Intentional Stewardship

As caretakers of this beautiful green space, we are tasked with making environmentally conscious decisions everyday. Urban parks are keystones in conservation and we are mindful of the actions we take and the products we use in caring for Pease Park. Learn about some of the ways in which we are working to accomplish this:

We use nature based products for our cleaning and pest control solutions such as hydrogen peroxide and peppermint essential oil mixture.
Our water usage has decreased with irrigating only 2 days per week as more of our native plantings have become established.

Keeping resources in the park is important to us! All downed limbs get repurposed into habitat for wildlife, are used in the Nature Play area, or are turned into mulch for temperature control and moisture retention for plants.

We use drip irrigation in our plant beds which uses substantially less water than sprinklers.
We strive to implement new sustainable choices in our stewardship of the park. Our next goal is to add solar panels to our new greenhouse to generate our own power for the exhaust fans.

Pride Picnic

Our 2nd annual pride celebration took place this weekend and we are left so full and warm from being in community with everyone who attended. This year, we continued our partnership with Future Front TX and brought out a vendor market comprised of local Austin creatives that are a part of the queer community. Every vendor had something special to share!

Equality Texas and The Equality Alliance also joined us, providing information on Texas legislation and how to get involved. There was also a field day competition for everyone to enjoy! The perfect balance between taking action and having some fun.

We are so grateful to have been able to create a safe space for a family drag sing along to take place. Gothess Jasmine and her drag family lit up the lawn with familiar songs that everyone could find solace in. Even in spite of the heat, everyone was able to delight in the joy of being out together.

Leadership Transition

After successfully leading Pease Park Conservancy through a transformative and visionary period, Heath Riddles-Sanchez will be stepping down as CEO. Under his six-year tenure, Pease Park Conservancy emerged as a leading nonprofit organization, making significant contributions to the community, including the extraordinary reimagining of Kingsbury Commons at Pease Park. Thanks to his exceptional leadership and the dedication of our staff, Pease Park Conservancy is well-positioned for continued success.

Wendy Dunam Tita (2023 Board President) and our Board of Directors are pleased to introduce Chuck Smith as Interim CEO of Pease Park Conservancy.

Chuck has been an integral part of the Conservancy since 2019, serving as Chief Operating Officer during which he has overseen the successful implementation of our award-winning Kingsbury Commons project, guided programming efforts, and stewarded our partnership with the City of Austin. With his extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, including a notable tenure as CEO of Equality Texas, Chuck brings a wealth of expertise and a deep commitment to our mission.

To ensure a seamless transition and the identification of a highly qualified CEO, Pease Park Conservancy has engaged Beacon Nonprofit Consulting and established a dedicated search committee. Comprising influential leaders from both within and outside our organization, the committee will be responsible for conducting a comprehensive search and selection process, ensuring that the next CEO embodies our values and has the necessary expertise to lead us into the future.

Welcome, BreakThrough Summer Interns!