Across the City of Austin's departments, employees are doing their part to create a brighter, greener Austin. One such employee is Ana Gonzalez, Environmental Monitoring and Compliance Division Manager for the Watershed Protection Department.
Ana understands that simple everyday actions can make a big difference while recognizing “there is so much more that needs to be done.” Ana’s actions prove you don’t have to invest a lot of time and money to be environmentally…
Austin held its first science festival in 1956, and every February, almost 3,000 students from 23 school districts in 12 surrounding counties present projects at the Austin Energy Regional Science Festival. Public, private, and home school students display more than 1,800 projects that fit into 17 scientific categories, ranging from Animal Sciences to Robotics and Intelligent Machines.
The first in-person festival since the pandemic was held February 23-25 at the Palmer Events Center, and it was clear that students, v…
I’m helping to make Austin Net-Zero by ensuring that I, my organization, its members, and the communities we work in are transforming how we produce, consume, and move about our region here on Earth.
Meet Chivas Watson, Founder and Lead Administrator of WorkingGroup512 (WG512) and our newest Net-Zero Hero! Founded in 2020, WorkingGroup512 provides direct service to individuals and families across Austin and the Central Texas region, providing food deliveries, outfittin…
In January, after over a decade of service with the Office of Sustainability, Chief Sustainability Officer Lucia Athens retired from her work with the City. With her departure, Climate Program Manager Zach Baumer was appointed Interim Chief Sustainability Officer. “I know I am leaving things in good hands with the exceptional Zach Baumer filling in for me in an acting role,” wrote Lucia, “I could not be more confident in his capabilities.”
As Zach steps into this new role, we sat down with him to understand his journey with the Ci…
This Valentine's Day, we sat down with the Office of Sustainability's Education and Outreach Coordinator, Mary K. Priddy, to learn more about how to infuse a little love for Mother Earth into your celebrations. Read on for Mary's tips...
Like many people, I have always had a love-hate relationship with Valentine's Day. On the "Love" side, it's a good excuse to go on a sugar-high-fueled warm-and-fuzzy-heart-shaped spree of sharing the love. My significant other threatens to enter my name each…
Please join us in welcoming the newest team member to the Office of Sustainability: Amanda Mortl! Amanda is stepping into the role of Environmental Program Coordinator. They'll be focusing on protecting our city's air quality and advancing Austin's Climate Equity Plan. As Amanda settles into the new role, we asked her…
I’m helping to make Austin Net-Zero by living a mission-driven life and creating access for others.
Meet Dr. Rosamaria Murillo, Chief Executive Officer at El Buen Samaritano (El Buen) and our newest Net-Zero Hero! Dr. Murillo is a public health advocate, immigrant, and changemaker who strives to support the physical and mental well-being of her community.
Dr. Murillo began at El Buen in late 2019, shortly befo…
Once the weather starts to turn chilly, and we move into the months that end in “ber,” many people believe the planting season is over until Spring. While this is true for most plants, the same is not true for trees. The tree planting season in the Austin area is from October to March — or from Halloween to April Fool’s Day. Trees thrive when planted after the hottest summer days are gone, and the ground isn’t frozen yet.
Trees are vital to th…
Our office recently added three new awards to the trophy case! We were awarded one platinum and two gold awards for excellence in marketing and communications by the MarCom Awards — an international competition that judges about 6,500 entries annually. The MarCom Awards recognize the creativity and hard work of professionals in the communications field.
- We received a platinum award for our newest…