Heritage Oaks Park

Howdy Neighbors and Friends of the HOP

It's My Park Day is Saturday, March 7, 2015...9a - 12n
IMPD is always the 1st Saturday in March

Mark your calendars for IMPD 2015 and SIGN UP here: http://www.austinparks.org/its-my-park-day.html

Please remember to enter your T-Shirt size :-)

Parks, trails, and open space in Austin and Travis County | Austin Parks Foundation Our biggest city-wide volunteer event is It's My Park Day, held the first Saturday of March. Each year, thousands of volunteers work to improve parks and greenbelts throughout the city.

Hi Friends of the HOP,

The HOP will benefit from recent awards of funding from SRCC for 3 projects that were submitted last year. Projects include bio-remedial work on the lower western slope of the park, hoses and sprinklers for irrigation, and a picnic table with benches. Updated information regarding this award will be posted as soon as details are known.

This past Sunday community service workers spread the remaining mulch around the trees on the lower end of the slope, topple the dead apple tree, move a cut limb to the pond edge for turtle sunning, and rake the ground to prepare and seed wildflowers which we then outlined with green plastic tape to designate the two areas.

It's My Park Day is coming soon again in February but, as yet, there is no notice of the opening for registration for projects. Please send your suggestions for projects to me so they can be submitted as soon as registration opens. We can get volunteers from all parts of the city to help on IMPD projects, big and small.

OFF-LEASH DOGS are still a problem. Please make a call to 3-1-1 to report people with their dogs off-leash. One person seen running their dog seems to bring others who think it's permitted. The dogs can't be blamed if they trample the wildflower seeded areas and all our work is obliterated...but the owners' can be held accountable. Community Service at the HOP may be in their future ;)

Hope to see you all at IMPD. The date will be sent out asap.

Thanks to Gregory Golston and Leigh Stillson, the three of us made a fairly big dent in the additional 10 cu yds of mulch delivered to The HOP courtesy of Austin Parks Foundation. Part of the first 8 cu yds of mulch (great mulch, btw) was spread under one of the most beautiful trees of its species in all of Austin. With the help of Laura & Kendall Krebs, Fred Krebs, Rod Rice and Richard Whymark, we completed the spread in under 4 hours a couple Saturday's ago. Betty Scaggs and Leigh Stillson provided us with tasty treats to keep our energy levels up. Thank you!

We will have mini-events on a few weekday evenings to chip away at the remaining pile of mulch. The tools, including those great pans, must be returned to APF so we will have to bring our own shovels, fixed-tine rakes, and wheelbarrows. If anyone knows where to buy those big rubber pans (APF), please let me know. We can buy 3-4 as they are much easier to use and store than wheelbarrows.

Please remember...there are many important "jobs" that do NOT require physical stamina. The HOP needs a photographer, a time "accountant", energy snacks and a cheerleading squad at EACH event. Come on out and enjoy the beautiful weather we've been blessed with this Spring and get to know your neighbors in our community.

When you drive by The HOP, notice the new sign on Parker.

See you at The HOP...soon!

Hi to all,

This has been a glorious Spring, with cooler weather and RAIN!

In addition to all the work going on in our own gardens, the Heritage Oaks Park needs our attention, too.

Eric at PARD has been awarded a grant to purchase mulch in bulk quantities for our precious trees...but Not for the BIG ones that have already received their amendments and mulch. This mulching project will be for the other trees, both large and small + the Mountain Laurel seedlings we planted in April.

We can't pull this off without YOU, the HOP's wonderful volunteers. Please, please, please SIGN UP to help. If you are unable to do the physical stuff, perhaps you can help with planning the PICNIC. It doesn't have to be fancy, just DELICIOUS! Everybody can chip in. Everybody is Welcome!

So here's the scoop... (and the info sent to Eric to publicize all the projects)

Heritage Oaks Park Mulching Party + Picnic Lunch at 1 PM

8:30 am to 12:30 pm + picnic lunch upon completion of project

Heritage Oaks Park, 2100 Parker Lane, 78741

Helen Fleming, [email protected], 512.917.1935 cell

8 large & 4 small trees + Mountain Laurel seedlings planted in March.

14 volunteers

8 cu yds of mulch

Delivery site: Windoak Street (side street off Parker Lane) - please drop mulch between the large tree and the chain link fence on park property.

May 19 - if mulching is not completed

May 8 - emailed request to participate

NOTE sent to Eric PARD: We will need to borrow 2 or 3 heavy duty wheelbarrows in addition to what I have available; 3 or 4 flat-edge shovels to load the mulch into wheelbarrows; also would like 4 or 5 garden rakes (with hard metal tines) to spread the mulch to the correct depth.

I'll be checking in with a few of our regular volunteers for planning the details. More info to follow.............

Helen Fleming

If you haven't stopped by The HOP lately, come see what you've been missing...WILDFLOWERS galore! Take some photos and post them here for all to enjoy and send them to KXAN, too. We'll be sowing seeds in the Fall so there will be a grand display next Spring.

If you're on your way out and happen to be passing by The HOP, please take a jug or two of water with you for these little guys...they need all the help we can give them! Everywhere you see a red flag there is a seedling. Also, please notice the nice Cross Vine we planted on the 13th during It's My Park Day. It will appreciate a drink, too, and in no time it will be blazing with tangerine flowers.

Please remember The HOP is NOT A LEASH-FREE DOG PARK and mention this to your family, friends and neighbors, too. The neighbors are watching and reporting pet owners to the police...a citation will be issued. Every time a person is seen at The HOP with their dog(s) off-leash, it's and invitation for other pet owners to do the same. The NEW OFF-LEASH PARK is (or soon will be) at Mabel Davis Park at Oltorf & Woodward.

RANT ALERT! There are many "piles" so please Scoop-the-Poop. Use the trash cans provided or bag it and take it home. The hard, cold fact is we volunteers already have enough to do without taking our valuable time to clean up after inconsiderate pet owners.

With that said, if you're on FaceBook please "LIKE US" and there you can find most of the posts and some photos. We are a friendly group and welcome you to come get dirty with us.

Although it was an 11th hour call out yesterday for help planting, Kemp and Gregory stepped up and together we planted 25 native Texas Mountain Laurel seedlings in a little less than hour and a half, we finished at 3:30!
Thank you Gregory and Kemp :)

It was a great day to enjoy being outside and it's hoped others will join us for future projects before the steamy weather dampens our motivation.

"It's My Park Day" volunteers were, Fred Krebs, Leigh Stillson, Kemp Dixon, Rod Rice, Laura Krebs-Holm, Betty Scaggs, Rick Stout, Kendall Krebs, Kate Fleming and Carl Beasley. Please give them a high-five when you see them next time, 'cause they really gave 110% both in time and energy helping to improve The Heritage Oaks Park. We certainly accomplished a lot, got some exercise and had a good time, too. We had lots of food, too...freshly made muffins and chocolate chip cookies and coffee/tea donated by Ventana del Soul on Oltorf. Fresh fruit and granola were donated by Wheatsville Co-Op. We could have, but fortunately didn't, spend all the time eating! We all received a neat IMPD event T-Shirt, too!

The HOP will be recruiting volunteers for Saturday, April 13, for "Clean Sweep" sponsored by Keep Austin Beautiful. Please mark your calendars!
We will be contacting everyone in the neighborhood to either give some hours for this next event or donate a $ or $$ to a kitty for things that PARD does not pay for. More on this later. There are plenty of jobs before, during and after the events, like placing signs, baking cookies, picking up/returning tools, taking photos during the event, and requesting donations for materials from nurseries. Now that I'm no longer a "first-timer" I am more familiar with the details, so many responsibilities for events will be handled by volunteers. We hope for an enthusiastic response.

Here's an email received today from Leilani, of Watershed:
"I have a small surplus of Mountain Laurel saplings that would be great to go in your respective grow zones asap. If your neighborhood group is interested in planting a few, I could bring them to you within the next few days. It would be approximately 25 saplings, approximately 1-2 feet tall. If your neighborhood group isn’t interested in planting, but would like them in the grow zone, I can have my team plant them in the grow zone within the next few days also.
Let me know what you would like to do."
Thanks
Leilani Williams, WPD

I replied that we would be interested and asked if her people would dig some of the holes!!! It's really no big deal though, since the saplings are only 1'-2' tall, guessing the holes don't have to be that large. Leilani also sent the offer to Denise, a leader of another local park, so we would have only a dozen saplings to plant where we would like to have them.

What do you think? Shall we set another day this week to move on this or just ask the WPD crew to go ahead and plant them where they think best?

Also, we have TWO (2) more "Tangerine Beauty" Cross Vines to be planted near the ugly chain link fence. These are fast growers and will be absolutely beautiful all summer long...besides attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.

Leilani also mentioned that Watershed will be sticking several newly trimmed living branches directly into the soil around the pond. This technique has proven to be an easy method of propagating, especially around a water source. They will be keeping tabs on those plantings as we get into the drier months of summer.

That's all, Folks.

Let's get down and dirty ;))

Let's Go To The HOP! for It's My Park Day 2013

***MARCH 2nd***MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Heritage Oaks Park is one of Austin's newest parks in Austin within the parameters of I-35, Oltorf, Woodland and Parker Lane 78741
Friend us on Fb for the latest info at Heritage Oaks Park

Heritage Oaks Park is the site of 400+ year old oak trees that were recently aerated and compost-mulched to increase their vitality during extended draught conditions. In addition to the beautiful old trees, the 3.5 acre parkland has a large, rare urban spring-fed pond containing mosquito fish, turtles, frogs and toads within a fenced area preserved for wildlife habitat. The pond provides a banquet for the resident foxes, hawks, swans, migrating birds and song birds.

Small groups of volunteers will help with each of the projects in a given area around the pond so as to protect the vulnerable habitat of resident wildlife.
-removing invasives east and uphill of the pond and along both sides of the fence line
-erosion control & planting native trees and grass plugs on the slope to define a narrow meandering footpath leading eventually to the pond
-planting evergreen vines along chain link fence
-removing trash in and around the pond.

In the area of the heritage oak trees volunteers will help with:
- trash removal including paper, plastic and metal objects
- removing dog litter (HOP is not a leash-free park)
- raking the already applied compost material to spread it more evenly in the CRZ
- preparing the ground in areas of full sun for wildflower seeding
- broadcasting seeds and tamping the wildflower seeds for good soil contact
- marking seeded areas with colored tape to discourage foot traffic

We encourage volunteers to CARPOOL or BIKE
Parking is limited to just ONE SIDE (the south side) of Wind Oak Street adjacent to the HOP
Nearest buses ( #7, 300 & 331) stop at Oltorf and Parker Lane
Please leave your pet at home today

Although drinks and snacks will be available all day, you may wish to pack a picnic lunch when we break at noon. There will be a cooler of ice available.

Time: 8:30 am to 2:00 pm
Needs: Brush and trash collection, native tree saplings, native grass plugs, evergreen vine plants, 2 cu yds mulch
Drop off: Windoak Street at chain link fence

Thanks, Christy and Ken for liking The HOP! Can we count on you helping out on March 2nd for It's My Park Day? If so, let me know asap and send along your t-shirt size so I can put your name in the HOPper!

Hi all,

We removed a lot of ligustrum In less than 2 hours this afternoon...the tool made it easy going. There's still more of it to be taken out, so we need some help tomorrow before the weather turns cold.

I'll be at the HOP at 2 PM with the tools to continue working and sure would appreciate some helpers to volunteer about an hour or so of time to remove the rest of the ligustrum. Needless to say, I'll be happy it's all gone, too!

Appreciate your help.

Helen
512 917 1935

Okay, the plotting of the nature trail will be this THURSDAY from 2p to 4p. If we finish the trail marking early, we could go up the hill to work on spreading the chunky mulch.

I have been recording the hours each volunteer spends working at the HOP and send that info to Rene at PARD. We can talk about what rewards will be available for those who move up and off the chart in volunteer hours, but at a minimum perhaps we all need t-shirts to ID our team, don't you think????

Remember 2 PM THURSDAY and bring water, gloves, hat, wear good walking shoes AND a rake maybe (the tine type-not a leaf rake)