It's My Park! Day

Thanks to all who participated in the It’s My Park Day! clean up with the Austin Parks Foundation.  There we 61 different locations and over 2,000 volunteers and we were glad to be part of that crew.  We worked on Lower Shoal Creek between Cesar Chavez and 6th Street.  By the time we were done, we pulled out enough debris to fill one of those large trash containers that they deliver with a truck, yeah the big ones.

We pulled out chain link fencing, including whole gates, an ancient a/c window unit that seemed to weigh over 200 lbs including all the mud and gunk that accumulated in it, dragging it up about 30 narrow steps, also several pipes from 3 inch diameter to 10 inch diameter (leftover from construction projects), various mug-caked bicycle parts, bags and bags of trash, and bags and bags of abandoned mud-caked blankets and encampment debris.  I think the a/c unit was the surprise of the day, the fence with the gate attached with roots growing through it was the ‘dig out’ of the day, and the bags and bags and bags of abandoned, mud-caked, urine soaked blankets and debris was the ‘team-effort’ of the day.

About half the trash pile and it goes deep too.

One thing I notice when cleaning up our parks is how many people ride their bikes, jog and go for walks while noticing the debris but don’t join the clean up efforts.  We did get a couple of ‘Thanks for what you do” and I was super pumped to a runner and a cycler stop their workout and jump into the action.  Once they jumped in, they were two of the most committed workers present.

Which brings me to our heart for Love Austin.  These guys jumped in and cleaned the city they loved and the city they enjoyed.  They didn’t merely see Austin as a resource to use and enjoy, but also a city to serve and renew.  That is what we would like to do with Love Austin.  We desire to be a tribe thats loves Austin by enjoying it, and that loves Austin by renewing it.  It goes both ways for us.  And both are motivated by our love for Austin.

We would love for you to join us in our efforts and invite others to join as we Love Austin.

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