Blair Woods is a ten-acre, wooded wetland in the heart of highly urbanized Austin, Texas. It is located on a tributary of the Fort Branch Creek, which eventually makes its way to the Colorado River, and serves as an important “upstream” biological filtering system. The wetland, however, has suffered many years of neglect and as a result, invasive plants have run wild and proliferated. Travis Audubon Society wants to put an end to that and plans to enlist the local community to play a hands-on role in the restoration of the woods.
With a TogetherGreen Innovation Grant, Travis Audubon Society will build on its successes removing invasive plants, planting native plant species, building trails, restoring the pond, and removing trash last year with a TogetherGreen Volunteer Days grant. That funding supported the work of 150 volunteers, who removed 135 square yards of invasive plants, planted 70 native plants, and created two walking trails around the pond.
Travis Audubon will engage local schools, youth groups, and families from the surrounding predominantly Hispanic and African-American neighborhoods to encourage participation in habitat restoration efforts and to decrease pollution from garbage and urban runoff. The goal is to restore another 500-feet of riparian and pond habitat that serves as wildlife refuge for birds, amphibians, and other animals.
The Blair Woods Wetlands Project aims to provide volunteers with the skills and experience to make better decisions at home and in their communities. It also hopes to create a sense of ownership in this gem of an urban habitat.