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 …
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 …
By Elizabeth McGuire For Micaela, Rex and their daughter Maliha, Saturdays are for volunteering. Not just some Saturdays, but every single one. It’s not a matter of if they are volunteering, but where. “I come home Friday night and I ask, what are we doing tomorrow?” said Rex. The answer is usually planting saplings, mulching trees or picking up trash …
By Elizabeth McGuire We’ve all heard this before: one person can make a difference. But really, how? One person can make a difference because one voice can amplify others. One person can inspire dozens. One effort can snowball into action and eventually lead to change. This is how our community improves. So goes the philosophy of Sally Baulch, who has …
By Elizabeth McGuire If you ask Anissa Castillo what she remembers about volunteering with her young family at the last It’s My Park Day, she will talk of quality time, life lessons and good citizenship. If you ask her kids what they remember, they will say, “digging in the mulch and jumping on rock piles!” Both answers are perfect. The …
By Elizabeth McGuire Jennifer Ramos got hooked on hiking when she realized that it nudged her out of her comfort zone and into places she might not otherwise experience. This growing passion led to trail clean-ups, park projects, and eventually a role as an APF Ambassador. To her surprise she found that volunteering mirrored hiking in at least one …
By Elizabeth McGuire Daniela Nunez was raised in a few different parts of central Austin, but no matter the neighborhood, she always had easy access to parks and loved growing up in these green spaces. So when she bought a home in a north Austin neighborhood that lacked nearby parkland, she was determined to help bring one to the area. …
By Elizabeth McGuire When faced with a mountain of grief, one couple found a way to move through it with the help of their friends and their parks. Alexandra Rodriguez and Christopher McBryde are the kind of dog owners who every pup deserves. In 2012 they rescued a 3-month-old Australian cattle dog, and from then on Bailey rarely left their …
by Elizabeth McGuire Like many kids, 12-year-old Kei Yarbrough grew up in parks—climbing on playscapes and running around with friends—but she also spent her early years at those same parks picking up trash and mulching trees. She is quick to say that all of it was fun. Since she was four years old, Kei has been volunteering for parks-related events …
By Elizabeth McGuire For the last 337 days, Austin’s green spaces have been cleaner than ever before. That’s because Julie Sondecker, creator of Instagram’s @365DaysofHiking, has been picking up trash in parks and on trails every single day since May 30, 2017. During her daily outings, she fills her signature blue mesh bag, artfully arranges the trash in a beautiful …
