March 2021
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Workday Report
Twenty-five volunteers signed in on Carl's clipboard at the start of our workday.
Carl got the volunteers assigned to various clean-up
sites through out City Park. It was warm with light drizzle the whole morning of the
workday.
Bill Freas lead a crew pulling, dragging and hauling cut cedar from the Challenge trail. The
volunteers then loaded the dump trucks with the debris.
Elmer Tyler and Dave Cross used their chainsaws to continue cutting down storm damaged cedars.
Elmer and Shirley will be gone the rest of the year. They hope to return for a visit in January 2022.
Dar Moneyhon and Dan Moyer drove the dump trucks from City Park to Public Works and back. They
each had two such trips. In addition each of the dump trucks were loaded and left at the
FOP shed at the end of our work day. The two dump trucks and two Kubotas were provided by the
City of Lakeway.
Brush piles stacked along the trail to the Wildflower Meadow were loaded into the dump truck.
Some of the brush piles along the middle trail going by the Butterfly/Barnes Garden area were
hauled out by Jim Dunn in one of the Kubotas to the waiting dump trucks.
submitted by Jim Dunn
The crew consisting of the Waite family and Bernie Reding spent the entire workday
trimming or removing all storm damaged agaves in City Park starting at the entrance and going done the road.
Assisting, when not busy elsewhere, were Ed LaLone and John Wilkins. The back of Bernie's pickup was
loaded with the dead agave parts. Some agaves were determined to be definitely dead. Others are on the
wait-and-see list for the next workday.
submitted by Bernie Reding
We had worked at Hamilton Greenbelt entrance twice before the FOP workday on Saturday
for about two hours each time. The first mini-workday in the week at the HGB entrance was
with Allison Winchester, Doris McDermott, and Sondra Morton. The next one was with Kathleen
Christensen, Doris, and Sondra. Dead plant material was removed from the water fountain and pond.
They also worked in the garden areas at the entrance.
We cleaned up the Butterfly Garden under the guidance of
Kathy King who had to leave early. We cut down and/or removed all dead debris from
the winter months. We also cleaned out dead rosemary behind the Butterfly Garden. We then
moved on to the Barnes Garden and cleaned it, too. Those that helped were Doris McDermott,
Carol Linn, Joyce Levine, and Sondra Morton. The Butterfly Garden was full of Bluebonnets.
It will be beautiful soon!
submitted by Sondra Morton
Clare Freas picked up 6in. club subways sandwiches and small bags of chips and bagged cookies
for the lunch at the pavilion. Doris McDermott provided iced down beverages.
submitted by Bill Freas
Elmer Tyler, Dave Cross, Bernie Reding, Bill Freas, Mike Light and
Dar Moneyhon worked about four hours Tuesday March 16 to continue clearing
downed branches in City Park. Adding to the four dump truck loads of
mostly cedar brush hauled to Public Works on the March Saturday workday,
two more loads were removed today. More brush remains! Thanks to
Lance Eilers of Parks and Recreation for providing a Kubota and a
dump truck for the FOP effort and Clare Freas for delivering lunch
to the work crew.
submitted by Dar Moneyhon
More photos of the City Park workday and damaged trees in HGB can be found here.
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Carl and volunteers at the beginning of the workday on the wet pavement. Photo by Jim Dunn.
The Waite family and John Wilkins assisting Bernie Reding with agave trimming. Photo by Bernie Reding.
Butterfly Garden clean-up crew of Sondra, Joyce, Carol and Doris under Kathie King's direction. Photo by Sondra Morton.
Dar, Dave, Bill along with Mike Light and Elmer Tyler put in a mid-week workday. Photo by Dar Moneyhon.
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Workday Summary
Twenty-five volunteers signed in Saturday morning despite the misting weather. Workers focused on
removing storm-damaged cedars and last year's dead growth. The Butterfly, Barnes and Kathryn's Corner Garden
had dead growth from last year's vegetation cut and removed. Broken cedars and other trees were cut
down along the middle asphalt trail that runs by the Butterfly Garden, the Challenge primitive trail and
the asphalt trail leading to the Wildflower Meadow and the Purple Martin nests. The City of Lakeway
provided two Kubotas to haul the storm damaged vegetation from the trails to the road where two City
dump trucks were loaded and the loads taken to the City's Public Works location to be dumped. Six dump
truck loads were made before adjourning for the day. In addition one pickup load of storm damaged agave
leaves/petals were also taken to Public Works site for disposal. The volunteers ended the workday at the Pavilion
and enjoyed a lunch of packaged Subway sandwiches, chips and canned beverages.
Workday Activities
Workday on Sat. Mar. 13th is ON!!!. Please arrive at City Park at the
upper parking lot by the Pavilion at 8AM. We will be hauling cut brush and storm damaged vegetation so
leather gloves and heavy denim clothing would be advised. Since Travis County is still in Stage 4 we
have to stay in small groups, wear face masks and other protective gear and maintain a safe distance whenever
possible. Our main focus will be on cleaning up storm damage in City Park only. Elmer Tyler, Dave Cross and
Carl Christensen plus others are already working on cleaning up City Park starting last week and continuing into this
week. They have already hauled out five truck loads of brush and trees limbs. Carl has requested two truck and two
Kubotas for our Sat. workday to haul out the damaged vegetation. Work in HGB I and Porpoise Park
will have to wait until April or for special work groups during the upcoming week and week-ends.
Packaged snacks and beverages will be available at the Pavilion around 11:30-11:45. We will conclude our workday
by noon after the summary reports. We will need to maintain social distancing while we eat.
This will be a good time to pay the membership dues of $15 for 2021. Our Treasurer Sondra plans on being there.
Dues will need to be paid in cash or by check.
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Early bluebonnets! Photo by Jim Dunn.
FOP volunteers loaded cut cedars and then the truck dumped the cut vegetation at Public Works. Photo by Jim Dunn.
Storm damaged cedar tree blocking the HGB I trail near the large Hurst Creek waterfall. Photo by Jim Dunn.
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The Wilderness Run for 2021 has been canceled, we hope to resume the Wilderness Run in April of 2022. We may
do a Volksmarch activity in late October depending on COVID situation.
Family membership dues for 2021, pay by mail, click here or
contact our Treasurer Sondra Morton.
FOP encourages you to purchase an annual family membership for the Lakeway Activity Center,
it helps FOP retain access to the meeting rooms at LAC plus providing you with discounts at LAC events.
Because the annual membership meeting scheduled for the end of January 2021 was cancelled the Board decided to email in the
near future a newsletter covering some of the items normally highlighted during that meeting.
The FOP Board is asking that members take a look at the City of Lakeway's Adoption of the Master Plan Proposal found in
the Dunaway and Associate's Preliminary Parks and Open Space Master Plan pdf file.
The Board is interested in your feedback on how this will impact the Friends of the Parks of Lakeway (FOP) organization.
Bird Blind Updated
Thanks to Laura at the Wildbird Center of Lakeway Carl was able to replace two feeders, one new and 1 repaired.
Laura had just received new parts and Carl purchased one. She is putting together another finch wise feeder as
well. Birds were on them right after we put them up.
Laura may have the finch wise feeder ready since those parts came on as well.
Carl also worked on the water feature by adding the pond clarifier. Pump was running and he scooped out the leaves.
As noted in the Feb. section below the bird blind suffered vandalism either just before the Feb storm or during that
week of bad weather.
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New bird feeders have been installed in the Hamilton Greenbelt bird blind. Photo by Carl Christensen.
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Upcoming Events
- Apr. Board meeting will be Monday, Apr. 5th.
- Apr. workday is scheduled for Sat. Apr. 10th.
- The City of Lakeway is sponsoring "I Love the Park" day at City Park on Sat. May 1st starting at 8AM.
- We have a Facebook page being administered by Dan Moyer
Lakeway Friends of the Parks
- For those who shop on Amazon, FOP is now a listed charitable organization and can receive 0.5% of your Amazon purchase.
Navigate to smile.amazon.com, login, select "Change Your Charity" and search for "Friends of the Park" located in Lakeway, TX
and click on the Select button.
- Family membership dues for 2021, pay by mail, click here or
contact our Treasurer Sondra Morton.
- FOP encourages you to purchase an annual family membership for the Lakeway Activity Center,
it helps FOP retain access to the meeting rooms at LAC plus providing you with discounts at LAC events.
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Hurst Creek waterfall near Sailmaster trailhead in the Hamilton Greenbelt during recent cold spell. Photo by Ryan Dunn
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