Austin Trails update 1.15.08

[Charlie McCabe]

Hello Austin Trail Network,

A few updates for you. 

1) It's My Park! Day - April 12, 2008

2) Tree Work at Country Club Creek Trail

3) Turkey Creek Trail at Emma Long Park workday

4) Copperfield Nature Trail workday this Saturday

5) Easements and Trails on Private Lands

6) Send in Your News Items

1) It's My Park! Day - April 12, 2008 - This is your advanced notice of the Austin Parks Foundation's annual one-day city-wide park volunteer workday.  This is our 6th year and we're hoping to exceed our 44 park projects involving over 1,300 volunteers.  Many projects last year focused on trails, which was great.  We'll be sending out a call for projects and project leaders, so if you're looking for an event to get some work done and have us supply volunteers, T-shirts, drinks and snacks and lending of tools, please keep us in mind!  Web page: http://www.austinparks.org/itsmypark.html

2) Tree Work at Country Club Creek Trail. Austin Parks Foundation is funding three weeks worth of work in removing non-native as well as dead or downed trees on about 15-20 acres at Country Club Creek Trail (southwestern portion of Guerrero-Colorado River Park)  We've hired Natural Texas that uses a forestry mower, a cool rubber tracked machine that grinds into trees, pushes them over and grinds them into mulch on site.  I've been out there for a few hours every day picking up lots of trash from old dumps and homeless camps and helping Carl (owner of Natural Texas) pull out a barbed wire fence.  Keeps me honest.  It's going to look great when its done - more info and photos here: http://austinparksfoundation.blogspot.com/

3) Turkey Creek Trail at Emma Long Park workday - the Friends of Turkey Creek (off-leash dog and human trail in West Austin) held a second workday and did all kinds of great improvements, including a great retaining wall - more info and photos here: http://austinparksfoundation.blogspot.com/

4) Copperfield Nature Trail workday this Saturday.  We're expecting up to 60 people (and hopefully more) out at Copperfield Nature Trail in NE Austin on Saturday for trail tread work, mulching, invasive species removal and other tasks.  You can help too - sign up at: 

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1205/t/4029/event/index.jsp?event_KEY=35282

5) Easements and Trails on Private Lands.  Everyone heard about the city council resolution for Country Club Creek Trail (yeah!) but several folks have written and asked what "trails on private property" means, especially with regard to single family residential neighborhoods that may have backyards facing a creek.  My response is that we work to establish easements with willing property owners and in the majority of cases, these will be commerical residential, office or retail developments.  The owners in these cases see the trails as a benefit to their residents, office workers or retail center shoppers.  If you can make what I typed shorter and more consise, please do so.

6) Send in Your News Items.  Actually, you can post them to the mailing list too.

Thanks for reading!

Charlie McCabe

Executive Director

Austin Parks Foundation

701 Brazos, Ste 170

Austin TX 78701

512.477.1566

cmc...@austinparks.org

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Please become a member of the Austin Parks Foundation and help adopt, revitalize and improve Austin's parks. Memberships start at $35 a year.  Details at: http://www.austinparks.org/member.html

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The Austin Parks Foundation participates in payroll contribution plans at many Texas workplaces through Earth Share of Texas. Find out how you can support us at 800-GREENTX or http://www.earthshare-texas.org

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