From the Pop-Up Picnic to a performance by Animal Facts Club,
the parks along Waller Creek welcome everyone.
Rediscover Waller: Waller Creek Life
The Waller Creek Conservancy partnered with the City of Austin’s Watershed Protection Department to explore the biodiversity of Waller Creek. In a free, small-group tour, attendees explored the natural creek habitat and ecology near the Waller Delta. The morning kicked off with an educational presentation from watershed engineer Kristin Pipkin about the creek ecosystem and the ways that we may see it change over time as the flood-control tunnel reaches completion.
Along the edge of the creek, just south of Cesar Chavez, insect expert Todd Jackson, waded into the creek to look for insects and bugs. Participants used magnifying glasses to investigate water samples and participated in a lively Q&A session. The results of the search yielded information as to the present-day water quality and the need for creek restoration.
4th Annual Waller Creek Pop-Up Picnic
Austin’s April showers may have cancelled our 4th Annual Pop-Up Picnic, but they didn’t dampen the spirits of our guests, volunteers, and supporters.
What happened when the rainclouds made an outdoor picnic impossible? Guests braved the weather to pick up their baskets, Aaron Franklin carved up his famous BBQ under a pop-up tent, and volunteers smiled through the downpour running from car to car to deliver baskets.
The support didn’t stop there! Many guests took us up on the challenge to use the rain as an opportunity to “pop-up” in their homes with family, friends, and even some lucky pets. We encouraged everyone to share their photos at #wallercreekpicnic for a chance to win a basket at next year’s picnic.
From the record basket sales and restaurant donations to the energetic show of support in the rain and on social media, we again saw Austinites coming together in support of greenspace. This year’s picnic reminded us that community is at the heart of the Waller Creek transformation—rain or shine.
The Biodiversity of Texas by Animal Facts Club
This spring we welcomed the Animal Facts Club to Palm Park for the first time! Comprised of artists, scientists, musicians, and writers, Animal Facts Club is led by Austin-based artist Jules Buck Jones. First premiering at Laguna Gloria in 2015, Animal Facts Club’s The Biodiversity of Texas received a grant for two additional performances in 2016–one of which took place at Palm Park in April.
More than 150 people attended the one-hour, interactive, educational, art and science theatrical performance. Adults and children alike delighted in the various scenes that took the audience on a journey through five Texas ecosystems and briefly back in time to see what Austin was like 100 million years ago. The Palm Park performance included an all-new scene showcasing Waller Creek’s bluegill fish, macro-invertebrates, and more. The free event also included activities and booths presented by the Conservancy, Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve, City of Austin’s Wildland Conservation Division, Capital Area Master Naturalists, and TreeFolks.
Click here to find out what’s happening this fall!