …

highlighting our parks programming in 2020

Looking Back, Moving Forward: Highlighting Our Parks Programming in 2020

AustinParksFoundation Featured Projects (Home Page), Zilker Train, COVID-19, Blog Page, Park Top LPs Featured, Featured Top LPs, Park Development, All Parks, APF News, Parks

2020 was a tough year. As we all spent more time at home than ever before, we also relied on Austin’s outdoor spaces as a much-needed respite. Many things were different, but our mission to improve parks, trails and green spaces across Austin remained that same. Many of Austin Parks Foundation’s programs relied on in-person events and gatherings before March …

Gardening 101: How to Start Your Own Garden at Home!

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Education
, Children's Programming, Blog Page, COVID-19

Written by Ladye Anne Wofford, former Chief Mission Officer at Austin Parks Foundation With so many of us spending more time at home, this is a great opportunity to get your very own garden started! If you’re a new gardener, you’re in luck! Austin has ample resources to get you started off on the right foot. Fall in Central Texas …

Victory at City Hall: Essential Funds for Parks Added to the City Budget

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, APF News, All Parks, Park Advocacy, Park Development, Park History, Blog Page, COVID-19

It’s been a tough year for Austin’s parks. Already perennially underfunded, Austin’s parks and trails systems have been inundated, due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Tens of thousands of new users, overwhelming some of Austin’s most beloved parks, have taken their toll. Whether it be habitat degradation, increased littering and pollution, or just the daily wear and tear from thousands of visitors, …