On May 11, students and their proud teachers gathered in the atrium at City Hall to discuss the innovative sustainability projects they are implementing at their schools. The 4th Annual Central Texas Student Innovation Showcase provided the forum to highlight the resourcefulness and imagination of their hard work — and proved once again, that greener cities are on the rise. With more than 300 in attendance at the Showcase, these students are hopeful that their sustainability ideas will spread to the broader community!

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We're helping to make Austin Net-Zero by recycling Austin's bicycles!

Meet the Yellow Bike Project — a non-profit bike shop run entirely by volunteers. Yellow Bike Project was created in 1997 with the aim of empowering Austinites to ride bikes. Back then, the shop was…

In 1969, a massive oil spill occurred near Santa Barbara, California. Over 21,000 gallons of crude oil were dumped into the ocean, killing thousands of marine animals and igniting public outrage. It was this event that inspired the first Earth Day.

Founded on April 22, 1970, as a national “teach-in” to educate the public about environmental issues, this past Earth Day marked the 49th anniversary of the largest secular event on the planet. What started as a relatively “small” movement — 20 million people participated in that first Earth Day — has grown exponentially. It’s estimated that more than a billion people took part in Earth Day activities around the world this year.

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I'm helping to make Austin Net-Zero by changing the conversation about nature's role in keeping our city resilient

Meet Laura Huffman, Texas state director of The Nature Conservancy. In her role at TNC, Laura heads a statewide team of scientists, conservation experts, and support staff whose work protects Texas’s vast natural resources and most i…

I'm helping to make Austin Net-Zero by embarking on a Legacy of Good.

Meet Trisa Thompson, Senior Vice President and Chief Responsibility Officer at Dell. Trisa has been with Dell for almost 20 years, and has played a key part in social initiatives through her various roles as the founding co-chair of the Women’s Networking Group, PRIDE Executive Board, and Global Giving and Sustainability Councils. Along the way, Trisa has helped to shape initiatives that are cent…

Eastside Memorial High School is known for tackling environmental issues head-on. This became even more evident when they became the first high school in Texas to be recognized by the National Wildlife Federation as an Eco-Schools USA Green School.

The road to becoming a Green School began in 2014, when the school embarked on a campus-wide beautification project. The overall effort included building a garden, compost system, flow form, and wicking bed for plant propagation. They also built an outdoor learning area using grant funding from the City’s Bright Green Future Gran…

I’m helping to make Austin Net-Zero by involving kids in sustainable practices in meaningful and fun ways.

Meet Chris Brooks, Environmental Science teacher at Clint Small Middle School. Chris has been teaching at Small for 16 years and has been involved in shaping the school’s Green Tech Academy curriculum. Small is one of the first Austin-area schools to implement green…

I’m helping to make Austin Net-Zero by going green at work.

Meet Rosa Ríos Valdez, President and CEO of Business and Community Lenders of Texas (BCL). BCL helps community members and businesses reach their financial goals by offering coaching, classes, and help with financing. Formerly, Rosa worked at the Lower Colorado River Authority, where she learned a lot about energy eff…

Oftentimes, women are unsung heroes in the world of farming. According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, nearly one million women are working America’s lands. Together, these women are generating $12.9 billion in annual agricultural sales. In Texas, we have over 120,000 female farmers working 43 million acres, making up 33% of Texas farmers, with an $818 million economic impact.

Women have deep roots in our state’s agricultural community, and in order to help foster their continued invol…

I'm helping to make Austin Net-Zero by designing a library for the future.

Meet Heidi Tse, a facilities planner for the Austin Public Library. Heidi has a background in architecture and design, and spent most of her time working in the private sector before joining the City of Austin about nine years ago. She was drawn to the City because of her interest in working on th…