2023 Golden Shovel Winners Honored for Advocacy, Volunteerism and Community Building in Austin’s Parks

Susan Selesky
People + Parks
, Blog Page

Each year, APF presents our Golden Shovel Awards to people and organizations that have made a big impact on Austin’s parks. We recognize our winners at Party for the Parks, our biggest fundraising event of the year! What makes a Golden Shovel Winner? A Golden Shovel Winner can be an individual, group, or organization that put Austin’s parks at the …

Seed Balls 101: Beginners Guide to Making Seed Balls

AustinParksFoundationIt's My Park Day, Education, Blog Page, Little Hummingbird Society Page

×Hey there! COVID-19 has changed how we do things, and your safety is our priority. Please keep social distancing best practices in mind if you choose to visit parks, trails and green spaces. Thanks, y’all!Seed balls, also known as seed bombs, are one of our favorite ways to bring some color to our volunteer projects. They are an easy way …

Tree Care 101: Beginners Guide to Happy, Healthy Trees

AustinParksFoundationBlog Page, Little Hummingbird Society Page, It's My Park Day, Education

Trees are superheroes when it comes to our planet. They clean the air, combat climate change, keep us cool, save water and so much more! We’ve gathered some helpful tips and tricks so you can keep the trees in your life happy and healthy for years to come. Austin Parks Foundation recognizes the importance of trees not just to our …

2019 Recap: Volunteers, Ribbon Cuttings, Playgrounds, Oh My!

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2020 is here. Austin Parks Foundation is gearing up and excited for a big year of connecting Austinites with high-quality parks, trails and green spaces. In 2019, we finished the decade with thousands of volunteers, increased park funding and more ribbon cuttings than ever before. Thank you, Austin, for helping us improve parks across our city.10,500 Volunteers in Austin ParksIT’S …

Park Partners: It’s My Park Day Volunteers Show Out for Parks Across Austin

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It's My Park! Day
, Volunteer, APF News, It's My Park Day - Through the Years

On Saturday morning, 3,000 volunteers dedicated their morning to serving their favorite parks. We want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who and made It’s My Park Day a huge success. The entire Austin Parks Foundation Staff & Board are so grateful, and we’re counting down the days, hours, and minutes until IMPD Spring 2020. We hope to …

People + Parks: Keeping ACL Music Festival Green

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People + Parks
, Parks

By Elizabeth McGuire When the ACL Music Festival opens its gates at Zilker Park in October and welcomes 75,000 visitors a day, two Austinites will be trusted with making those visitors feel at home. As leaders of the C3 Presents Guest Services Program, Farid Mosher and Emily Sorlie are the Hosts with the Most. But the way they tell it, …

The First Ever It’s My Pool Day Is Happening August 3rd

AustinParksFoundationVolunteer, All Parks

Yep, you read that correctly. There’s going to be an It’s My Pool Day, a day to celebrate Austin’s pools inspired by It’s My Park Day, APF’s bi-annual, city-wide day of volunteering in Austin’s parks, trails and green spaces. Austin summers are hot! Swimming is what keeps us all from losing our minds, but our pools need some love. This …

People + Parks: Healthy Parks, Healthy City

AustinParksFoundationParks, 
People + Parks
, Volunteer, People + Parks, Children's Programming

By Elizabeth McGuire When Elizabeth Krause moved to Austin three years ago, she and her family began their house hunting by visiting parks all over town. “Having young children, it was just a natural criteria for me,” she said. “A big part of why we settled in our current neighborhood was because of its proximity to green spaces, playgrounds and …

People + Parks: Growing Goodness

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People + Parks
, Volunteer, People + Parks, Children's Programming

By Elizabeth McGuire Prince Pen, a 15-year-old high school freshman, is working to establish a community garden in his South Austin neighborhood. He got the idea after successfully bringing fresh vegetables to a nearby corner store that previously stocked only processed foods. And he got that idea after working on a presidential campaign during the 2016 election. That’s right: WHEN …

People + Parks: What A Ride

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People + Parks


By Elizabeth McGuire In the mid 1990s, a flat, empty lot sat on the western edge of downtown Austin, virtually ignored by its neighboring law firms, beauty salons and other small businesses. Developers, too, had dismissed this spot near 9th St. and Lamar Blvd. because of its floodplain status. Besides the substantial shade trees, the property held nothing but a …