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Blueshoe Spoonbend founder Tina Schweiger next to new trailhead signage she designed (photo by Carol Phillips)
YOU ARE HERE!
The Trail now features informative --and beautiful -- signage at four major trailhead locations: North MoPac, South MoPac, Auditorium Shores and the Parks and Recreation Department office. A fifth sign will be placed at the Congress Avenue trailhead on the new Esplanade after the Cesar Chavez conversion project is completed.
The culmination of more than four years of services and creative energy by Tina Schweiger of Blueshoe Spoonbend, the new signage includes the Trail's new mile markers as part of Tina's major, multi-year commitment. This project would not have been possible without Tina's tremendous design skills as well as her dedication from the concept phase through design and fabrication.
Numerous Trail enthusiasts and passersby stopped to check out the new-look signs during the August 13 installation by Capital Architectural Signs.
"The signs are going to be really helpful, and they're great looking," said Austin resident and longtime Trail user Jan Witt. "It's also cool how the signs are able to include the loop distances in a clear way. Now I know how far I have been running these last 30 years!"
The signs' angled, graphic representation of the Lady Bird Lake clearly displays both the loop distances between bridges (to the mile hundredth), as well as the locations of trailside attractions. The map was designed to be informational, rather than representational, and the use of only 90� and 45� angles was inspired by the famous London Underground Subway map.
Because of the signs' slim profile design and natural material selection, the signs will not only be important tools for Trail enthusiasts and visitors, but will look at home on the Trail.
"I wanted to create a design that both visitors and residents found useful," said Tina. "My goal was to create a timeless, well-designed piece of information graphics that can match the fresh and changing face of our city."
Fossil Graphics fabricated the sign panel using an acrylic polymer fused with the image. The finished product is impervious to moisture and extremely resistant to UV, graffiti and scratching.
The Alice Kleberg Reynolds Meyer Foundation generously provided funding for the construction of the signs, completed by Capital Architectural Signs.
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Summer's Hottest Coolest Race
Thanks to you, the August 7th Moonlight Margarita Run was the hottest, coolest race in town! More than 900 Trail lovers ran, walked and strolled the 5K event beneath the stars on the Trail and Lakefront.
Emerging local talent Anna Seals won the women's overall race in 19:17 and Bobby Asher, from upstate New York, took the men's overall victory in 16:14. Event photos are available at Kreutz Photography.
But as returning Trail supporters know, the real fun was at the after party where the Maudie's TexMex margaritas and tacos were the perfect summer training meal.
We'd like to thank our wonderful underwriter, Freescale Semiconductor, as well as our other generous sponsors:
- Austin Area Mazda Dealers
- Maxwell Locke and Ritter
- Kelly Hart & Hallman
- Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
- Mediterranean Resources
- Plains Capital Bank
- Granite Ranch Events
- Maudie's TexMex
- RunTex
- Whole Foods Market
- KGSR
- News 8
- The Austin American-Statesman
- The Onion
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Between the Bridges
Design of Between the Bridges by Brian Ott, TBG Partners
"Between the Bridges" is the area on the south side of Lady Bird Lake between the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge and the historic Union Pacific railroad bridge. This fall we will install a buffer of serpentine retaining walls and native plants to mitigate the impact of the adjacent street, parking lot and vehicles, and to maintain the continuity of the natural trail experience. The project also includes removal of non-native invasive trees that have spread along the Trail, crowding out native species important to birds and other wildlife.
Silicon Laboratories is the Title Underwriter for this major landscape and conservation project.
For information about sponsorships, please email [email protected] |
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Ruth England and Steve Sisson return with a "kayakful" of removed litter--including this trash can!
In early August, a group of 18 Rogue Running volunteers worked with The Trail Foundation to help clean up the lake and Trail edge on the east side.
Rogue Running has opened their first retail location at East 5th and San Marcos and is working to improve The Trail as part of their commitment to their new Trail neighborhood.
The Texas Rowing Center donated the sit-on-top kayaks for our volunteers so we could reach refuse that catches in trees and other plant life at the water's edge. The group removed dozens of trashbags filled with debris--reducing visual pollution along the Lake's edge. TTF is continuing our commitment to work with volunteers, Texas Rowing and the city to address and combat the issue of Trail and lake litter. |
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Rare Plant Found at Lady Bird Lake
Susan Rankin, The Trail Foundation Executive Director, and Jason Singhurst, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, document Correll's false dragon-head location and associated flora.
It isn't every day you see a rare plant, but that's exactly what happened when TTF Executive Director Susan Rankin recently identified a healthy population of Physostegia correllii (Correll's false dragon-head) along the edge of Lady Bird Lake. Susan has been looking for this plant at the Trail for over a year as she runs and walks the Trail, and she finally located it while doing a Trail cleanup in August.
The plant is closely related to the common landscape plant known as "obedient plant." It bears lavender snapdragon-like flowers in late summer. This species requries a wetland habitat to survive.
Currently being monitored by Texas Parks and Wildlife through its Wildflife Diversity Program, this rare and beautiful plant is noted by botanists for its curious distribution--a few small, widely scattered populations in wetland habitats in Louisiana, Texas and and northern Mexico. |
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Commemorative Bricks at Lou Neff Point
Represented in the names engraved at Lou Neff Point are literal generations of Trail lovers. Each day, the brick walkway draws attention from donor honorees, friends and family.
Back on June 10, workers installed 250 new commemorative bricks at Lou Neff Point. The next set to be placed--reflecting those donated by February 16, 2008 --will go in as soon as they are completed by the engraver and the installation can be scheduled. We are now at 203 bricks in Round 4 and these will be engraved as soon as we reach 250.
Make some history of your own! Making a commemorative-brick donation honors loved ones past, present and future. |
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Garden Adoption News
The Baseball Field Bench Garden before Lee Polson and volunteers from
his law firm, Strasburger and Price, adopted it.
The same garden three years later. With hardy plants and much hand-
hauled water, Lee has turned this once shabby spot into an inviting rest stop on the Trail.
You too can work some magic on the Trail! To adopt a garden, contact [email protected]
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Volunteer opportunities
- Trash and Treasure Cleanup, Saturday, October 25, 9-11 am. Please email [email protected] to volunteer.
- Wildflower seeds planting, Thursday, September 18, 9 am, email [email protected] to volunteer. Limited spots available.
- Flexible times for a clean-up on the Roberta Crenshaw Pedestrian Bridge. Can accommodate group of 8-15, ideal for students needing community service hours. Email [email protected].
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Board of Directors | The Trail Foundation
Griffin Davis, President, MarketHardware.com
Bill Kerr, VP, Kelly Hart and Hallman
Colin Wallis, Secretary, Lance Armstrong Foundation
John Loudamy, Treasurer, Pluck Corporation
Dave Andreas, Silicon Laboratories
Cory Blahuta, vcfo
Jack Collins, Frost Bank
Bill Curra, Halliburton/KBR
Lisa E. Huddleson, Dell
Peter Huff, Blue Sage Capital
Christopher Kennedy, LCRA
Elizabeth McGuire, Writer
Sara Moore, Botanist
Brian Ott, TBG Partners
Jim Sud, Whole Foods Markets
Margot K. Thomas, Community Activist
Maura Thomas, RegainYourTime.com
Susan Rankin, Executive Director
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| Quick Links...
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We are now accepting donations for our Endowment Fund at the Austin Community Foundation. Endowment funds will assure the long-term maintenance of our projects at the Trail. Donate to the Trail Foundation |
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PO Box 5195
Austin, Texas 78763 512.733.3989
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