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Blog: In the Parks
People relaxing on a grassy lawn in Zilker Park with a city skyline in the distance.
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March 31, 2026

March 31, 2026

Celebrating a Year of Impact: Community PARKnerships 2025

From Tree Folks Read Set Plant event in partnership with the City

From Tree Folks Read Set Plant event in partnership with the City of Austin. Photo courtesy of Erika Rich

FY25 Community PARKnerships Impact

Read the Full Report

We’re proud to share the incredible progress in fiscal year 2025 made through Community PARKnerships, a program that brings Austin Parks and Recreation and community together to improve and celebrate Austin parks. 

25,170 volunteers, 91,069 hrs, 3.2 mil dollars volunteer time, 13,182 trees planted, 178,752 lbs trash collected, 1,675 free park events, 160,591 participants, 3.6 mil dollars operations and maintenance, 9 public art, 6 nature play areas

Partnership Power 

Austin Civilian Conservation Corps members at the Rainey Street Trailhead nature play area. The Trail Conservancy contracts ACCC for ecological restoration projects along the Butler Trail pose. Photo courtesy of The Trail Conservancy.
Austin Civilian Conservation Corps members at the Rainey Street Trailhead nature play area. The Trail Conservancy contracts ACCC for ecological restoration projects along the Butler Trail pose. Photo courtesy of The Trail Conservancy.

Our PARKners amplify what we can achieve. In 2025:

  • Partnership A organizations contributed an estimated $3.6 million in operations and maintenance and $1 million in capital improvements.

  • Partners hosted 980 free public events, reaching 134,000 participants, and installed nine new public art pieces.

  • Partners invested in the next generation of green leaders—from hosting paid internships and mentorship programs to providing hands-on experiences in conservation, arts, and cultural education.  

Community Stewardship in Action 

Community tree planting, photo courtesy of Pease Park Conservancy
Community tree planting, photo courtesy of Pease Park Conservancy

Austin’s parks thrive because of community stewardship. In 2025:

  • Volunteers donated 91,069 hours, with a $3.2 million value

  • Volunteers planted 13,182 trees and picked up more than 178,000 pounds of trash, which is about the same weight as 7 school buses!

  • It’s My Park Day brought thousands of volunteers together for hands-on stewardship.

  • Over 100 community groups partnered through Adopt-A-Park and other programs to keep parks clean, safe, and welcoming.

  • Volunteers and partners removed invasive species, planted trees, and improved trails across the city. 

Volunteer Impact

Nature Play 

Child exploring our Loose Parts Lending Kits at Brownie Neighborhood Park
Child exploring our Loose Parts Lending Kits at Brownie Neighborhood Park

Nature play creates lifelong beneficial relationships with nature by connecting children with natural spaces where they live, learn, and play. In 2025, we:

  • Installed six new nature play spaces and began design for 13 more.

  • Reclaimed hundreds of logs and boulders from construction projects to create playful, sustainable features. 

  • Provided 35 free Loose Parts Lending Kit rentals, engaging over 1,700 children and adults in creative outdoor play. 

Cities Connecting Children to Nature 

AISD representatives prepare tree cookies for AISD Nature kits.
AISD representatives prepare tree cookies for AISD Nature kits.

This is a national initiative that seeks to create more equitable and abundant access to nature in cities. In FY25, we:

  • Leveraged $631,746 in combined funding across strategies, a 56.4% increase from last year 

  • Partners provided environmental education programming at 73 Austin ISD schools, 64% of which were Title 1 

  • Put on 410 nature-based programs with Nature Smart Libraries, which reached 16,284 community members  

Awards and Recognition 

Pease District Park
Photo courtesy of City of Austin

Austin’s parks shone bright this year:

  • Pease Park Playground was named Best Playground by Austin Chronicle.

  • The Ann and Roy Butler Trail earned Best Place to Walk and Best Bike Trail honors.

  • Our Nature Play Program was nominated for ULI Austin’s Next Big Idea award. 

Looking Ahead 

From Tree Folks Read Set Plant event in partnership with the City of Austin. Photo courtesy of Erika Rich
From Tree Folks Read Set Plant event in partnership with the City of Austin. Photo courtesy of Erika Rich

From hosting the Greater and Greener Conference in 2026 to expanding nature play and green workforce development, we’re excited for what’s next. Together, we’re building a park system that reflects Austin’s values of equity, sustainability, and community.


Thank you to every volunteer, partner, and advocate who made fiscal year 2025 a success. Your commitment keeps Austin’s parks thriving. 

FY25 Community PARKnerships Impact

Read the Full Report