Park Neighbors As Local Experts: How We Approach Community Engagement

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At Austin Parks Foundation, we believe that the people who know best about the needs of their parks are those who live near the park! Your perspective as a neighbor and stakeholder provides valuable insight about park priorities. Our community engagement efforts are therefore centered around ensuring that the public is included in the decision-making during park improvement projects and …

Honoring our Adopt-A-Park Team of the Year: Brentwood Park

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Brentwood Park has had a dedicated park adoption team for so long that it goes back before recorded history – APF history, anyway. You can count on Friends of Brentwood Park to run an It’s My Park Day project twice a year, every single year, and round up the best taco and coffee donations from neighborhood businesses to treat their …

How Your Vote Can Help Austin’s Trails and Clean Transportation in 2020

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On August 13th, Austin City Council took a historic step to expand Austin’s trail system. CM Paige Ellis led City Council to add a $460 million safe mobility bond to the ballot in November! Included in this bond is the single largest contribution to Austin’s trails system in history, with $80 million dedicated to building out Austin’s Tier 1 Urban …

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

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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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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, …

Putting Programs to Work: Our Commitment to Inclusivity & Equity in our Programs

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Our commitment to inclusivity & equity in our programs Here at Austin Parks Foundation (APF), we’re committed to creating thoughtful and inclusive programming. And we strive to infuse equity into every project, in order to intentionally bring Black, Indigenous and People of Color neighbors to the table, and include them in the decision-making process. We understand no one can be …

Celebrating Juneteenth: Austin’s Historically Black Parks

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As we celebrate Juneteenth this year, amidst a restored sense of how urgently our city must face the truth of our past and work to improve our present and future, we wanted to take a step into history with you. We’ve gathered some links, photos and stories that we hope will help illustrate just how hard Black Austinites have had …

Project Playback: Helping the Georgian Acres Neighborhood Get Their Park

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The Georgian Acres neighborhood had the highest amount of children and multi-housing units without a park nearby. For many years, residents of the neighborhood have been advocating for the park they were missing. Georgian Acres Neighborhood Association (GANA) was determined to provide their fellow neighbors with a park they would be proud of. They envisioned a new park that would …

Investing in Parks: Austin’s Parks + Trails as Economic Drivers

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On April 7th, the civic world in Austin seemed to halt for a few brief moments. John Hockenyos, an Austin based economist, delivered a less-than-rosy economic impact update to Austin’s City Council in the wake of COVID-19. “I’m hoping that is a slightly pessimistic scenario, but I think it is a realistic scenario,” Hockenyos said.  The scenario predicted Great Depression …

Art in the Parks: 6 Unique Public Art Pieces in Austin’s Parks

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From Blanton Art Museum to the beloved, but newly-housed, Graffiti Park at Castle Hill, there’s no denying that Austinites appreciate good art when they see it. But did you know some of the best art is in the parks? These pieces help us deepen our connection to or understanding of the parks’ history, view the parks and amenities in new …