Sustainable Neighborhoods of North Central Austin will meet on Tuesday, June 21 from 6:30 to 8:00 PM to discuss strategy and tactics for planting up to one hundred sidewalk trees along our commercial streets throughout North Central Austin.
We need help to do this - ideas, time and fund-raising expertise. Please come out and help us make our commercial streets a seamless part of our neighborhoods. Or contact me offline.
The meeting will be at the Village Christian Apartments Activity Room, 7925 Rockwood Ln. Directions at https://sites.google.com/a/snaustin.org/snaustin-external-site/meeting-directions.
Strong Volunteer Efforts Save Tree from Drought
Extraordinary efforts from volunteers from Crestview, Allandale and Brentwood seem to have saved a tree planted in March at the bus stop by Burnet at Justin. Other trees planted on Burnet in March and in October are doing well.
The one tree had lost about half its leaves, and the other leaves were brown along the edges. This happened despite following our watering plan. Our rule has been to water each week there was no rain. In late May, we had a couple of weeks with 1/2 inch or so of rain, so we didn't water for two weeks. Since then, volunteers have watered the trees twice a week. Some people have watered the trees on their own, without signing up for the watering rotation. The tree most at risk has started budding out new leaves. Thanks so much to everyone who is pitching in this summer to keep these trees in good shape!
Need Tree-Watering Volunteers or Contributions for this Summer
Several people have stepped up to water trees this summer, but we could use a few more people. Please contact me offline if you would be willing to water at either of those locations, or contribute funds so that we can pay a local student to supplement our rotation. Also let me know if you would be able to help organize watering at future planting sites on Burnet, Lamar, Anderson or Airport.
SN Requests Matching Grant to Plant Dozens of More Trees on Burnet
Sustainable Neighborhoods in May submitted a letter of intent for a City of Austin Neighborhood Matching Grant that could help fund planting and watering of from 20 to 80 more trees on Burnet Rd. Scope of the initiative will depend on what watering options the City's program director thinks could be viable.
Quick update on the 21 trees planted at Lamar Middle School in October last year, and near Frisco's on March 13. Amazingly, all but one of the trees are in great shape.
We went into a drought cycle almost immediately after planting the trees at Lamar, and it has been unrelenting. Normal rain in Austin between October and March is 15.3 inches. This last half year we got just 5 inches.
The trees are thriving because of dedicated support from neighbors. A core group of people has been watering the trees at Lamar once a week like clockwork. Frisco's has done a great job of watering the six trees planted at their location. One Sustainable Neighborhoods member is trucking water to four trees near bus stops once a week. The Lamar MS trees also got some TLC from the KAB Clean Sweep effort on 4/19.
YOU CAN HELP TOO.
1. Say "Thanks" to the folks at Frisco's, for their hard work making Burnet more beautiful.
2. If you ever visit Elsi's or Frisco's, take a moment to pour water on the trees with one of the jugs by the trees, and refill it while you're dining.
3. If you live near Burnet-Justin/Pegram and take evening walks, consider taking water to the trees at the bus stop on the SE corner.
4. Email me to sign up for a place on the Lamar MS tree watering roster, posted at https://sites.google.com/a/snaustin.org/snaustin-external-site/lamar-tree-rotation
5. Help organize tree-watering posse's for future trees planted along Burnet Rd. We can plant trees at many sites only if we can line up a two-year watering rotation. We can also use your volunteer time to obtain neighborhood matching grants. If you're interested in helping with this (or donating matching funds), email me offline.
Thanks again so much to everybody who has already helped to plant and water trees! Over time, Burnet Rd is going to get greener. :)
Steven