Winners of the 2015 Shoal Creek Awards

April 20, 2015  | By Shoal Creek Conservancy

The 1st Annual Shoal Creek Awards is a happy hour event that honors community individuals and groups who have contributed significantly to the Conservancy’s mission to improve Shoal Creek for Austinites present and future. Taking place on the banks of Shoal Creek at the lively PGi Studios (formerly La Zona Rosa), guests will enjoy bites and drinks from Shoal Creek area restaurants, live music, a silent auction and memorable connections with friends and fans of Shoal Creek. Buy tickets and join us on April 21, 2015 from 5:30-7:30pm.

 

Winners of the 2015 Shoal Creek Awards

Bob Armstrong Award for Lifetime Achievement in Conservation

The Conservancy is proud to create the  Bob Armstrong Award for Lifetime Achievement in Conservation, which extends beyond the borders of the Shoal Creek watershed and recognizes individuals for a lifetime of outstanding conservation efforts in Texas and across the United States.

Robert Landis “Bob” Armstrong, the 24th Texas land commissioner, inspired this award because of his distinguished career devoted to public service. One of Armstrong’s most well-known achievements was 17 years in the making. In 1988, he championed the purchase of 212,000 acres of land adjacent to Big Bend National Park and created Big Bend Ranch State Park in the process, doubling the state’s park acreage. His environmental activism at the state and federal levels impacted millions and his legacy will no doubt inspire a new generation of Texas conservationists.

This year’s inaugural award will be posthumously bestowed upon Mr. Armstrong on behalf of his widow, Linda Aaker.

 

Keystone Award – Pease Park Conservancy

The Keystone Award recognizes a project, action or decision that made the biggest difference along Shoal Creek. This year’s recipient is Pease Park Conservancy, recognized for its many years of improvements to historic Pease Park with special appreciation for conceiving of, fundraising for and developing the Pease Park Plan, which sets out a comprehensive blueprint for the long-term restoration and enhancement of the park’s recreational, cultural and natural features.

 

Hero Award – Austin Parks Foundation

The Hero Award recognizes an individual or group who contributed over and above expectation or duty to improving the parks and greenways of Austin and in particular, Shoal Creek. This year’s award is presented to Austin Parks Foundation, a fellow nonprofit devoted to building public and private partnerships to develop and maintain parks, trails, and open spaces in Austin and Travis County. Its tireless work throughout Austin over the last 22 years, with special appreciation for creating and growing the annual citywide volunteer event, It’s My Park Day, and for its support, advocacy, and volunteer improvement work on the Shoal Creek Greenway, makes it a worthy recipient.

 

Business of the Year Award – GSD&M and Cirrus Logic

The Business of the Year Award recognizes an Austin business for its contribution to long-term and ongoing improvements to Shoal Creek. This year, the Conservancy is proud to recognize two outstanding Austin businesses – one long-time community member and one newer addition to Austin. Both have showed love and respect for Shoal Creek from the moment they located next to it through today. They are each models of business leadership and are founding supporters of the Shoal Creek Conservancy.

The first recipient is Austin’s born and bred advertising agency, GSD&M. Since locating just one block from Shoal Creek in 1996, GSD&M has worked to improve the trail and creek through volunteer cleanups and long-term improvement projects. They also designed the fabulous Shoal Creek Conservancy logo.

The second recipient is a new neighbor, Cirrus Logic, which recently located its global headquarters along Shoal Creek. The Conservancy recognizes Cirrus for its strong commitment to improving Shoal Creek through regular volunteer cleanup days along the trail and for its support of the West Sixth Street Bridge restoration project and other direct improvement projects.

 

Good Neighbor Award – Bull Creek Road Coalition

The Good Neighbor Award recognizes a neighborhood that has provided a voice, vision and citizen leadership for protection and improvements to Shoal Creek. This year’s award goes to the Bull Creek Road Coalition. Formed in 2012, the Bull Creek Road Coalition is the organizing entity for the seven neighborhoods located near the originally state-owned land on Bull Creek Road along Shoal Creek. The Coalition has worked, and continues to work, tirelessly to craft a vision for sustainable development on these acres. This award recognizes the Coalition for being the voice for Shoal Creek, its heritage trees, trail and greenway between West 35th and 45th Streets.

 

People’s Choice Award Nominees

The People’s Choice Award recognizes a nonprofit or public agency program or project that has involved citizen volunteers and improved Shoal Creek. Each of these nominees were crucial in their respective ways to Shoal Creek over the past year, and we could not be more grateful for their work.

  • Austin Youth River Watch – Water Quality Monitoring Program on Shoal Creek
  • Keep Austin Beautiful – Adopt-a-Creek Program
  • The City of Austin Watershed Protection Department – Flood Early Warning System
  • The City of Austin Watershed Protection Department – The Shoal Creek Restoration Project
  • The City of Austin Public Works Department – Neighborhood Partnering Program

Vote for your favorite here and join us at the 2015 Shoal Creek Awards where the winner will be announced!

 

Thank you and congratulations to all of this year’s winners and nominees!