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!
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:
One of February’s long celebrated moments of remembrance. Since 1976 we have made it an American practice to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” — Pease Park Conservancy is working to center narratives, prioritize experiences, and most importantly to restructuralize how public land is cultivated and shared.
This past weekend, just north of the historic 24th street bridge, a generous group of volunteers helped clear out five patches of invasive Johnson grass, clear out the thick undergrowth of intrusive Bermuda grass, plant an assortment of 80 native plants in their place, and restore a rich, organic layer of topsoil mixed with native grass seeds in the area.
Making news again this summer is the blue-green algae blooms that have been found in Lady Bird Lake at Red Bud Isle, Vic Mathias Shores, and Festival Beach. While blue-green algae may not be entirely new to Austin, as it has been here in a limited way for some time, the widespread proliferation of it is a new phenomenon
Pease Park could use your help. Since we’ve been social distancing, we haven’t been able to host our annual Spring volunteer events in the park. We’re asking our volunteers to help us out and help curb some of the Ragweed and litter that has found itself in Pease Park while also maintaining a safe distance away from each other.
Join us April 24-27 while we take part in the City Nature Challenge, which is a four day challenge that is now taking place individually where we get as many people in Austin to participate in spotting and uploading different species that they find in their area, whether that is their backyard, neighborhood park or Pease Park.
Springtime in Texas is synonymous with vibrant displays of wildflowers, and Pease Park is no exception. This past “It’s My Park Day,” Pease Park Conservancy helped prepare the park for a spectacular floral bloom come this Spring. With the help of 100 volunteers and the assistance of the Austin Watershed Protection Department, a total of 36,000 square feet of the park over six different locations, were prepped and seeded with a carefully selected mix of wildflower seeds, perfect for Central Texas and its wildlife.
