Austin Home and Garden Show

This was my first Home and Garden Show I attended after moving to Austin! Overall, it was a great time getting to peruse the sea of vendors and exhibitors. However, they were mainly centered around homeowners with products and services for roofs, gutters, lawns, water heaters, and potential solar panels.

What I enjoyed most at this Home and Garden Show were the Tiny Houses and Container Build-outs, as well as the local artisanal crafts and forged metal products. I also really enjoyed meeting the Lettuce Grow team! They’re a vertical smart planter made of recycled ocean plastics!

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New Job is to Take Care of Texas

I moved onto the next chapter of my professional career and moved to Austin, Texas, to make it happen. I now work for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, under it’s outreach program called Take Care of Texas. In this position, I’m a marketing and outreach liaison to the public — with focus on educators and K-12 students.

Check out TakeCareOfTexas.org to learn more about the program!

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Better Block Structures and Pop-up Park

One of the organizations I became a fan of in Dallas was The Better Block, “a 501(c)3 nonprofit that educates, equips, and empowers communities and their leaders to reshape and reactivate built environments to promote the growth of healthy and vibrant neighborhoods.”

What attracted me to this organization was their guerilla-style local community impact, its architectural applications, and how it shared unlimited creativity similar to 3D printing. One of Better Block’s tenants is placemaking and when you can build a sense of community out of a barren parking lot – it’s truly the definition of placemaking!

It’s a special organization that I want to highlight, in hopes that it can inspire you and other in your community.

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Musical Celebrations for Tree Plantings

There were many different types of tree planting celebrations. A lot of which involved golden shovels for sponsors and photo opps! However, music was always a key theme at our events. We had a speaker setup at most events to use as a PA system, but also plugged in music for occasional events. Many of these celebrations also had local students perform as part of the ceremonies.

Below is a compilation of sped-up clips showing students performing or singing along for you to enjoy!

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Mulchkins at Tree Plantings

One of the fun parts about the Cool Schools tree plantings were the younger students who came out to put mulch rings around the freshly planted trees. I nicknamed these kids “Mulchkins,” combining mulch and munchkins together. Hearing them scream in joy and running around spilling mulch everywhere was certainly a sight to see.

I made a compilation video of different mulchkin groups running around at tree plantings for you to enjoy!

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Master List of Texas Trees Work

Below you’ll find a list of hyperlinked blog posts showcasing the projects I was a part of while at the Texas Trees Foundation. I’ve put them into categories to better highlight the specific projects.

Media Coverage

Secured this remote news interview after the North Texas severe weather season.
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