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…
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…
Did you know the City of Austin protects trees on public and private property? In 1983, the City of Austin passed one of the first tree protection ordinances in the United States. The City continued its commitment to protecting valuable community trees by passing the Heritage Tree Ordinance in 2010.
A Heritage live oak is protected during development.
What is a "Protected" tree?
The Land Development Code (LDC)…
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…
Trees have always been an important part of the character of Austin. We have special trees where we mark important historical events. We love to enjoy the pecans at Barton Springs on a sunny day. We will park half a mile from the store if we can leave our car under a shade tree while we shop. We cannot take our trees for granted. If we want to continue enjoying a healthy urban forest in coming decades, we need to start planning now. Climate forecasts predict significant changes in our average temperatures, rainfall, and major weather events. Our existing trees may struggle to adapt and survive in the new conditions.
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Please join us in welcoming the newest team member: 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 some g…
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…
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 fo…