100 Projects Austinites, y’all continue to impress us! It’s My Park Day proves time and time again just how beloved Austin’s parks are. It’s My Park Day Impact: The impact from these projects extends well beyond a Saturday morning in the park. At these 100 projects, there were 3,568 volunteers. Again, WOW! Volunteers and project leaders were able to remove 42,750 pounds of trash and spread 816 cubic yards of mulch. This work will continue to make our public parks, trails and green spaces better for everyone. We are so grateful to everyone who took part in this event! Without our com ..read more

Austin Parks Foundation is excited to announce that we are a recipient of a Community Placemaking Grant from Project for Public Spaces, funded by General Motors, to improve Parque Zaragoza. As part of the grant, Project for Public Spaces and Austin Parks Foundation are teaming up with the City of Austin’s Park and Recreation Department and the Amigos de Parque Zaragoza  – the “adopt a park” group that has successfully advocated for several park improvements in the park. Through this Community Placemaking Grant, we will collaborate to transform an unused former driveway next to the park in ..read more

This month we have TWO Open Workday events (2/3 and 2/9) – and they’re both taking place along Upper Bull Creek Greenbelt near the Old Lampasas Dam Trail. If you haven’t heard, the City of Austin’s Old Lampasas Dam Modernization Project is in full swing. This project aims to replace the damaged primary outlet, improve the dam spillway, and modify the shape and elevation of the embankment.  So how do our Open Workdays fit in? Great question! During these projects, we will collect natural materials (think logs, rocks, etc.) for Austin Parks and Recreation Department’s Nature Play and Loose ..read more

This week, we remember APF super volunteer Mike Valescu, whose tireless work, alongside Malcom Yeatts, made Austin’s outdoor spaces better for all.  Mike was a dedicated volunteer with groups like Keep Austin Beautiful, Central Area Master Naturalists, Austin Parks Foundation and TreeFolks, and was unmatched in his commitment to our community and our environment. The greenspace and trail along Country Club Creek benefitted from his advocacy and volunteer efforts. On Saturday, January 27, Mike was memorialized with a tree planting event led by TreeFolks at Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River Me ..read more

Austin Parks Foundation (APF) is pleased to announce our Fall 2023 ACL Music Festival Grant awards to parks across Austin! A total of $205,600 in grants will fund improvements and amenities identified by community members.  Neighborhood Grants ($500 to $5000): Parque Zaragoza (78702, City Council District 3) $5,600 for shade tree installation around the playground Community Impact Grants ($5000 and above): Dottie Jordan Neighborhood Park (78723, City Council District 1) $50,000 for a shade structure over the playground Elisabet Ney Museum (78751, City Council District 9) $25,000 towards t ..read more

The trees are changing, the temperature has dropped…it’s time to #TakeAHike! No, seriously, it’s #NationalTakeAHikeDay and we’ve got some great hikes here in Austin. Below are six hikes that APF staff members have recommended – are you ready to hit the trail? St. Edward’s Greenbelt This hidden gem in Northwest Austin is the perfect destination for hikers and trail runners alike and features a stunning natural swimming hole to cool off after your trek. Spicewood Valley Trail This quaint trail sits inside the Spicewood Estates neighborhood offering an escape from the hustle and bustle. P ..read more

Today is kind of a big dill: It’s #NationalPickleDay! At APF, we’re celebrating the holiday with a healthy debate over which pickles are the best – some say Bubbies while others say Claussen. But we can all agree on one thing: pickles are good. While you ponder your personal pickle pick, we hope you’ll enjoy this pickle-adjacent topic: pickleball! As America’s fastest growing sport (you read that right!), pickleball’s popularity stems from the fact that anyone can play – from young kids to grandparents and everyone in between. The gear needed: paddle, pickleball. And before you buy either, sto ..read more

Com·mu·ni·ty nounA group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. It’s My Park Day: As we reflect on the 20th anniversary of It’s My Park Day, this word – community – rises to the top of the conversation. Everywhere you looked on Saturday, November 4th, there was a ‘Volunteer Here’ sign–93 to be exact.  The impact from these projects extends well beyond a Saturday morning in the park. At these 93 sites, there were 2,940 volunteers. That’s where the word community comes back into play. These projects allow park adopters, neighbors and park user ..read more

Early voting has begun in Texas and there are three measures on the ballot critical for funding parks in Travis County and across the state of Texas. Austin Parks Foundation is proud to endorse both Travis County bond proposals, as well as the proposed Prop 14 amendment to the state constitution. These measures will provide much needed support for not only our community but our whole state and represent an investment in both ourselves and the future.  Read on for our breakdown of all three ballot measures so you can vote FOR parks this fall! Download our one-page voting guide here. When a ..read more

We’re celebrating 20 years of It’s My Park Day! This biannual event features 160+ projects and a few thousand volunteers. It’s remarkable to see how the community comes together to grow this event each year–and we are GRATEFUL! As we lead up to our 20th Anniversary event on November 4, we want to highlight project leaders who continually make a difference in their neighborhood parks.  St. John Pocket Park: Anissa Castillo–IMPD project leader since 2018–has played an integral part in the transformation of St. John Pocket Park. Castillo and her family moved to the St. John community in 2016 ..read more