Podcasts about austin parks foundation

For the last few years, the outdoors has become an extension of our homes even more. What many don't know is how our community parks stay clean, events come together and why they partner with festivals. In this episode, we hear from the CEO of Austin Parks Foundation, Colin Wallis, as he shares how the foundation gives back to the community and how its partnership with Austin City Limits Music Festival came about. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Season 3 of the Austin ParksCast! We're excited to bring you stories of park champions, host some tough but important conversations, and give you an inside look at Austin's parks system. From the whole team at Austin Parks Foundation, we're really grateful for your support. Thanks for tuning in! Seasons 1 and 2 of the ParksCast are available on your favorite podcast platforms! There are 26 episodes available now, and you can always listen to each episode and read the show notes at parkscast.org. As you may know, Austin Parks Foundation is in the process of restoring the mini train at Zilker Park. While we're making a lot of progress, there are still a few steps to complete before the train is ready for everyone to enjoy. You can get the latest news and updates for the mini train at zilkertrain.org/construction or by following the Zilker Eagle on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. In today's episode, you'll hear my conversation with Ian Ingram and Becky Wittsche - the local artists that created the new tunnel mural for the Zilker Eagle! We talk about their journey as artists, what public art means to them, their creative process for the new mural, and much more. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did! They created a truly unique experience for riders as the mini train passes under the Barton Springs Road bridge. We can't wait for y'all to see it in person, and we're excited for Austinites and visitors to enjoy the mural for years to come. Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. More information about the work we do to improve parks, trails and green spaces for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

With Giving Tuesday happening on November 30th, we thought it would be a great time to talk with the President of YNPN Austin, Alyssa Clark! Grant spoke with Alyssa about young donors and trends they're seeing in the way people give their time, money, and expertise in Austin, TX. We talk about the networking and professional development opportunities that YNPN offers to young non-profit professionals. Alyssa also gives some advice on how anyone can engage with local organizations that are doing work that speaks to them. You can learn more about YNPN's mission and programs at ynpnaustin.org. Whether you're listening to this on Giving Tuesday or any old day, it's always a great time to learn about how you can help non-profits in Austin, TX. If you'd like to support Austin Parks Foundation, head to austinparks.org to see how you can help local parks, trails and green spaces. If you'd like to give the week of Giving Tuesday, head to austinparks.org/give/ today! Your support means the world to us! Well, that's all for the intro. Let's dive into the episode! As always, head to parkscast.org if you'd for more information and announcements for each episode. Thanks so much for tuning in!

In today's episode, Austin Parks Foundation's CEO Colin Wallis talks with Emmett Beliveau, the Chief Operating Officer of C3 Presents. In case you didn't know, C3 creates, markets and produces live experiences, concerts, and events across the globe. This includes world-renowned music festivals like Austin's own ACL Music Festival, Lollapalooza in Chicago, Bonnaroo in Tennessee and many more. For over 15 years, C3 Presents and Austin Parks Foundation have worked together to bring ACL Music Festival to Zilker Park. ACL Fest fans have generated over $41.6M for Austin's drastically underfunded parks system. With these dollars, APF is able to fund community-initiated renovation projects in parks, trails and green spaces across our city. Colin and Emmett talk about the history of our partnership as well as some memories, including the infamous Dillo Dirt incident. They talk about the challenges presented by a global pandemic and the steps taken to ensure festival-goers are safe moving forward. Announcements: Tickets are on sale NOW for Party for the Parks at ACL Music Festival! Help us raise $300,000 for Austin's parks, trails and green spaces. Did we mention that the Black Pumas are performing? Get your tickets and more information at party.austinparks.org! Volunteer events are back! Check out Austin Parks Foundation's event calendar for available volunteer opportunities in a park near you. We can't wait to help our parks with y'all! Did you know APF has a merch store? Visit shop.austinparks.org to get some awesome gear or apparel for your next park adventure! Want to help shape the future of Zilker Park? Your opinion matters! Check out the Zilker Vision Plan and let your voice be heard. Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. More information about the work we do to improve parks, trails and green spaces for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

Today we are excited to bring you a conversation with the Chairs of three City of Austin Quality of Life Commissions, with a focus on how parks, trails, green spaces, and public places impact Austinites' quality of life. We hope you'll learn about the role these commissions play in learning from, engaging with, and advocating for Austin's diverse communities. Our guests for this discussion are Daryl Horton, Chair of the African American Quality of Life Commission, Kathryn Gonzalez, Chair of the LGBTQIA+ Quality of Life Commission, and Kirk Yoshida, Chair of the Asian American Quality of Life Commission. You can stay informed about and engaged in their work through austintexas.gov/department/quality-life, where you can find useful updates and directly contact members. Announcements: We have created a blog for our podcast and show notes! Check out parkscast.org today to get a deeper dive into each episode. Volunteer events are back! Check out Austin Parks Foundation's event calendar for available volunteer opportunities in a park near you. We can't wait to help our parks with y'all! Did you know APF has a merch store? Visit shop.austinparks.org to get some awesome gear or apparel for your next park adventure! Want to help shape the future of Zilker Park? Your opinion matters! Check out the Zilker Vision Plan and let your voice be heard. Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. More information about the work we do to improve parks, trails and green spaces for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

In this episode, we are so pleased to bring you a conversation with John Aquino, Community Engagement Co-Chair for the Human Rights Campaign's Austin Chapter (HRC ATX). The Human Rights Campaign and HRC Foundation together serve as America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve LGBTQ equality. “​​By inspiring and engaging individuals and communities, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBTQ people and realize a world that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all. The Human Rights Campaign envisions a world where lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people are ensured equality and embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.” The Austin chapter is a volunteer-led organization that engages in local and state legislative issues that affect the LGBTQ Community. Be sure to follow HRC ATX on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to learn more about how to get involved! Announcements: We have created a blog for our podcast and show notes! Check out parkscast.org today to get a deeper dive into each episode. Volunteer events are back! Check out Austin Parks Foundation's event calendar for available volunteer opportunities in a park near you. We can't wait to help parks in-person with y'all! Did you know APF has a merch store? Visit shop.austinparks.org to get some awesome gear or apparel for your next park adventure! We need your help to secure up to a $100,000 grant for the new mini train at Zilker Park! Help us reach our crowdfunding goal of $6,000 before August 13th by making a donation here. We must reach our goal in order to qualify for the grant! Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. More information about the work we do to improve parks, trails and green spaces for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

Howdy, y'all! In today's episode, we've got a super fun interview with Texas two-step instructor Beth Coffey! You can find Beth at The White Horse, the infamous East Austin honky tonk, on Thursday nights teaching Austinites and visitors alike the art of two-stepping. Beth is an 8th generation Texan, born and raised in San Angelo. She was brought up in a big Czech and Irish family and learned to two-step at a young age. She loves parks and the outdoors but specifically spending time near Walnut Creek and Lady Bird Lake. Her journey with dance has taken her to some really exciting places, including being the Smithsonian's official ambassador of Texas and dancing with NASA pilots! We talk about how music and dance bring people together, and the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Beth is also our Two-Step instructor for our final Fitness in the Park class, which will air Saturday, August 7th at 10 am. She also offers private lessons for weddings, company parties and much more through her business Dancin' Austin, so be sure to check it out! We also want to give a shoutout to country music artist, Weldon Hensen. He's a Texas country artist that can be found touring the historic dance halls across the state! Beth's husband is in Weldon's band, and she highly recommends giving their music a listen. Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. More information about the work we do to improve parks, trails and green spaces for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

In today's episode, Grant interviews Tai Chi Master Vince Cobalis who was kind enough to be a part of our Fitness in the Park series! His class premieres Saturday, July 24th at 10 am on APF's YouTube Channel, but you can watch it anytime at austinparks.org/fitness! Vince has practiced martial arts since 1968 and Tai Chi since 1981. He grew up in El Paso and was the only Asian student in his high school. After graduating, he moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas. He moved to California for a few years, but moved back to Austin in 1980 and has lived here ever since. Learn more about Ip Sun Tai Chi on his website and Facebook page! We talk about his journey becoming Tai Chi Master, the difference between the internal and external practice of Tai Chi, the importance of nature and the outdoors and, of course, his pick for Austin's best taco. *UPDATE* Vince noticed that he misspoke and asked that we correct the following: He retired from his role as Assistant Director of Austin Public Health for the City of Austin in 2012. Announcements: Volunteer events are back in full swing! Check out Austin Parks Foundation's event calendar for available volunteer opportunities in a park near you. We can't wait to help parks in-person with y'all! Did you know APF has a merch store? Visit shop.austinparks.org to get some awesome gear or apparel for your next park adventure! We need your help to secure up to a $100,000 grant for the new mini train at Zilker Park! Help us reach our crowdfunding goal of $6,000 before August 13th by making a donation here. We must reach our goal in order to qualify for the grant! Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. More information about the work we do to improve parks, trails and green spaces for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

In this episode, we are excited to bring you a conversation with the Chief Executive Officer of Equality Texas, Ricardo Martinez. Equality Texas is a non-profit advocacy organization, whose mission is to “secure full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Texans through political action, education, community organizing, and collaboration.” We examine how parks, trails, and public spaces impact the quality of life for our LGBTQ+ community and discuss ways that parks could become more welcoming, inclusive spaces. Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. Find out more information about the work we do to improve parks, trails and green spaces for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

In today's episode, we're taking you back to our Park Summit Series session from May! In 2020, community engagement in support of public projects was completely transformed by COVID-19. Organizations and consulting firms with meaningful community engagement as their primary mission had to pivot their approaches to meet public health challenges. Listen and learn how these groups maintained connections to the community, promoted public decision-making through virtual platforms, weathered the challenges and the triumphs, and what the future holds as the pandemic conditions improve! Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. Find out more information about the work we do to improve parks, trails and green spaces for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

In today's episode, we interviewed local boxing instructor Ashley Bazan from Austin Women's Boxing Club about her fitness journey! Ashley has won multiple local boxing championships and is passionate about teaching the art of boxing. She's also our instructor for our virtual Boxing class airing Saturday, June 26th at 10 am. You can watch any of our previous Fitness in the Parks classes whenever you're ready to break a sweat at austinparks.org/fitness. Learn more about Austin Women's Boxing Club and the classes they provide at austinwomensboxingclub.com! Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. Find out more information about the work we do to improve parks for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

Grant invites Barry, Volunteer Manager at APF, to have a conversation with local artist Ken Rudolph! We talked about the design he created for our It's My Park Day t-shirt as well as his involvement in the Pillars Project at Rosewood Park. Our conversation covers everything from his art business, Highly Favored Art, to the existence of aliens. Be sure to check out his fantastic paintings, prints, and merch at highlyfavoredart.store and follow him on Instagram! Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. Find out more information about the work we do to improve parks for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

Welcome to Part 2 of our Mental Health Awareness Month episodes! We're highlighting the work of individuals that connect people to the healing qualities of nature and the outdoors during the month of May. Today we are excited to bring you a conversation with Amber Jekot. Amber is a deep lover of all things outdoors, a late-night gardener, and a holder of dual master's degrees in Social Work and Divinity. Amber is the owner and therapist at Ecotherapy Austin and loves talking about the indispensable connection between ecological justice and human flourishing. You can follow her on Instagram or check out her website! Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. Find out more information about the work we do to improve parks for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

In this episode of the Austin ParksCast, we talked with Brian Carter, CXO of Capital Metro, about our partnership! We chat about how the COVID-19 pandemic affected public transportation, our Fitness in the Park series, the Zilker Eagle, the best taco in Austin, and more. Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. Find out more information about the work we do to improve parks for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

In a two-episode series, we're highlighting the work of individuals that connect people to the healing qualities of nature and the outdoors. Today we're excited to bring you part one featuring a conversation with Aliya Rose, Jacob Fisher, and Timea Chemez! With incredibly diverse skill sets, these three are regenerative culture and land advocates who offer eco and equine therapeutic experiences to diverse groups of people and organizations. Their immersive nature-based experiences rely on the intrinsic wisdom of our ecosystem as a template for living more mindful, meaningful, and equitable lives. Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. Find out more information about our Parks Summit series, and the work we do to improve parks for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

Introducing Summit Sidebars: in-depth conversations with people and organizations dedicated to making parks and the outdoors more accessible. These audio-only episodes are Austin ParksCast exclusives, so be sure to listen today! At Austin Parks Foundation, we love highlighting the work of other organizations committed to promoting access, inclusivity and diversity in the outdoors. Our guests today are the founders of Outdoor Rep, Rakhi Agrawal and Jack Schleifer! In their own words - they “aim to make the outdoors more accessible to members of low-income BIPOC communities by getting gear into peoples’ hands, and elevating the art, creations and voices of people of color in the outdoors." Check out their website at outdoorrep.org for more info and to get involved! Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. Find out more information about our Parks Summit series, and the work we do to improve parks for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

In Austin, the city and community partners are collaborating to ensure that all of Austin’s children, regardless of race or income, have abundant access to nature’s proven benefits. During this session, you’ll learn how Austin’s Cities Connecting Children to Nature (CCCN) collaborative’s data-driven approach brings together city departments, Austin ISD, and multiple non-profit and community-based partners to improve children’s health and close the nature gaps for the kids who need it most. Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. Find out more information about our Parks Summit series, and the work we do to improve parks for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

In our first episode of Season 1, we’re taking you back in time to May 2020. This session originated as a livestream video titled 6 Feet A Park: COVID Safety in Parks. See what we did there? This discussion is focused on keeping parks open on both a city and state level, with an emphasis on doing our part to keep each other safe in the midst of COVID-19. Though this session is from May of 2020, MUCH of it is still relevant today as we continue to deal with COVID-19. We hope some of these tips will help you stay safe out in the parks! Our guests include Rodney Franklin - Director of Texas Parks & Wildlife, Kimberly McNeely - Director of the Austin Parks & Recreation Department, and Austin Parks Foundation’s CEO Colin Wallis. Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. Find out more information about our Parks Summit series, and the work we do to improve parks for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

In our second episode of Season 1, we’re Talking Trails. Specifically, you’ll hear about the planning, funding and management of Austin’s trail system as well as the physical and mental health benefits our urban trails provide. It’s no secret that Austinites love our city’s trails and greenbelts, but have you ever wondered how they came to be? Who takes care of them? This session has answers for you! This livestream session was our first of 2020, originally airing on April 23rd, but the history and structure of our trail system, and your voice in advocating for it, is more relevant now than ever. We partnered with Shoal Creek Conservancy, Hill Country Conservancy and invited guests from the City of Austin’s Transportation and Public Works Departments. Check out the original livestream video at austinparks.org/summit! Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. Find out more information about our Parks Summit series, and the work we do to improve parks for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

In this episode, we’re taking you back to our Park Summit Session from June 17, 2020. This session is titled: Essential Spaces: Making Parks A Priority and focuses on the importance of parks and civic engagement in the time of COVID-19. Our guests include Austin City Council Member Paige Ellis, Christine Chute Canul from the Austin Parks & Recreation Department as well as Austin Parks Foundation Staff. My co-host Kathleen will introduce the Parks Summit Series and our guest speakers will tell you about themselves and their work. As a reminder, this session was originally in video format, you can view the presentations in the original livestream video at ausitnparks.org/summit! Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. Find out more information about our Parks Summit series, and the work we do to improve parks for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

Today’s conversation focuses on how our city’s budget impacts public assets like our parks, trails and green spaces. What can we do to make sure the City of Austin budget reflects our values? Budgets are often described as “moral documents.” Investments in education, healthcare, parks and recreation and other social services can directly address social issues that our community is experiencing. The good news is that you can help! If we want our city’s budgets to reflect what’s important to us, we must raise our voices. We can also amplify the voices of those who are historically underserved and underrepresented. We’re honored to have Andrew Hairston from Texas Appleseed as well as Tiffany Cabin and Lucas Massey from the Austin Parks and Recreation Department. Learn more about Texas Appleseed and the work they do to promote social and economic justice for all Texans at texasappleseed.org. Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. Find out more information about our Parks Summit series, and the work we do to improve parks for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

In today’s episode, we’ll learn how the city and community partners are working to understand, uncover and address racial equity in Austin. Specifically, we’ll focus on our city’s parks, trails and green spaces. We invited a group of panelists to tackle tough but essential conversations about equity in Austin’s outdoor spaces. We’ll hear about the goals and challenges of racial equity work, current initiatives, and why it’s so important for residents to be aware and engaged in this effort. My co-host Kathleen will introduce the session then hand the reins to our guest host, Rocio Villalobos of the City of Austin Equity Office. A huge thank you to our guests LaJuan Tucker from the Austin Parks and Recreation Department, Starla Simmons from the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas and Kellee Coleman from the City of Austin Equity Office. If you'd like to watch the livestream video of this Park Summit Session, head to austinparks.org/summit! Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. Find out more information about our Parks Summit series, and the work we do to improve parks for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

In this Park Summit session, Isabella Teran, Development Coordinator at Austin Parks Foundation, talked with Asvini Thivakaran about her mission to save the environment and how kids can help in big and small ways. Asvini is an award-winning environmental activist and 6th-grade student. Check out her website and YouTube channel. She’s been volunteering in the parks since she was in 2nd grade! We’re so impressed with all she’s accomplished and excited to see what big things she’ll do next. We also had the opportunity to talk about how kids can engage with and protect our parks through APF’s kids club, Little Hummingbird Society! Learn more about member benefits at austinparks.org/lhs. Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. Find out more information about our Parks Summit series, and the work we do to improve parks for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

We’ll be hearing from members of the Youth Leadership Working Group and their work to empower young leaders in outdoor spaces. Let me tell you a little bit about what they do: The Youth Leadership Working Group is a collaborative effort by the city and community partner organizations to give young leaders an opportunity to learn and elevate their leadership skills and voices in a supportive community dedicated to equity and access. In this facilitated discussion, young leaders will touch on personal connections to nature, barriers to young BIPOC (an acronym that means Black, Indigenous, People of Color) in the pursuit of environmental and nature-based careers, actions underway now, and actions that SHOULD be taken to uplift underserved communities. Check out the livestream video at austinparks.org/summit! Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. Find out more information about our Parks Summit series, and the work we do to improve parks for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

In our final episode of Season 1, we’re talking about something near and dear to everyone at Austin Parks Foundation: volunteerism. Volunteer projects are critical to the health of our city’s park system. Coordinated efforts between park stewards and city staff can lead to incredible, positive outcomes in our city’s outdoor spaces. We’re thrilled to have Barry Rivera, our Volunteer Manager at APF, facilitate this discussion. We’d like to thank our guests for joining us today including: Jerry Levenson and David Todd - veteran park stewards, Patrick Chaiken from the City of Austin Park Ranger Program as well as James Duff from the City of Austin Wildlife Division. Volunteer events are a core part of what we do at Austin Parks Foundation. In the midst of COVID-19, in-person volunteer events have been on pause as parks, trails and green spaces were seeing unprecedented use. A phrase we like to use is “over-loved.” As restrictions ease we hope to get you back out into the parks soon, so stay tuned on our website at austinparks.org/volunteer. We’re excited for you to hear from our guests on the importance of volunteering. Check out the video version of this Park Summit Session at austinparks.org/summit! Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. Find out more information about our Parks Summit series, and the work we do to improve parks for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

Do you love Austin's parks and trails? You're in the right place! In our intro episode, hosts Grant and Kathleen talk about what to expect from the Austin ParksCast episodes as well as details on Seasons 1 & 2. Click here for a full transcript of the episode. Music provided by Honey Son, the stage moniker of multi-instrumentalist crooner Mars Wright. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. Find out more information about our Parks Summit series, and the work we do to improve parks for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

In Austin since 1998, Mark has worked in Austin’s startup community, where he’s helped to build technology teams at several venture-backed startups, including Trilogy Software and SolarWinds. Most recently, Mark has been a long-time part of AlienVault (a cybersecurity company), which was acquired by AT&T in 2018. At AT&T, Mark was an Associate Vice President in their Cybersecurity business. Outside of work, Mark has been a long-time supporter and volunteer at many Austin organizations, including Generation Serve, Habitat for Humanity, Austin Parks Foundation. He is currently serving on the Board at Seedling, and Austin-based mentoring program for children of incarcerated parents.

When state and local orders on public safety no longer align, confusion is an expected outcome. And folks who have been itching for a "return to normal" might see this confusion as a convenient excuse to make individual decisions that risk everyone else's health. Even if you and I stay the course by adhering to safe public health practices, people we know and care about might not. And we must call in our people.This mini-episode was inspired by a recent story in the Austin American-Statesman, "Austin parks crowded Saturday after statewide stay-at-home order lifted," and a CNN coverage of another Austin occurrence, "Park ranger was telling someone to social distance. Mid-speech, someone pushed him into a lake."Austin listeners, please share this fantastic slide deck from Austin Parks Foundation on your Instagram and Twitter. Spread the word! Let's call in our people!This bonus episode was recorded after a trip to HEB on Tuesday, May 5, 2020.

We talked about the City of Austin’s parks, the City’s park budget and the upcoming bond elections. Our guest was John Rooney, Program Coordinator with the Austin Parks Foundation, a non-profit that partners with the community to enhance people’s lives by making public parks, trails and green spaces better through volunteerism, innovative programming, advocacy and financial support. Our second guest was Roman Gonzalez founder of Gardenio, a new local company that sells urban gardening starter boxes so that you can grow your own food in your own backyard.

The Seaholm EcoDistrict is an exciting area of the City of Austin set up to be a model for an eco-friendly district with multi-uses including commercial, residential, municipal and outdoor spaces. There are many stakeholders ensuring the district develops according to the goals of the City. We discussed the new initiative to develop the Seaholm water intake building and what you might see on October 28 when the new library has its grand opening. Our guests were: Colin Wallis, CEO of the Austin Parks Foundation Colin Wallis is the CEO of the Austin Parks Foundation, a non-profit organization that is devoted to building public/private partnerships to develop and maintain the more than 300 parks, trails, and open space in Austin and Travis County. APF seeks to fill the gap between what needs to be done and what our parks department can afford to do. Since 1992, Austin Parks Foundation has initiated, promoted, and facilitated physical improvements, new programming, and greater community involvement for Austin's 19,000-plus acres of parkland. Each year, APF generates millions of dollars in volunteer time, in-kind donations, and financial support for city parks. For more information, visit https://www.austinparks.org/. Brian Ott, The Trail Foundation Brian Ott is an award-winning, LEED-accredited landscape architect. Brian served as The Trail Foundation’s interim executive director for nearly a year and aided in the non-profit’s appointment of Heidi Cohn as executive director in June 2017. He is also a former president of the board of directors for TTF and a longtime board member. Brian was a managing principal of TBG Partners’ Austin office and an integral member of the distinguished landscape architecture and planning firm from 1991 to 2016, playing an essential role in many of the firm's most successful projects during that time. In addition to leading the Austin office, he played a key role in the firm wide leadership including serving as practice director for the firm. He has diverse project experiences that include exemplary and award-winning projects that encompass many project types including healthcare and healing environments, urban infill, corporate, and park design.

The topic of today's show is parks and the City of Austin, Texas. The upcoming budget process and how it may affect our public parks. Our guests were: Ladye Anne Wofford - Chief Mission Officer with the Austin Parks Foundation. David Todd - long-time parks steward and representative of the Friends of Blunn Creek Partnership. He is also the author of The Texas Landscape Project: Nature and People, and The Texas Landscape Project: Studies of Courage and Conservation. He is the executive director of the Conservation History Association of Texas. Carmen Llanes Pulido - Executive Director of Go Austin Vamos Austin. The Trust for Public Land recently ranked Austin’s park system 46th amongst the 100 largest US cities. It wasn’t exactly the kind of stellar review or ranking that Austin is used to receiving. Now, a group of environmental organizations are calling on our local elected officials to do something about it. Austin City Council is currently on summer recess for the month of July, but when they return, most of their energy will be spent on one thing – the city’s budget. Throughout the months of August and September, they’ll be hosting public meetings and hearings on exactly where the city should be spending its money next year. The new budget will go into effect on October 1st. In response, the Austin Parks Foundation is leading an effort to convince City Council to support a $5 million budget increase for the Austin Parks and Recreation Department. On its website, the Austin Parks Foundation explains that these increases are necessary because the department is dealing with a $700 million backlog in repairs and renovations. They also point to the Trust for Public Land ranking, which found that Austin spends $103 per resident each year toward maintaining and enhancing our parks. The top cities spend an average of $208.

Charlie and Kyle sit down with Colin Wallis (@colinwallis), the CEO of Austin Parks Foundation, whose mission is to keep Austin beautiful. With 10,000 volunteers strong, Austin's community shows its appreciation for the city's abundance of parkland. In this episode, Kyle discloses information about his Tinder profile picture while Charlie's dog is mentioned . . . yet again. Plus Charlie and Kyle have two big announcements this episode, listen now to find out what they are! More on the Austin Parks Foundation Donate, volunteer, and find upcoming events on their official website Stay in the loop by following their Twitter Spread your love of Austin's beautiful parks over on APF's Facebook page Keep your social media feed beautiful by following their official Instagram More on Everyday Superhumans Click here for our official website! Rate us on iTunes Like us on Facebook Tweet at us on Twitter Follow us on Instagram Logo by Adam Dodson Designs Music in this episode: Opening & Transition Themes Themes - Take a Chance Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Closing Theme - "Door to Door" by Alex Allen