Nature in the City - Austin Blog

This small tree might survive, but the wiser choice may be to replace it with a new, healthy specimen.

Tree damage from Winter Storm Uri, a major freeze that hit Texas in February 2021, is still visible all around Austin. Trees that had begun growing new spring leaves were hit the hardest. Species showing significant damage included huisache, red oak, crape myrtle, and lac…

Alert! Tree emergency!

You may have seen our recent posts where we warned you about an invasive insect, Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). This pest could kill all our ash trees within a few years, so we need to prepare now! In the earlier posts, we encouraged you to help us find Ash trees and map them using …

Alert! Tree emergency!

You may have seen our recent post where we warned you about an invasive insect, Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). This pest could kill all our ash trees within a few years, so we need to prepare now! In the earlier post, we encouraged you to help us find Ash trees and m…

Trees provide important benefits to our community and are difficult to replace. It is important to keep them healthy. Perhaps the biggest challenge facing Austin trees is lack of water. When trees don’t receive the water that they need for a long period of time, they become stressed. Stressed trees are more prone to pests or diseases, and this leads to their decline and death.

When to water

Most trees need to be watered if we have not received at least one inch of rain for one week. This varies with tree age, tree species, and the type of soil.  In west Austin, the soil layer is thin and loses moisture quickly. In many parts of east Austin, the soil has…

Written by Pearl Morosky, 2020 Youth Forest Council Member

All the trees in Austin need care and attention to grow and flourish, but with 33 million trees in the city, it takes a community to give every tree the care it needs. To help solve this problem, different community groups, many of whom rely heavily on volunteers, have stepped up to care for Austin’s trees. One of the largest groups is the Austin Parks Foundation (APF). This local Austin nonprofit provides resources, programming, and funding for our parks, with support from the City.  

The City of Austin's Ur…

Written by Antonia; October 23, 2020

One of the most exciting aspects of leaving for college, for me, was the fact that I would have so many new areas to explore. So, of course, I used the free time I had to look around campus and find all of the hidden, interesting places, both indoors and outdoors. Luckily, I made a friend who was also rather adventurous and we’d plan days to go out and see if we could find something new. From a strange, deserted bas…

Written by Edgar; November 2020

Midterms are one of the most stressful times as a college student. During stressful times, going to the park and listening to the wind blow through trees is therapeutic for me.  Losing myself in peaceful thoughts can help clear my mind, so that I can go back to daily life feeling more positive.

Can you guess the tree which these leaves belong to? Here is my guess.

Written by Evelyn; October 9, 2020

Ever since I was little, I’ve had a love for learning. Cousins and friends would question me as I learned the multiplication tables on weekends and had extra books for fun. Although it may look different today, my love for learning is still relevant. In my current writing seminar, I have been learning about disability studies. It’s really interesting to delve deep into a topic I had no experience in and learn how my ide…

Written by Evelyn; October 1, 2020

Sometimes all one needs is some food for the soul. For me, spending time in nature solves that. Bike riding, hiking, or even sitting in my backyard on the trampoline as the sun sets. I am currently in a part of my life where a lot of things are changing. New doors are opening and I’m growing more curi…