Personal Adventure Blog and Professional Portfolio
Continuing my green adventures in Austin, I attended the City of Austin’s Circular Austin Showcase. This was a “shark tank” style pitch event where entrepreneurs propose businesses/products based on recycled or upcycled waste materials. I was previously involved in 2021 [RE]verse Pitch Competition as an initial contestant (didn’t make finals) with an idea for vermicomposting to pitch for that year’s Circular Showcase.
One of the athletic hobbies I picked up while living in South Austin during the pandemic was axe throwing! I enjoyed my axe throwing experiences when I went on dates. But then it hit me, I can do axe throwing without dates and have fun on my own. That’s when I decided to join an axe throwing league at Urban Axes Austin.
I initially started off like most amateur throwers, with a double handed overhead throw. I was decently fair at this throwing style. Over time I noticed the seasoned leagues and professionals honed their throwing style to just single handed. So I decided to make the switch and deal with the learning curve.
I went to the “Spring into Fun Day” garden tour hosted at Cummingham Elementary by PEAS (Partners for Education, Agriculture, and Sustainability.) During my time in Austin, I’ve crossed paths with PEAS’ educational and outreach efforts. I’m very impressed with what they have achieved and how they leverage partnerships within the community.
After parking and walking onto the school grounds, I headed over to the elementary school garden. This is both an educational and production garden. Students are taught how to grow and care for produce, along with science lessons.
This was the first year during the pandemic I attended the Environmental Trade Fair and Conference (ETFC) hosted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Ironically, I worked for TCEQ for the Take Care of Texas program during the initial years of the pandemic which shut down the conference – so I was never able to attend while working for the agency.
I attended the first day of the conference as an exhibitor with Texas Disposal Systems. I worked the booth alongside a couple salesmen and really enjoyed speaking with guests and handing out promotional items.
Throughout the day attendees would come in waves between educational sessions. According the the ETFC website, ““Agency staff [led] over 100 courses and discussions at Trade Fair. Topics included air and water permitting, oil and gas, industrial and solid waste management, compliance and enforcement, and remediation programs.”
Another pandemic postponed tradition was Eeyore’s Birthday. It’s a celebration of the fictitious mopey character from the Winnie-the-Pooh franchise. Since this was the first year of this mini-festival during the pandemic, I was very excited to attend!
Eeyore’s Birthday Party is a day-long festival taking place annually in Austin, Texas since 1963. It typically occurs on the last Saturday of April in Austin’s Pease District Park. It includes live music, food and drink vending which benefit local non-profit organizations, attendees in colorful costumes, and very large drum circles. The event is frequented by children and families, with specific events presented for them by the event organizers. The festival is named in honor of Eeyore, a character in A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh stories.
— Wikipedia
Zilker Botanical Gardens in Austin, Texas, held an Instagram-able art exhibit called Surreal Gardens with neon lights and sculptures. I was very interested in attending this event because I have a special attachment to the gardens visiting with my grandmother, and the event looked really intriguing.
Ion Art is excited to announce our next Surreal event with the debut of The Surreal Garden at the Zilker Botanical Garden! The Surreal series is an annual interactive art experience full of fantastical neon pieces created by Sharon Keshishian and the Ion Art team. By integrating the exhibit into the serene setting of the enchanting botanical gardens, the already stunning art event becomes a phenomenal experience and a wonderful way to benefit The Garden.
— Ion Art’s Surreal Garden Webpage
I arrived early so I could see the art during the daylight hours first. The walk through the Gardens was nice. I found the Cretacious Gardens the most interesting with the featured sculptures.