City Planning and Biodiversity Conservation
Is integrating biodiversity conservation and restoration within all of our open spaces missing from Austin’s vision for the future?
Read MoreYou Eat What You Are
Your yard is replete with toxic plants. Oleander, castor bean, wisteria, chinaberry, mistletoe, and Texas mountain laurel are but a few examples of garden plants that pack a punch. Consuming high doses of these plants and their toxins can be fatal. But, insects have evolved to use such plants as protection from predators.
Read MoreDucks in the Desert
Shoal Creek is a waterfowl wasteland. The creek is too narrow and the water is either nonexistent or too shallow. Wood ducks do nest in the cavities in old trees along the creek, but otherwise Shoal Creek is a duck desert. But, you can still see ducks in or near Shoal Creek, you just need visit the headwaters or its mouth.
Read MoreVegetative Trash Trap Forms at the Mouth of Shoal Creek
The city traps trash at the mouth of Shoal Creek, in theory, to keep it out of Lady Bird Lake and in a spot where it is easier to collect. But a native aquatic plant, recently established in the area, is doing most of the work for the city, for better or for worse.
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