For many of us, May is one of the most hectic months of the year. It brings finals, deadlines, gatherings, and transitions. Taking care of your mental health can fall by the wayside when you have a lot going on; but without some intentional self-care, our health, relationships, and productivity can suffer.
Dr. Curtis Eckerman, Department Chair of Biology at Austin Community College, is a friend of Pease Park and an expert in moths. Each semester he leads his students in moth studies in Kingsbury Commons and wishes to share this passion with others.
As our featured April blogpost in our series (Conversations in Conservation), he has given us a sneak peek into the magic of mothing.
This spring Dr. Eckerman has graciously extended the invitation for all Austinites to join him and his students in a moth expedition. Click here to join!
The Thomas Dambo team and Pease Park Conservancy volunteers have been hard at work, and our Austin troll is complete! We invite you to come take the Troll Trek and here is how…
Curious about the materials used to build the Pease Park troll?
More than 80% of Malin’s Fountain is made from recycled, repurposed, or found materials. A local sawmill with the mission of giving new life to Austin’s fallen trees, Harvest Lumber Co. recovered materials from a research test tank at The University of Texas JJ Pickle Research Center and custom-milled it to be used for Malin’s Fountain’s exterior cladding. Here are some more specifics.
As National Bird Feeding Month comes to a close, let us reflect – to feed or not to feed?
We are excited to announce that a Thomas Dambo Troll installation will soon be underway in Pease Park! After overwhelming support from the community during community engagement in the fall and an extensive review process with the City of Austin, this project is a go!
Thomas Dambo Troll Frequently Asked Questions
Please read through the Frequently Asked Questions about the Thomas Dambo Troll being installed in Pease Park. If you still have questions that remain unanswered, please reach out to us at info@peasepark.org.
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Pease Park Conservancy is thrilled to host its 3rd annual MLK Day Food Drive, a dedicated day of service aimed at alleviating local communities' food insecurity.
We invite you to join this initiative by bringing donations to the Tudor Cottage in Kingsbury Commons on Monday, January 15th between 12 pm and 2 pm! Large heavy-weight boxes to help transport donations are appreciated too.
Have you seen the really big dragonflies?
Like their giant ancestors from a prehistoric era, these brightly colored Odonates will glide along Shoal Creek in Pease Park through April of 2024. Enter the Dragonfly, previously exhibited in Waller Creek as a part of Waterloo Greenway’s Creek Show in 2022, draws our attention to some of the creatures that need the complex riparian ecosystem that the creek provides. Scaled down, you might have even seen a Flame Skimmer or Blue Dasher in similar bright colors along the creek on a summer day.
We value the importance of being mindful with gift-giving, especially during the holiday season. By supporting local businesses, creating handmade gifts, or donating to causes that hold a special place in our hearts we can make a positive impact in our community. To make things easier for you, we've put together a gift guide that features a variety of local businesses and organizations that you can support. We hope that this guide will help make your gift-giving experience more meaningful and enjoyable!
We Are Hiring!
The Park Operations Tech is responsible for facilities, grounds, and custodial maintenance under the supervision of the Director of Park Operations. The Park Operations Tech will provide quality upkeep of the 7-acre Kingsbury Commons section of Pease Park. This position is foundational to Pease Park’s vision of ensuring a clean, safe, and high-quality visitor experience.Committees, on fundraising efforts.
With the support and curiosity of groups and individuals, Pease Park continues to thrive as an urban greenspace for all. It is our commitment and privilege to sustain Austin’s first and oldest park alongside the very people who cherish the ecosystem.
It’s with great honor and importance that Pease Park Conservancy fulfills its role in preserving this 84 acres of green space. We foster Pease Park for the sustainable use and enjoyment of all by working collaboratively with city departments, community groups, and partner organizations on conservation efforts at the park.
Environmental learning is a core value of the Conservancy. Our field trip program is part of our commitment to encourage the next generation of Austinites to steward our natural areas and green spaces.
With a new academic year, we wanted to take a second to talk about renaming our field trip program from the Ecologist School to the Peasecology School, while giving you a glimpse into what the year has in store.
Welcome to Nicole Netherton, who will join Pease Park Conservancy as the new Chief Executive Officer starting on Monday, November 6! Nicole’s background is in nonprofit management for environmental conservation organizations, and she was most recently the Executive Director for Travis Audubon, a position she held for five and a half years.
You might remember, Pease Park Conservancy and the Tejemos Foundation are exploring the possibility of a public art donation to the City of Austin in Pease Park: a Thomas Dambo Troll. We have heard from nearly 1,500 people through our survey and 85% of those who have responded are in support of the Thomas Dambo Troll being installed in Pease Park. We have learned a lot and we want to provide you with an update.
Hispanic Heritage Month starts today and Pease Park Conservancy is honored to have cultivated a team with such rich and diverse backgrounds!
Representation matters and thanks to these incredible individuals, we have been able to broaden our community offerings and how we serve Spanish speakers through bilingual communications, programming, and our Ecologist School Field Trips. Join us in celebrating the value and leadership they bring to the organization and its mission by getting to know them!
Thomas Dambo Troll in Pease Park
Pease Park Conservancy is exploring the feasibility of a public artwork donation from the Tejemos Foundation and the Conservancy to the City of Austin. The proposed artwork is a Thomas Dambo troll sculpture made from recycled and reused wood that would be commissioned and installed in Pease Park in early 2024. Please read through our FAQs here before completing the survey attached below.
Thank you for providing your input on this idea through this very brief survey.
Tree enthusiast and ISA Certified Arborist, Colleen Dieter, tells us all about the rare and beloved Big Tooth Maple and why it is important. Colleen Dieter will be leading a FREE Tree Identification walk at Pease Park in Austin on Sept. 9 2023 from 10:30-12:30. You’ll learn how to identify trees and collect seeds from them to contribute to Central Texas Seed Savers’ Seed to Tree Pipeline Program. Register here.
As Latino Conservation Week comes to an end, we want to reflect on the many different ways in which Latinos are playing a role in conservation. From organizing events for groups to spend time in nature like Latino Outdoors’ initiative does, to working in land management, parks departments, and leading research across various topics concerning conservation - the work doesn’t end here! We hope you’ll stay connected with this initiative led by the Hispanic Access Foundation!
Thank you for your feedback and concerns regarding the splash pad at Pease Park.
At this time, public safety remains our top priority. We cannot reopen the water feature until we are absolutely certain it is safe to do so. The sophisticated controller equipment that continuously monitors water quality, dispenses the chemicals, and automatically shuts off the splash pad when water quality is out of balance must be operating properly to ensure that it is safe for play. Unhealthy water quality can cause illness and death.We want to assure you that we are working diligently to diagnose the problem and make the necessary repairs. We are working with GPSI, the firm that designed and built the splash pad, as well as IPS, the manufacturer of the controller equipment.
For the past 10 years, the week of July 15 through July 23rd has been recognized as Latino Conservation Week - An initiative led by the Hispanic Access Foundation to further amplify the presence of Latinos in the outdoors. During this time organizations and community groups across the country have gathered and participated in various events to promote conservation efforts in their local environments.
In honor of Latino Conservation Week, we spoke to Josie (San Antonio Regional Coordinator) and Bianca (Program Coordinator) of Latino Outdoors about the history of Latino Outdoors, the work that they do and why it’s important to build an inclusive outdoors:
Pease Park Conservancy (PPC) seeks a confident, thoughtful, dynamic, and committed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with passion for the mission of Pease Park Conservancy, conservation, restoration, connection, and community centric programming. The successful candidate will have executive level experience and be a vital member of the team leading PPC through sustainability and growth, furthering the organization’s leadership in Austin’s nonprofit community.
We’re halfway through the year! Catch up with all the things that have been growing on with us!
Learn more about the Pease Park Conservancy partners and Future Front Market vendors who will be bringing the fun to Pride Picnic on Sunday, June 25! We can’t wait to celebrate spring with you all!
Our human disposition for curiosity and observation are the fundamental skills that make everyone an Ecologist in some capacity. This is part of the reason The Conservancy leads the Ecologist School Field Trip Program. This program is a a joint service-learning opportunity between Pease Park Conservancy and Families in Nature with the intent of increasing environmental literacy and encouraging student interest in the environment. In a single semester we have engaged over 290 students from 5 schools in the Austin-metro area and look forward to continuing this service.
Read on to learn more about the program and how you can get involved!
Over the last six months Pease Park Conservancy has been working diligently to plan and now construct the new PPC Greenhouse! Read on to learn more about the project’s beginnings and how it’s going so far!
2022 was a year of rapid growth at Pease Park Conservancy. In the areas of Operations and Maintenance, Conservation, and Programming, we made great strides toward creating a green space that is beautiful, well-maintained, and welcoming to all.
Please read our 2022 Impact Report to learn more about all that was accomplished by our Pease Park Conservancy team last year.
From Pease Corps volunteer opportunities to petitions and more, read on to check out all the ways you can get involved with Pease Park Conservancy this May to support this special place!
We Are Hiring!
The Park Operations Tech is responsible for facilities, grounds, and custodial maintenance under the supervision of the Director of Park Operations. The Park Operations Tech will provide quality upkeep of the 7-acre Kingsbury Commons section of Pease Park. This position is foundational to Pease Park’s vision of ensuring a clean, safe, and high-quality visitor experience.Committees, on fundraising efforts.