environs Ezine Spring 2021
Environs | 1
Environs | 3
Table of
Contents
Working Through Adveristy by Arion Moor Our Part in Preservation by Erika Torii-Karch
Austin's Birdlife by Erika Torii-Karch
20
14
Top Ten: Austin Ou Locations by Arion
18
Achieving Zero Waste by Levi Rosenthal
24
What Trash Looks Like by Levi Rosenthal
32
re
Cover Image Courtesey of DZeigler
6 8
utdoors n Moore
2
12
26
Letter from the Editors
Climate Change in Autin by Holly Adams
30
What Can You Do To Help by Holly Adams
Earth Camp Austin by Nuhamin Dagmay
36
5 Programs That Help our Austin Greenlife by Nuhamin Dagmay Environs | 5
Letter From the Editors Dear Readers, A pride that we share in Austin is the countless Parks, trails and outdoor experiences that can be enjoyed and explored throughout our city. From Zilker Park to Lady Bird Lake, we hope for you to use this magazine as an opportunity to learn about what you can do to partake in the pleasures of the Austin environment. Along with the leisures of Austin outdoors, we hope you will get a chance to explore the ways in which you can explore how you can preserve and maintain the nature of Austin. By exploring the steps you can take to make an impact on the environment, you will be able to not only enjoy the leisures of Austin wildlife, but help it too. Over the past few months, the editors and makers of Environs have interviewed important figures, worked to perfect articles for viewers to read, and taken and collected photos to enhance the visual experience of this magazine. Please enjoy.
Arion Moore • Loves playing the violin • Partakes in tennis frequently • Consistently watches
and loves Doctor Who • Spends most free time planning and working on Eagle Project
Levi Rosenthal • Loves to play hockey and soccer • Favorite sports team is the Boston Bruins
• Enjoys listening to The Beatles • Favorite thing to watch is the TV show Community
Holly Adams • Loves to play volleyball and basketball • Learning korean and how to play the piano
• Enjoys reading, drawing, and watching youtube • Enjoys listening to almost any kind of music
Nuhamin Dagmay • Spends her free time reading and baking • Loves watching Marvel movies
• Enjoys calligraphy and art • Favorite food is ice cream
Erika Torii-Karch • Draws and plays video games in spare time • Talks with friends online constantly
• Enjoys fencing and running • Favorite drink is bubble tea Environs | 7
Working Through Adversity
Fighting Through COVID-19 to Make a Change in Austin Parks By Arion Moore
Lady Bird Lake is a valuable center of attraction for Austinites. Courtesy of Austin Parks Foundation
A valued experience that many throughout Austin share, and many definitely should, is adventuring through, discovering, and learning about Austin Parks. From Mayfield Park, with the peacocks that you can come to watch, to Zilker, with unlimited nature to gaze at as you venture through, there is always an adventure to be held. Despite this, the wrath of Covid 19 has stunted usage of Austin parks and caused maintenance and involvement to decline. As fewer people can come and visit these locations and the priority of the city falls elsewhere, it is easy to allow Courtesy of the Sierra Club
The logo of the Sierra Club.
outdoor recreation to become a forgotten value. However, for many, this has not been the case. People and organizations have adjusted to Covid and are working to bring attention and opportunities back to the parks and nature within our city. Austin foundations have made adjustments that allow for community engagement to remain active through the setbacks of 2020. The Austin Parks Foundation, for example, has worked to show the people of Austin that there is a whole world of parks and outdoor adventure
We want people to know there’s a whole world of parks out there”
Courtesy of the Austin Parks Foundation
waiting in a time where social distancing is a vital element of every activity. This is a goal that they have made progress towards with the website of their organization, which serves as a database of the parks in Austin. As of now, their latest objective is to create an app where people can find a park that most suits their desires, from hiking and sports to dog walking. With these modern adaptations created from the start of the pandemic and to this day moving forward, the Austin Parks Foundation is dedicating its time to enhancing the experiences and possibilities throughout the time of Covid 19. The Sierra Club of Austin, another active outdoors organization, has made other adjustments to provide opportunities. Unfortunately, the online meetings that the organization has held have gradually diminished
throughout the pandemic. People tend to move away from the computers in the evenings and want to have dinner, family time, and relaxation. So what other opportunities have proved to be more successful? Currently, the Sierra Club has focused its attention towards Scholtz Garden, in which those who come are met with an experience of socializing, dinner, and drinks. The day before monthly programs, Phoebe
When approaching the task of getting the community outdoors, the significance of opportunity serves as a main point of focus for many. “Covid has kind of trapped us all, but allowed for us to go outside. we want folks to know that there’s a whole world of parks out there,” as cited by Chief Strategy Officer Allison Watkins. One way to meet this goal is by advancing the Sierra Club, Courtesy of Phoebe Allen
Austinites climbing into a kayak at an outing. Very often, the Sierra Club provides opportunities such as this one.
Allen plans to send out reminders to bring awareness towards this possibility and bring engagement of the community of Austin back into the organization. These two groups have both made great steps towards overcoming the obstacles formed through Covid 19 and allowing Austinites choices and possibilities to make a change towards the environment while simultaneously taking advantage of the beauty, activities, and diversity of parks and outdoors.
organization of Austin Parks Foundation into a more digital platform due to Covid 19. The foundation has focused a great portion of its work towards opening more opportunities onto their website, where people can explore the variety of the outdoors from the comfort of their own homes. “One of the things we want to do is empower folks to get out and explore the city,” Allison Watkins also states, which is why they have worked to provide Austinites with this information.
“We want folks to know that there’s a whole world out there. And so, what we have on our website is a parks database that folks can access, where they can look at parks by saying what they’re interested in.” Watkins explains. The Austin Parks Foundation has proven to be successful in the adaptations to their website. By simply visiting the site, you can select where you would most like to explore the outdoors of Austin. If you’re interested in parks for pups, you’ll be directed towards places from Town Lake to Zilker Metro Park. Or perhaps you’re more interested in exercise and fitness, in which you’ll be suggested Battle Bend and Reed Park. As Austin Parks Foundation has made advancements digitally, the Sierra Club has focused more towards adjusting so that they can continue forward on their past activities. The values held by this organization offer opportunities for spending time in nature and learning about environmental issues like climate change, climate restoration, and more. They can be held through experiences such as hikes, kayaking, cave tours, and birding. These are the main outings that the Sierra Club has provided throughout Covid 19 to provide activities easily accessible for the community of Austin to partake in. As well as outings, the Environs | 9
Sierra Club has continued to advertise their ICOs (Inspiring Connections Outdoors), in which those who choose to participate have “The opportunity to explore, enjoy, and protect the outdoor world,” as Programs Coordinator Phoebe Allen described.
Austin Parks Foundation, Courtesy of Allison Watkins
With this variety of options for environmental recreation, the Sierra Club has provided Austinites with the ability to both get outdoors and volunteer to help it. The Austin Parks Foundation has also made progress in volunteer work, as the coming of its 30th Anniversary has inspired them to accomplish a greater task. Volunteer Manager Barry Allen is a member of the organization that has been involved in the said project: “We had taken over the agreement with the city to run the Zilker train”, Allen says.
A dog enjoying the water at a park for pups. People can take their pets to a select group of Austin parks listed in the Austin Parks website.
Since 2019, the experience of riding the Zilker train has become no longer available due to erosion issues. However, as of now, one of the most recent projects of the Austin Parks Foundation has been the restoration of the train. Another major project taken on by this organization has
been the Hummingbird Society. The organization has led this group in educating children about giving back to the community and the importance of Austin trails, parks, and green spaces. While both the projects above have and are going to have a major contribution towards Austin’s outdoor wellbeing, they are only a couple of the Austin Parks Foundation, Courtesy of Allison Watkins
“We had taken over the agreement with the city to run the train.”
The entrance to Armadillo Park. Austinites can visit here for a hike in the outdoors.
The Sierra Club, Courtesy of Phoebe Allen
Austinites enjoying the parks in the city. There are unlimited opportunities provided by these organizations and workers.
many projects that the Austin Parks Foundation has worked towards. As for the Sierra Club, the main goal of their work is to continue to provide opportunities throughout COVID-19. This organization was cited as “A group that has contributed a lot to the trails of Austin, allowing the community to get out there and do stuff” by Parks and Recreation Rangers Division Patrick Chaiken With the projects, outings, and adjustments major park organizations have held and strived towards, the community of Austin continues to have possibilities to experience and engage with the outdoors. The hardworking staff has remained passionate in their work as they lead the efforts to ensure environmental activities despite the setbacks of COVID-19. “One of the greatest benefits of living in Austin is experiencing the
outdoors it comes with, so it’s always significant when people decide to do anything from going for a hike in the woods to volunteering towards bigger causes”, as Chaiken states.
It’s always significant when people decide to do anything from going for a hike in the woods to volunteering towards bigger causes.
Courtesy of the Austin Parks Foundation
Children riding the Zilker Train. This has been a center of attention for Zilker Park since its creation in 1997
Environs | 11
Top Ten: Austin Outdoors Locations
A Guide to the Outdoor Pleasures of Our City By: Arion Moore
1
Image Courtesy of Austin Parks Foundation
There is no outdoor activity you could desire that you can’t experience in Ladybird Lake, from kayaking and paddleboarding to hiking and biking
Lady Bird Lake
2
Image Courtesy of Austin Parks Foundation
This is the ideal place to view native plants, and sometimes animals, in a tranquil wildlife sanctuary
LadyBird Johnson Wildflower Center
3
Image Courtesy of Austin Parks Foundation
A beautiful spot, this garden holds all sorts of native plants. Come here to bike through nature and koi ponds in an idyllic outdoor recreation area.
Zilker Botanical Gardens
4
Image Courtesy of Austin Parks Foundation
There are many hiking greenbelt trails throughout Austin, but austinot.com describes Barton Creek Greenbelt as “So beloved that locals commonly refer to it as ‘The Greenbelt’, as if it were the only one.”
Barton Creek Greenbelt
5 Image Courtesy of Austin Parks Foundation
Zilker Park
Come to Zilker Park to “Enjoy cold water swims, trails, gardens, sprawling yards, rock gardens, festivals, and so much more:, as do512family.com states.
6
Image Courtesy of Austin Parks Foundation
Many spectacular creatures inhabit this location, including birds, sharks, lemurs, pythons, and more. Come visit here to view these creatures on exhibit!
Austin Aquarium
7
Along with some beautiful hiking trails, the main attraction of this park is the many peacocks inhabiting it.
Image Courtesy of Austin Parks Foundation
Mayfield Park
8
Image Courtesy of Austin Parks Foundation
According to austintexas.org, “The mission of Austin Zoo is to assist animals in need through rescue, rehabilitation and education.”
Austin Zoo
9
Come to Barton Springs to enjoy a nice swim in a pool developed through a coldwater spring.
Image Courtesy of Austin Parks Foundation
Barton Springs
10
Image Courtesy of Austin Parks Foundation
After a short but steep and adventurous hike, people can enjoy a magnificent and everlasting view of Austin from bird eye view.
Mount Bonnell
Environs | 13
Our Part in Preservation } By Erika Torii-Karch
How people and preserves can protect Austin’s wildlife
B
eams of sunlight trickle through the vibrant canopy above, basking the earth in a warm glow. The gravel trail beneath you winds forward into the woods, farther than the eye can see. Wild birds sing through the trees, their melodies carried in the wind, and you can faintly hear the bubbling of running water. The Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve has been working to maintain invaluable sights like this since its founding in 1974. The preserve and its corresponding research
center in Westlake primarily work to protect Austin’s wildlife and educate its citizens. As Wild Basin’s director, most of Dr. Barbara Dugelby’s work surrounds the funding and outreach needed to meet these goals. “We have a strong environmental education program,” Dugelby said. “Before COVID, we brought thousands of schoolkids to Wild Basin and gave them guided environmental education hikes through the preserve.”
Research and education go hand-in-hand at Wild Basin, as it’s associated with St. Edward’s university. In fact, many of St. Edward’s undergraduates may spend a semester or two studying the preserve’s ecosystem. These projects usually are short-term but often lead to discoveries valuable to Wild Basin’s staff. One example Dugelby gave was a study of the preserve’s riverbankdwelling cypress trees. “Well, the cypress trees [were] not regenerating very well,” Dugelby said. “They
The Government Canyon State Natural Area sits in San Antonio, Texas. Image provided by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
[didn’t] know quite what [was] preventing the young seedlings from surviving, so one of the studies a student did from St. Edwards… was to try and find out what was preventing the regeneration of cypress. It turns out beaver, and perhaps in some areas, deer, were browsing those young seedlings and keeping them from surviving.”
St. Edward’s student Jaqueline Orturo sets up an experiment for her one-semester study of the Aedes aegypti mosquito in the Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve. Aedes aegypti is the mosquito species capable of carrying the Zika virus, and as such research on it is incredibly valuable. Image provided by St. Edward’s University
Studies like these are often small in scope but exemplify one clear and tangible way an individual can benefit Austin’s wildlife. In fact, Environs | 15
the individual’s contribution to preservation extends far beyond the scope of Wild Basin students. Urban Wildlife Biologist Dr. Kelly Conrad Simon had analogous thoughts on the matter. Being primarily an urban ecologist and landscaper, Simon often works directly with private landowners, examining bird kills or discussing how to benefit wildlife on their property. She may work directly with the city council on rain mitigation, waterway restoration, or birdlife preservation. Bastrop, Texas, Simon’s locality, is a certified Bird City Texas community, and as such would need advice from an expert on what actions could be taken that would be truly beneficial. Like Dugelby, Simon very much agreed with the idea that anyone can benefit wildlife if they put in the effort. “There’s always something you could do,” Simon said. “And one of those things is participating in some of the community science projects that are out there.” As Simon explained, one of these projects is the iNaturalist app, a way for
anyone to record natural observations they find in their daily lives like plants, animals, tracks and scat. The app helps you identify which species you’ve just looked at, and findings directly support researchers in discovering larger patterns. “We use [the app] all the time, and if you go out in nature and can take these observations, that’s really helpful, and we use them,”
“There’s always something you could do,” Simon said. One of Simon’s larger projects, the Texas Master Naturalist program, cultivated this individual effort as well. The program, which Simon helped found, “[educates] hundreds of thousands of volunteers, [who provide] over a million volunteer hours per year,” and firmly promotes nature and wildlife education. It requires 40 hours of training followed by 40 hours of volunteer work, in which naturalists can provide leadership in local projects or educate youth in parks and nature centers. “I’ve got some publications and I’ve got other things I’m proud about, but really, that’s the thing I think is probably the most impactful,” Simon said. “[It’s] a way to magnify [my] impact… I’m one person in
Central Texas, and how many million people do I have to reach to make an impact? It’s not possible. But if I participate in training, these chapters will look at 40 new people who are interested, passionate and willing to do work. That’s the way that I can magnify my job.” The naturalist program was certainly Simon’s proudest accomplishment, however there is much more she is working on. One issue Simon said we must overcome is that of invasive species. Invasive species are generalists, meaning they can live and thrive nearly anywhere and are not native to whichever ecosystem they are “invading.” One of the more commonly planted and harmful invasive plants in Austin is Nandina. “One of the terrible things about Nandina is it produces this beautiful berry, it’s a red berry, and that’s why people plant it, but those berries are toxic to a number of our bird species,” Simon said. “I was talking to you about those bird kills earlier in the year. Some of those were caused by birds eating a lot of Nandina berries.” Because of Nandina’s striking appearance, many people, including neighbors of Wild Basin, often consider planting it in their gardens, unknowing of its poisonousness. Dugelby offered advice for people like these. “If you’d like to put this [Nandina] in your garden, it won’t be beneficial to wildlife,
A group of St. Edward’s students set up a study on water quality in one of Wild Basin’s creeks. Image provided by St. Edward’s Unversity
Elementary school class recieves a guided hike through Wild Basin on a field trip Image provided by St. Edward’s University
A shrub of Nandina, or heavenly bamboo, in a New Zealand garden. This plant is well known for both its vibrant, alluring berries and its poisonousness. Image provided by Greenleaf Nurseries
“We want to reach people; we want to reach everybody,” it could be harmful to wildlife, because the berries are toxic,” Dugelby said. “Instead of Nandina, you can put… that American Beauty berry, which puts out a beautiful purple berry and it’s native.” Consultation with communities on how to make a change is a key part of Dugelby’s job; it’s a key part of every environmentalist’s job. “My mission was to protect as many wild areas as I could,” Dugelby said. “I studied throughout my undergraduate and graduate. I studied folk ecology and anthropology because I wanted to understand how to work with humans and
communities in ways that would better protect wild areas.” The preservation of natural wildlife is becoming increasingly more necessary and well-known as time goes on. Dugelby, for example, has been able to reach out towards Wild Basins “neighbors,” a group of houses that live by the preserve. Wild Basin “[educates] them about things that they can do in their yards that would help preserve nature, and most of them are very interested.” This is the way for individuals to spark greater change: collaboration. Throughout Central Texas, more and
more people are finding ways to educate themselves and others and modify their lifestyles to suit the changing world. Simon hopes this progress will continue in years to come. “We want to reach people; we want to reach everybody,” Simon said. If you’re talking [about] what my goal is, I want everybody to value natural habitat and wildlife and see it for what it is. So whatever way you can get there, my goal would be that everybody in central Texas values natural habitat and has a greater understanding and wants to learn more about it. We’re all in this together.” Environs | 17
Image provided by Bob Peterson
Austin’s Birdlife Learn a bit about your avian neighbors by Erika Torii-Karch Information provided by Animalia, All About Birds, Audubon, the Texas Parks and WIldlife Department and The Texas Breeding Bird Atlas
Downy Woodpecker Dryobates pubescens
The downy woodpecker is the America and one of the few willing feeders. They forage on tree bark diet as well as carve out dead logs like any woodpecker. While these everywhere in the US except the the southwest, they are a common eastern 2/3 of Texas.
smallest in North to eat from human bird for their omnivorous with their drumming birds reside almost most arid regions of occurrence in the
Image provided by Ron Kube
Western Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma californica
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
The common grackle is, unsurprisingly, common throughout much of Austin, famous for their loud, grating, and recognizable songs. Despite this, however, the IUCN ranks them as a near-threatened species, as they are close to being threatened in the future. Additionally, grackles have a diverse and omnivorous diet, eating anything from insects to seeds to even smaller birds and mice.
Image provided by Tom Grey
Image provided by Steve Zamek
The western scrub-jay, despite being commonly referred to as the California scrub-jay, can reside as far east as Texas, usually in the form of its subspecies A. c. texana. These birds are omnivores, and tend to forage for eggs, insects, or grains on the ground in small groups. They tend to live in thickets or shrubs of oak, juniper and pine trees, as their common name suggests.
Bewick’s Wren Thryomanes bewickii
The Bewick’s Wren is well-known for its loud, vocal cry and hyperactive nature. Additionally, these birds used to be common throughout the US, but more recently populations have been declining east of the Mississippi River. Their main food source comes from a variety of bug species like beetles, wasps, and spiders, but they feed on berries and seeds on occasion. Being wrens, these birds are quite small, being only around 14 centimeters or 5.5 inches long. Image provided by Gary Lane
Image provided by BetterBird
Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
Mourning doves are common throughout all of North America due to their generalist nature and ability to adapt. With a diet composed of mostly grains, seeds, and fruits, these birds are herbivores, but can eat insects on occasion. While their survival as a species is not currently threatened, they are the most popular game bird in America, with over 20 million deaths to hunters every year.
Golden-Cheeked Warbler Setophaga chrysoparia
The golden-cheeked warbler is an endangered species and, in the entire world, exclusively nests in Central Texas. They find dwelling in forested settings, including the Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve, and primarily prey on insects and spiders. Environs | 19
Austin Community Landfill, image courtesey of Austin Chronicle
Achieving Zero Waste
Austin’s mission to reach zero waste by 2040
T
here is a library in Austin, TX that has saved 5,062 items of trash from the landfill. But this library isn’t an ordinary library. Rather, it’s a library for dishes. Abby Rodgers is the CEO of the Austin Dish Lending Library, which is an organization that supplies reusable dishes to Austin area events.
By Levi Rosenthal “I just enjoyed kind of sharing and educating, and [had] taken on some tasks. And so I took on the Austin Dish Lending Library,” Rodgers said. The city of Austin has made a promise to become a zero waste city by 2040, but it’s lagging behind. While Rodger’s efforts are considered above and beyond, environmental advocates say that the
city’s efforts are quite the opposite, and they claim that Austin is desecrating its natural beauty with landfills, as well as jeopardizing its reputation as an eco-friendly city. Austin is increasingly being criticized for its lack of follow through, and the focus has shifted to individual efforts to reduce solid waste rather than city-lead efforts.
According to Wendy
“Where you’re going to see the biggest impacts is when you can reduce and reuse first.”
Bradley at Texas Disposal Systems, which is the company that collects and processes Austin’s waste. With the population at 950,807 and growing, according to current population estimates by
People who have devoted their lives to the issue of solid waste say Austin is one of the best cities in Texas in terms of our solid waste management. But they agree Austin needs to be doing much better. In fact, the vast majority of this trash doesn’t have to be going to a landfill, according to Ashley Pace, the public information specialist for the Austin Resource Recovery Department, which is dedicated to providing residential curbside collection of waste. “In 2015 we discovered that only 10% of the
Austin zero-waste store that went out of buisness in 2018, image courtesey of INHABITAT.
the City of Austin that means Austines produce 3,309 tons of trash daily and 1.2 million tons per year.
materials going to the landfill, truly should have gotten there,” Pace said. She says Austin already has the capacity to reach
Abby Rodgers, the CEO of the Austin Dish Lending Library.
zero waste, which means that 90% of waste is diverted from landfills. But Pace said that right now, Austin is only diverting 42% of its waste to other disposal methods, including recycling and composting. Recycling is a popular disposal alternative, and Tom Gleason, who is the Environmental Project Manager for Travis County, said, “I think it’s a much more efficient alternative to just landfilling.” Recently, there has been a lot of criticism around the recycling system, with questioning of its efficiency. This is a common misconception, and rightfully so in some places. Gleason says that when the markets are bad,
Environs | 21
some cities do resort to landfilling material instead of recycling. Fortunately, in the Central Texas region, they have done very well, according to Gleason, so more often than not your recyclables are truly recycled.
easiest options to utilize. This is mainly due to the fact that recycling and composting is provided to almost all Austinites. But some solid waste reduction advocates say that boosting participation in programs like recycling
experts call “The Circular Economy”. It keeps things in the economy as long as possible and gives it as many life cycles as possible instead of disposable products, sent to the landfill after a single use. Advocates like Pace recommend reusing and fixing items before disposing, saying it amounts to one less item in the landfill. There are many ways to reduce waste, but most of them simply stem from consumer habits, according to advocates like Gleason. They say, you can do things such as buying in bulk, buying reusable
Austin Fix-It clinic. Image provided by Austin, Texas Government
The other disposal metod is composting. The city began its composting program in 2017 but, according to Pace, only 30% of people are currently utilizing their program as a diversion method for trash. Together Recycling and Composting help to divert Austin’s waste from landfills, and amongst experts in the recycling and composting fields these are two of the
and composting is secondary to simply getting people to stop producing so much waste. Gleason said, “Where you’re going to see the biggest impacts is when you can reduce and reuse first.” One form of reducing the amount of solid waste you create is through reusing, and with the topic of reusing comes the principle of what
“I think it’s very attainable. But you need everybody buying in”
tableware, and also buying from companies that use sustainable products. “More and more people are interested in not just the product that they’re buying, but the company
that they’re buying from,” Pace said. There are also various programs such as fix it clinics or textile collection programs that help Austinites reduce their waste. After everything is said and done, we are still left wondering about the tangibility of Austin’s 2040 goal of zero waste. Advocates like Rodgers say the possibility of this goal succeeding simply relies on people’s abilities to live a zero-waste lifestyle to the best of their ability. Stacy Savage is a corporate zero waste consultant for Zero Waste
Strategies. Savage says that in order for the zero-waste lifestyle to be sustainable for the average Austinite, “it will take a lot of education and habit change.” Savage also states that habit change is extremely difficult because humans are averse to change. She and other experts say it’s critical to educate Austin’s youth. This means Austin would have the zero waste lifestyle built into the curriculum for students by the year 2040, making it much easier to reach kids directly and to help them navigate some of the challenges of the zerowaste lifestyle.
Experts say that, in the end, attaining zero waste is about personal commitment. As Gleason said, “I think it’s very attainable. But you need everybody buying in”. Zero-waste advocates, such as Pace, state that Austin still has a long way to go if it wants to reach its goal of zero waste by 2040. They also state that it is imperative that individuals in Austin rise to the challenge and put forth their best efforts to reduce their solid waste. Just like Rodgers said, “But really, it’s up to each person to do it and to know how to do it.”
Students learning zero waste strategies at a young age. Photo courtesy of Nancy Deming with Oakland Unified School District
Environs | 23
What Trash L ks Like Austin has a goal of Zero Waste by 2040, but we’re far from that goal. To help us reach this milestone we not only need to know what our solid waste consists of, but we also need to know how to reduce it. Here you will find information on not only what makes up your solid waste, but also how to reduce it. Infromation from Austin, Texas Govenment
Paper: 27% Yard Trimmings: 14.6% Food: 13.5% Plastics: 12.8 Metals: 9.1% Textiles: 9% Glass: 4.5% Other
How To Help: Paper: Use electronic alternatives, such as email or word processors, such as Google Docs.
Yard Trimmings: Shred leaves into compost, or compost organic matter such as sticks, weeds, or grass trimmings.
Food: You can compost foodscraps such as egg shells, vegetable peels, and leftovers in the city of Austin.
Plastic: Use reusable bags, and buy from companies that ship products with lesss plastic packaging. Metals: Recycle/reuse scrap metal for other uses around your house. Also, if as a company you can become part of the circular economy by passing on your metal scrap.
Image courtesy of Nature RocksTexas
Textiles: Try and repair clothing and buy secon hand from local thriftstores, or orginizations dedicated to giving used clothing a second use.
Glass: Repurpose glass bottles into supply holders, or for decorative purposes. Information from U.S. Environemntal Protection Agency.
Environs | 25
Barton Springs. Image provided by Han + Tank
Climate Change In Austin By Holly Adams
C
limate change has been something that we have all known about for years. With the already extremely hot Texas temperatures gradually increasing and many natural disasters occurring, the topic of climate change has become more and more prevalent in our day-today conversations. With the help of our government officials, we are working to fight climate change and the dangers it causes. The environmental coordinator for the Office of Sustainability, Phoebe Romero, has played a big part in creating the Austin Community Climate Plan Update, a plan made up of goals and projects that will help Austin fight climate change. She has contributed greatly to the making of the plan. But what is the Office of
Sustainability and the City of Austin actively doing to achieve these goals? “So in Austin, there is a regional air quality plan, and that’s done with the five surrounding counties that’s really focused on reducing ground level ozone,” said Romero. “There’s an update that’s going to include strategies for particulate matter specifically which look beyond the kind of vehicle emissions and power plant emissions and into mining and quarrying, cement plants, some of that industry, and then wildfire mitigation and construction emissions mitigation.” The climate program manager for the Office of Sustainability, Zach Baumer, has also played a major role in the making of the Community Climate Plans. “Austin energy [is] going dramatically to renewable energy for all the electricity they deliver. So you’ll see in the plan, there are lots of different strategies on how to get people out of cars. Things like teleworking, building
lots of additional biking, and walking infrastructure to make that easier.” said Baumer. Project Connectivity is also a part of the plan to help get people out of their cars and ‘on public transit’. Project Connectivity is about building a public transportation system that helps make this happen. Although air quality and pollution is one effect of climate change, that’s not the only thing that can be caused. Throughout the news, there have been many natural disasters ranging from the wildfires in California to the snowstorm that hit the South, majorly impacting Texas. So, can all of these natural disasters be related back to climate change? “Tying any one single event to climate change is hard to do. And typically you think of the earth trapping more heat, you think of extreme heat, [and] you think of drought [and] those being more directly tied to climate change. But I feel Environs | 27
Phoebe Romere, the Environmental Coordinator for the Office of Sustainability. Credit: City of Austin Office of Sustainability
The Climate Program Manager for the Office of Sustainability, Zach Baumer Credit: City of Austin Office of Sustainability
The Climate Ambassadors for the City of Austin Credit: Speak Up Austin
like climate science just said that increased climate swings would be something we would see from climate change. And we have
heard scientists saying that potential warming in the Arctic, that will weaken the jet stream, which will allow for the cold weather to come
down as it did. So maybe it is, maybe it isn’t.” says Baumer. With natural disaster after
natural disaster, this should be taking a toll on the process and speed in which the government can handle the climate change crisis. Yet, on top of all of these disasters, we have the biggest disaster of them all:
“...make sure that you are advocating for reducing waste, thinking about where your food comes from, thinking about energy conservation, ensuring that you’re walking and biking...” Covid-19. However, it seems as though having to stay home is helping to slightly improve the air quality due to the lack of pollution of vehicles on the road. “When it comes to actual climate action, in a way, I think the one thing that it’s done is opened everyone’s eyes to the fact that traffic in Austin is still really far down, right. And everyone finally took it to heart,” says Baumer. “Everybody doesn’t have to drive to work every single day. And so, while that’s not making our transportation emissions go to zero [and] it’s not solving the problem. It’s at least opening that door [of]
people teleworking in [and] not driving to every meeting all the time everywhere to work every day. It made that solution of teleworking and remote meetings, a much more real possibility to actually be a solution and be one of the solutions to reduce emissions. Because for the longest time, it was always, ‘that’s nice let’s hope people do it and it never really created much results, because it was just too small. But now I think it’s actually doing something.” So, while we are all stuck at home waiting to finally get back to normal, maybe we can also individually take small steps to help combat climate change. Whether it’s from the comfort of your own home, you can always take even the smallest bit of action. “There’s so many ways that people can help, I think, oftentimes, we talk about individual action, which is important. Individual action can lead to collective action. So make sure that you are advocating for reducing waste, thinking about where your food comes from, thinking about energy conservation, ensuring that you’re walking and biking and things like that.” said Romero. “There are so many actions that an individual can take when it comes to that. But the importance of staying politically involved and engaging in advocacy is just as important because you have these systems [and] the tides are moving towards bigger climate action, but
people like government officials like myself need the help of outside advocates to help advance the work that we’re trying to advance. You can always email or call your elected officials, your city council person, on the state level, your federal representatives. Being aware of [that and] if you can’t, you can always donate money. Sometimes we can donate our time. So, find your local organization that’s doing this type of advocacy, [like] Sunrise Austin. There’s an Austin Climate Coalition, there’s a couple of high school level organizations. Get involved, see what help they need. Sign petitions, call your elected officials and all that stuff really does work.”
“It’s at least opening that door [of] people teleworking in [and] not driving to every meeting all the time everywhere to work every day.” There are a lot of causes and a lot of harmful effects of climate change, many of which we are already seeing exhibited in today’s society. But, by taking action, no matter how small, things will eventually change for the better.
Environs | 29
What Can You Do To Help? by: Holly Adams
Do you not have time to volunteer or the money to donate to organizations? That is okay. There are still many things that you can do to help fight climate change from the comfort of your own home!
Be mindful about electronics Don’t leave fully charged phones or computers plugged in. This is a waste of energy because you are constantly charging your electronics when they’re already at 100%. Try to only plug them in when you need to. Also, try not to charge them overnight because that also wastes energy. If you have one, use a portable charger so that you only use as much energy that you need and aren’t wasting any.
Try to eat less meat Livestock products require a lot of energy and resourced to produce. That plus the energy it takes to package, ship, and process these products adds up to a great amount of resources and energy used. By eating less meat you are doing your part to help decrease the amount of energy used even if just by a little. There is only so much one person can do but, if you really try and do your part, it will help in the long run ro, if possible, try to eat less meat.
Information provided by Phoebe Romero and Zach Baumer.
Talk to people Spread awareness to your family and friends by simply talking about climate change. Just by doiing the baare minimum and letting people know that climate change is a very real and prevelant threat to the destruction of the Earth’s environment will do so much to help prevent it.
Save water and energy Turn off the lights when you aren’t using them, dont let the faucet run if you aren’t using it, take shorter showers, etc. This ties into being mindful of electronics. If its wasting energy or water and its not something that you absolutely need, don’t do it. Small things like turning the water off when you aren’t using it in the kitchen, even if you will soon, helps save water and helps the environment.
Eat what you buy Try not to waste food. Tons of energy goes into processing, packaging, and shipping food anywhere and everywhere. Eating all the food you by would be significant in decreasing the amount of energy that goes to wast during that process.
Environs 31
Earth Camp Austin
A closer look at a camp made to educate children more about the enviroment By Nuhamin Dagmay
Elementary students explore the caves in the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Photo Courtesy of the City of Austin
Y
ou get to swim in lakes and take a closer look at all the organisms in them. After that, you can go into caves and explore their animals and
“I ENJOYED THAT EARTH CAMP WAS HANDS-ON”
structures. We’re still not done, now it’s time to see Austin’s unique Barton Springs Salamander. Four days, to learn and dig deeper into Austin’s wonderful environment, with hands-on activities and fun trips to teach you about all of the nature around you. Earth Camp is Austin’s four-day, outdoor, handson science program for fifth-grade students. The program was specifically made to engage students in Austin’s nature, especially its watersheds and aquifers. The camp does a great job teaching
elementary school students important information about conserving Austin’s natural beauty, and it helps the students interact with the green life around them more often.
Students studying watersheds during the camp. Phot provided by the City of Austin
Ruth Dagmay was one of the students that learned a lot from the camp, and she said it was a great experience for her. “I do think this is a great way to teach kids about the Austin environment since it made me more aware of the Austin nature around me,” said Dagmay. Dagmay talked about how the camp was a great experience for her and that it taught her a lot about Austin’s green life that she didn’t know before. During her time at the camp, Dagmay and her class did fun activities that incorporated educational content in Barton Spring and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. “I learned a lot of new information that I didn’t know about Austin’s nature. I also learned about the different species of animals that there were and how we could take better care of all of Austin”, Dagmay said.
According to Dagmay, the camp was a great learning experience and it was very informational. Many 5th graders who attend the camp learned much from it. The camp is also very interactive and it is designed in a way that kids can have fun and be more engaged with what they are learning. The camp allows the kids to dig deeper into Austin’s nature and take a real interest in what they learn during their time there. When asked about some examples of activities, Dagmay said, “The most fun activity for me was the caves because we have different types of animals, like bats
and lizards. We also saw a lot of trash inside the caves and this made me more aware of how I need to pay
Earth Camp Logo. Image provided by the CIty of Austin
more attention to where my trash goes. Another activity was looking at the Barton Creek salamander, which was cool since that species of salamander can only be found in Austin, and we also looked at different types of organisms that live in water.” Each of the activities she mentioned was hands-on, and Dagmay mentioned how she liked how engaging the activities were since it made them much more fun and easier to pay close attention to every detail.
Students searching for organisms as a par of an activity. Photo provided by City of Austin.
Earth Camp is one of the many programs made by the Watershed Protection Department in Austin, and according to the City of Austin website, “Earth Camp is an award-winning water quality field science Environs | 33
program”. A lot of the information the students learn is also already part of their curriculum, so they are learning what they would learn in their classroom but in a much more fun way. The program doesn’t only benefit the students but the teachers as well. In the 2015-2016 report for Earth Camp, one of the teachers commented that they “couldn’t ask for a more perfect opportunity to use their experiences when talking about weathering, erosion and deposition.” The city of Austin doesn’t
can give their students a memorable experience that they won’t forget during their next couple of years. Another bonus of the camp for teachers is that they receive six hours of Continuing Professional Education credit.One of the teachers that commented on the 2015-2016 Earth Camp Report said, “I have been participating for 11 years now and I have students that come back from college to visit and they always remember Earth Camp”. This goes on to show that the camp has a lasting learning impact on many
important in the community. A lot of teachers love the camp as much as the students. It allows them to teach the student in a different environment and it engages the students a lot more than in the classroom. In the Earth Camp video on the City of Austin website, one of the teachers talks about how great it was to see the student’s faces as they found fossils or encountered animals while they were working. The video also had comments from other students and what they thought about the camp. One of them said the camp was really fun and it was something he was looking forward to since the beginning of the year. The camp began in 1997, and since it has been very successful with almost every AISD elementary school participating, having taught thousands of students. Many students love the camp and it’s a pretty large part of 5thgrade students’ school year.
Students learning more about fossil fuels and how to identify them. Photo provided by City of Austin.
only provide the required materials and supplies during their three days, but it also trains the teachers so they
of the students. It makes up an important portion of many of the student’s years and because of this it’s is
Another thing the camp does is facilitate student comprehension of the city’s watershed pollution prevention initiatives. It educates students in Earth and Life Sciences specific to their state science curriculum objectives and it encourages the development of a conservation and an appreciation for the unique green life of Central Texas. Earth Camp also teaches the students about conservation.
had to try to help her environment. Earth Camp is free and the City of Austin provides all the tools required for the students to participate. Many of the participants believe the camp does a wonderful job at keeping its children educated and helping them connect with their environment. Many teachers and students have found the camp to be a great experience.
5th graders exploring the are and looking for organisms and fossils. Photo provided by the City of Austin
“We were taught about watching where trash goes and you learn more about recycling which I made sure to do more often. We also learned about making sure to keep Barton Springs and our aquifer clean and “IT MADE ME not
MORE AWARE OF THE AUSTIN NATURE AROUND ME”
said Dagmay.
polluted,”
Many of the instructors
make sure to talk about what students could do at home and anywhere else to preserve Austin’s nature. The instructors showed the students how the health of a lot of bodies of water in Austin was decreasing due to pollution. Instructors in the camp also tell the children how they can help their creeks and lakes by paying attention to their trash. “I did recycle more often after I learned more about it in the camp. I would say I also made sure to take better care of the green life we had and not wasting so much water at home so I could save water” said Dagmay. The camp had a lasting impact on her and it made her realize that she
“I enjoyed that Earth Camp was hands-on and it taught me a lot of important stuff while also being very fun, and I do think this is a great way to teach kids about the Austin environment since it
Students trying to spot a salamander in the water. Phot provided by CIty of Austin.
made me more aware of the Austin nature around me”, Dagmay said.
Environs | 35
5 Programs Helping Our Austin Greenlife By Nuhamin Dagmay Organisations are taking different approaches to support our enviroment. These five programs are some of the top non-profit organizations in our city that are working towards making Austin a safer and healthier city.
1. Keep Austin Beautiful Keep Austin Beatiful is a program that started in 1983. Their main goal is to educate and inspire Austinites to work together to beautify Austin green spaces and make Austin the cleanest community. Keep Austin Beautiful has hundreds of volunteers that all work to gether to improve our Austin Comunity.
2. Watershed Protection Program The Watershed Potaction Program (WPP) was established in 1991. The programs main focuses are Austin’s creeks, drainage systems and water quality programs. The Watershed Protection program works to make our creeks and lakes cleaner and free of pollution, and it educates other on Austin’s unique creeks and lakes
3. Austn Green Business Leaders This program was created by the City of Austin. Its main focuse is to help any buisness that are working towards protecting the Austin enviroment. It helps many businesses continue doing their job of helping Austin communites. The program helps others start their buisnesses while helping the enviroment to make Austin a better place.
4. EcoDistrict EcoDistrict offers sustainability strategies to neigborhhod, to adrees euqity, resilience, and climate protection. The program works to plan and design cities in a way that helps our climate and enviroment. They focus on having more green bulidngs around the city, preserving our environment, and helping communities be more connected and active in helping the enviroment.
5. Earth Share Texas Earth Share Texas members work to protect the envroment. They are a non-profit organization that helps not only Austin, but all of Texas. Mambers do many different kinds of jobs to help Texas from air quality, to wildlife preservation, and improving the development of green building technology.
Infomration provided by the City of Austin and Earth Share Texas. Images provded by City of Austin and Earth Share Texas
Environs 37
Environs | 39