GreenGirls & Green-Gos Celebrate Valentine's Day
An open invitation is extended to GreenGirls and “Green-Gos” (green-minded guys) of all ages to celebrate Valentine's Day by helping with tree maintenance and tree planting projects in Pease Park, located about a mile west of The University of Texas campus. Toward this end, we will join the Austin Parks Foundation, Friends of Pease Park, and Eeyore's folks for a volunteer work day in Pease Park on Saturday, February 14, 2009. Isn't Valentine's Day a great day for tree huggers and others to unite in service to our beautiful community? Can we count you in?
First, a little background and history. Did you know . . . ?
“There is an ecological disaster unfolding in Central Austin. Few of us have really noticed it has happened so gradually. Austin’s beloved shady Pease Park is becoming de-forested. Within a generation, there will be few trees and no woods. Instead, there will be a dusty field, rocky grounds and exposed hillsides with no place to shelter from the burning summer sun. The green canopy that makes a park a park will have disappeared.” More . . .
Pease Park has a rich history and is blessed to have some adoring fans and guardians watching over its future, as described in Richard Craig's article “Pease Park Eternal?.” More . . .
In short, the park is in serious need of our love and attention. This volunteer work day is a great opportunity for green-minded guys in Austin to meet some of the GreenGirls who are helping with this event. The focus of this volunteer work day will be on several things:
1.) We will be removing some of the storm damage from the hillsides adjacent to the main park on Kingsbury in the area of the frisbee golf course and hike and bike trail.
2.) We will spread mulch and possibly dillo dirt on those same hillsides where the soil is compacted, stripped bare of vegetation, and has exposed numerous tree roots (risking loss of scores of established trees).
3.) We will work on erosion control on the hillsides, building rock terraces with available stones, mulching behind them to create new soil and channeling the water flow in less destructive ways etc.
4.) We will mulch and water the existing trees in the park (some of which are just a few years old and just getting established). This year's drought has stressed many of them very badly.
Event: Pease Park Volunteer Work Day for GreenGirls & Green-Gos
When: Saturday, February 14, 10:00am to 1:00pm
Where: Pease Park, 1100 Kingsbury Street (initial gathering place)
Link to Google map showing where we will meet to receive direction on various tasks to be done:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=1100+Kingsbury+St,+Austin,+Texas...
Things to Bring:
. Your energy, enthusiasm, and fun-loving spirit
. Work gloves, preferably those that can be washed and reused
. Water to drink
If you wish to bring your own tools, that would be helpful. We will need shovels and wheel-barrows in particular. The Austin Park Foundation may be able to provide some of these tools, but to make sure we have enough, we encourage volunteers to come equipped.
Although GreenGirls are officially scheduled to work only part of the day, from 10am until 1pm, all volunteers are welcome to come earlier and stay later. Work crews are expected to be on-site from 9:30am until 4:30pm.
RSVP at http://www.greengirls.net/contact to let us know that you will be coming. If you forget to RSVP, come anyway. We need your help!
A mass tree planting of 100 trees will take place on the following Saturday, February 21. Irrigation lines have already been installed and the spots for the new trees have been staked, but there is still a lot of preparation to do. So let's get to work together!
Cash donations for "Trees for Pease" are still being solicited. Anyone interested can go to the Austin Parks Foundation website for instructions on how to do so. [Look for “donor page” link.] http://www.austinparks.org/apfweb/park.php?&parkId=307 Or you may send your check to the APF at 701 Brazos, Suite 170, Austin, TX 78701. The check should be marked “Trees for Pease” or “Pease Park” so it gets properly credited.
If you haven't been to Pease Park, let us help you get oriented. GreenGirls.net recently adopted the street segment adjacent to the park, so we have posted a few photos at http://www.greengirls.net/adopt-a-street_cleanup_photos
We would sure love to see you at the park, whether it be for a tree planting project or street cleanup event! Come on out and show you care!
Download Press Release.
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