NSCNA Blog Archive

  • Austin Community Tree (ACT) Program distributes free trees in North Shoal Creek

    Administrator

    North Shoal Creek’s low tree canopy (20%) combined with the recent adoption of its neighborhood plan recently resulted in 173 free trees being distributed to North Shoal Creek residents who requested them via ACT’s 2018 program. Residents could select from three kinds of shade trees — Lacy Oak, Mexican Sycamore, or Mexican White Oak – and three kinds of understory trees — Mexican Buckeye, Texas Mountain Laurel, or Mexican Plum. Community volunteers along with Austin Development Services staff and staff from the Austin Parks and Recreation Department also planted 30 of the trees.

    ACT volunteers canvassed our neighborhood on Sept. 29, 2018 hanging information about the program on doorknobs of residences that volunteers identified as needing additional sidewalk and street shade. In response to the canvassing – which offered a total of 615 trees — residents requested 173 trees via ACT’s online registration form.

    ACT worked with the North Shoal Creek Neighborhood Association (NSCNA) to promote the program, recruit volunteers and provide food for volunteers at each of the three event days: the block walk on September 29, followed by the tree staging on October 26 and delivery day on October 27. NSCNA offers special thanks to Margaret Valenti, Senior Planner in the Community Tree Preservation Division of Austin’s Development Services Department, and NSCNA board member Jon Menegay, who served as co-coordinators of the project.

    The ACT 2018 program succeeded in helping grow the urban forest in the North Shoal Creek Neighborhood, and it also helped activate and educate community volunteers on the importance of the urban forest and proper tree planting procedures. The effects of the program will be seen for years to come as the trees mature and become part of the neighborhood and the urban forest throughout the city.

    This is the 12th year of the Austin Community Tree Program, which has delivered over 6,300 trees throughout the Austin community.

    Here is a breakdown of North Shoal Creek’s new trees:

    Shade
    Lacy Oak 15
    Mexican Sycamore 19
    Mexican White Oak 47
    Subtotal 81
    Understory
    Mexican Buckeye 24
    Texas Mountain Laurel 36
    Mexican Plum 32
    Subtotal 92
    Total Trees 173

  • Shoal Creek Boulevard Community Listening Session December 12 5:30-7 p.m.

    Administrator

    The Austin Transportation Department wants your feedback related to transportation safety and mobility for people using Shoal Creek Boulevard. A community listening session is scheduled for Wednesday, December 12, at the Gullett Elementary School cafeteria, 6310 Treadwell Boulevard. Interested stakeholders are encouraged to stop by anytime between 5:30 and 7pm to share feedback through a series of interactive exhibits.

  • The Shoal Creek Trail Plan is now available!

    Administrator

    This community-developed plan lays the foundation for implementing major improvements to the existing 3.9-mile Shoal Creek Trail, extending the trail by nearly nine miles, and connecting it to the Walnut Creek Trail north of US 183. Ultimately, the extended Shoal Creek Trail will become part of a 30-mile continuous “Big Loop” of urban trails traversing the city from Lady Bird Lake to Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park. The Plan is the result of a more than one-year-long public process in partnership with the Shoal Creek Conservancy, the City of Austin and community stakeholders.

    You can view the plan at
    https://shoalcreekconservancy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/ShoalCreekTrailVisionToActionPlan_2018.11.07_small.pdf

  • NORTH SHOAL CREEK COMMUNITY GARDEN TOUR THURSDAY, NOV. 8, 2-4 P.M.

    Administrator

    REMINDER: NORTH SHOAL CREEK COMMUNITY GARDEN TOUR
    NOV. 8, 2-4 PM

    Our North Shoal Creek Community Garden has been selected as part of Austin Design Week 2018. The event/tour takes place on Thursday, November 8, from 2 to 4 p.m.

    Using design thinking, our neighborhood identified a community need and came together to create a space to foster the neighborhood’s identity, encourage neighbors to gather socially, engage with the land through gardening, and provide educational opportunities to the students at Pillow Elementary.

    At this event, facilitators Sarah Brandon and Jennifer Noinaj we will share a brief history and background of the neighborhood’s community garden, highlighting how we solicited community input, how design was involved, and how we worked with the city on this project. We’ll walk through the garden itself and leave you with some lessons that we learned, ways we are giving back with this project, and ideas on where and how you can start designing for your own community.

    For more info on the garden, visit https://www.nscna.org/garden

    For more info on Austin Design Week, visit: https://austindesignweek.org/

    To register to attend this event, go to: https://austindesignweek.org/schedule/north-shoal-creek-community-garden-tour

  • FALL FREE SHRED DAY NOV 3

    Administrator

    The Austin chapter of ARMA along with Balcones Shred are sponsoring the 6th annual Free Fall Shred Day on Sat, Nov. 3, 2018 from 8am – 1:30pm.  The event will be held at the Balcones Shred Facility (9301 Johnny Morris Rd, Austin TX).  Only dry paper packed in cardboard boxes no larger than 24 x 24 x 36 inches with fitting lids will be accepted (securely closed box flaps are also acceptable). Please do not bring hard plastics, plastic bags, electronic media, batteries or three-ring binders.

    All of the shredded material and cardboard boxes are recycled.  Monetary donations will be accepted at the event with 50% going to the Austin ARMA chapter and 50% going to Operation Turkey, an organization that provides warm holiday meals to families in need.

    For additional information about Shred Day, what can be shred and how it should be prepared, please visit www.austinarma.com/shred-day.  For additional questions, please contact Austin ARMA at austinarmachapter@gmail.com or leave a message for a return call at (512) 937-3347.