Home Page for Friends of the Parks

Message from Carl

Dear Friends of the Parks members and volunteers

I would like to wish all of you a healthy and happy Easter and Passover. Thank you for all you do with Friends of the Parks (FOP). I hope this finds all of you healthy and coping with the situation we are all living with for this time. It is a very unusual time with the COVID-19 Pandemic. It appears we will be living this way for many days to come, but it affects all of us, and the entire World. This is a good time for us to reflect how fortunate we are to live in Lakeway and all of its amenities (Hamilton Green Belt, Smith Green Belt, City Park, etc.) I can list many more, but I’m sure you get my gist, Thanks to all of you, these places exist and are maintained to a large extent by the FOP.

On the bright side, this is a good time to spend more time with your family and loved ones which we often do not do because of our busy lives and other activities. Now is a good time to take up a new hobby you always wanted to do, read a book you have on the shelf, finish a project you started many months ago, but never finished or even clean out a closet. As you are aware, we have postponed all FOP activities until the fall when we can resume them after the pandemic has subsided. In the fall, we have several projects to complete in City Park and on the various trails. It is our hope to have the Wilderness Run in late October. Much planning has gone into this event and we have had many sponsors sign up to support the event. As you know, the Wilderness Run is our only fund-raising event of the year and we depend on it to provide funds for our continuing maintenance of Lakeway parks and trails.

Finally, I wish you a safe, healthy Easter and Passover. We will see you in the fall after this situation has passed. We will come through this and will learn much from it. It may lead to new medical discoveries as to how to deal with something like this in the future. It always amazes me how talented and creative we can be in times of duress and stress, and I’m sure this pandemic will result in new ideas and inventions to prevent this occurrence from ever happening again.

Finally, stay safe and shelter in place. As the CDC has recommended, wash your hands often with soap and warm water, do not touch your face. I would recommend you only congregate with your immediate family members and keep a safe distance from other people as much as possible.

Sincerely,
Carl Christensen, PhD
Chair of FOP

Messages from other Board members

Dar Moneyhon

On Mar 30, 2020, at 12:36 PM,

With my gym closed have been spending more time outdoors, suspect you are doing the same, ran into Dan and Kim at City Park Saturday. If not, like many other places in the country, people are flooding to our parks and greenbelts. Hamilton and Palos Verdes entrances both packed with cars, many people parking at the Justice Center. Cars lined up on Trophy Drive some parking at Swim Center and yesterday, 5 cars at Bisset Court, a first for me. Families walking, having picnics at City Park, biking, kayaking, some hanging hammocks, sitting on benches reading, all I saw were maintaining social distancing and parking was very crowded. Yesterday, went under Highlands Blvd and into the trail system across the way. Have never seen anyone there, yesterday, multiple couples and families. One woman, with kids, from Rough Hollow, asked me if the trail went to the Lake and how far? Appeared to be first timer. It looks as if the developer has rerouted and made trail improvements. Did not go to far, will explore more. Have been on some trails I haven’t walked in a long time. Playgrounds, b-ball courts, dog park and skate park all with closed notices.

Our greenspace is a real treasure in these difficult times.

Dar

Bill Freas

AMEN! Walking in HGB Sat Clare and I met family's from New York and Sweden. Both had moved to LT area 10 months ago and this was first time in Lakeway GBs.

Bill

Larry Yancey

You are exactly right. I walked the Highland trail yesterday. I was surprised at all the work and the new bridge. I always try to mention to all the new people I meet that a lot of the work done in the parks was by FOP. I always try to invite them to be a part of our group.

Thanks,

Larry Y.

Photos from members are here.

Wilderness Run 2020

To be rescheduled at a later date after the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

One mile kids run at 9AM

5K adult run at 9:30AM

22nd Annual Wilderness Run & Walk

Friends of the Parks of Lakeway

Postponed!!! Hamilton Greenbelt I in Lakeway Registration: 8:00 AM

Healthy Kid 1 Mile Run: 9:00 AM ~ 5K Wilderness Run/Walk: 9:30 AM

Free Parking ~ Free Snacks ~ Live Music

Looking for a fun and healthy way to spend a morning in Lakeway? Join members of the Friends of the Parks of Lakeway and other outdoor enthusiasts to run or walk at some future date at the Hamilton Greenbelt across from the Justice Center.

New for this year we are introducing a Healthy Kid 1 Mile Run for kindergarten to fifth grade starting at 9:00 AM. At 9:30 AM, we will start the 5K Wilderness Run/Walk open to all age groups and skill levels.

This FREE community event will take you through the heart of Lakeway’s Hamilton Greeenbelt trail system. The course winds along waterfalls, across fern covered creeks, wildflower meadows and through tall native tree forests. Refreshments available at the start/finish areas. Plus there will be an awards presentation for the top male and female finishers in various youth and adult divisions. Please note that only the 5K Wilderness Run/Walk event is open to families with strollers and dogs on leashes.

For over 20 years, the members of Friends of the Parks have put together this neighborhood event with 100 percent of the donations used to fund projects designed to sustain and improve Lakeway’s Parks and green spaces. For additional information about this event, please contact event co-chair Sheryl Kelly at 512-997-8880.

February 2019

Work projects
City Park
1. Fill in along new concrete path from upper restroom with road base.
2. Finish the installation of split rail fence by Barnes Garden
3. Clear out rubbish and bushes, cedar saplings and deadfall limbs etc. from area south of kayak launch by lake.
4. Began to clean up lake shore by Blume plaque and all along lake shore south of there. The City of Lakeway will provide a truck to haul debris form all areas. We will dump trees limbs and debris by dumpster at Public Works yard off of Serene Hills drive.
5. Clean out Butterfly Garden area and prep for planting on March workday.
6. Clean out cedar saplings and brush area east of dog run entrance down to new restroom.
7. Remove cedar saplings from City Park.
8. Take down broken oak limb on Duck Lake trail.

Upcoming Events

February workday will be Sat. 2/8 starting at 8AM at the Pavilion in City Park.
March Board meeting will be Mon. 3/2 6:30PM at the LAC.
March workday will be Sat. 3/14 starting at 8AM at the Pavilion in City Park.
Save the DATE : Sat. Apr. 18th, Wilderness Run
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 2020, pay by mail, click here or pay in person at our workday, 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.
See all the workday photos here.

Leslie Lilly shows transformed meadow near Lady Bird Lake. Photo by Jim Dunn.

New kiosk being constructed in the greenbelt. Photo by Bill Freas.

Workday Report

The day got off to a good start with twenty-three volunteers.

Ron Moore	John Wilkins	David Conner	Dennis Gans
Kathie King	Doris McDermott	Carol Ferree	Carol Linn
Allison Winchester	Sondra Morton	Linda Mackie	Emily Haeussler
Mike Light	Dan Moyer	Jim Dunn	Elmer Tyler
Pat McDermott	Mary Ann Kendall	Carl Christensen	Kathleen Christensen
Paul Jacobs	Lorraine Tallent	Judy Hazen	Clare Freas
Deane Willis	Bill Freas

Jackets, coats, head gear and gloves came off soon as the people started working on the following projects. We had twenty-six volunteers by the end of the workday. See all the workday photos here.

City Park

o Garden Work
On Saturday, February 8, FOP workers Sondra Morton, Linda Mackie, Kathie King, Allison Winchester, Carol Ferree, Carol Linn, Doris McDermott, and Kathleen Christensen worked at three gardens: planting at the Hamilton Greenbelt entrance; weeding and cleaning the Butterfly Garden, readying it for March planting; and tackling the initial cleanup of the Barnes Garden. The Barnes Garden will need more attention throughout the spring, culminating in planting. As a result of the morning's work, Kathie’s pickup was heaped high with brush, which Kathie drove to the Public Works yard and unloaded.
submitted by Kathleen Christensen

o Trail improvement
Dan Moyer, Mary Ann Kendall, Emily Haeussler, Bill Freas and Lorraine Tallent used shovels and a wheelbarrow to move road base provided by the City of Lakeway. They placed the road base along both edges of the new sidewalk that goes from the bathrooms by the Pavilion down to the Butterfly Garden. After placing the road base by the sidewalk, it was tamped down. Then rocks were placed along the edge of the road base to help control water flow going down the hill.
submitted by Jim Dunn

o Fence building
The day started off at the FOP shed. Carl and Mike tried to get the hydraulic jack hammer attached to the Kubota to work. After calling Lance and having a city employee rush over the hammer started working but with a oil leak. Then Bill backed the Kubota down the trail to the site where the post holes were to be dug. At that point the jack hammer refused to work again. The team of Mike Light, Jim Dunn and Bill Freas used a rock bar, post hole digger and a shovel to excavate six holes for the fence. Lorraine Tallent, Mary Ann Kendall and Emily Haeussler assisted us by mixing concrete in a wheelbarrow. We went slightly high tech as Mike used his cell phone as a level to set the fence posts in a vertical position. The split cedar rails were inserted in each post as the post was set in concrete. At the end of the workday we had installed a fifty foot section of split cedar fencing along the new sidewalk next to the Barnes Garden. Thanks goes to Dan, Carl, Doris and Lorraine for taking pictures of the workgroups. At the end of the workday Elmer Tyler was collecting yellow ribbons from the cedar trees near the Pavilion.
submitted by Jim Dunn

o Park Cleanup
During the first part of the morning John Wilkins, David Conner and Pat McDermott removed cedar saplings from an area around the dog park. After they loaded their brush pile into the dump truck they joined the group working by the lake shore. That group was composed of Elmer Tyler, Dennis Gans, Ron Moore and Carl Christensen. They removed debris from the area around the kayak boat launch location and several dump truck loads were removed. Elmer's chain saw tangled with a copper electric wire and Mike Light came to the rescue.
submitted by Carl Christensen and Pat McDermott

Pat’s group was assisted by Elmer Tyler who limbed up (per guidelines provided by the City of Lakeway) trees by the dog park. Then Elmer joined Ron Moore and Dennis Gans and Paul Jacobs in the area south of the kayak launch near the receding lake shore line. Elmer cut brush while Ron lopped and stacked and Paul untangled and stackedthe brush. Dennis used the wheeled cutter on any grass and small brush he could get to. We filled up the dump truck with our cuttings at the end of the workday. We could probably use another workday to finish the job.
submitted by Elmer Tyler

Lunch @ 11:45

o Brats, buns & beans, veggies, fruit and desserts
Volunteers: Doris McDermott, Judy Hazen, Kathleen Christensen, Carol Ferree, Sondra Morton, Clare Freas, Deane Willis, L Moore
submitted by Judy Hazen

Volunteers signing in at the beginning of the workday. Photo by Jim Dunn.

Cleaning up the Butterfly Garden. Photo by Lorraine Tallent.

Mary Ann and Dan spreading road base along the new sidewalk. Photo by Carl Christensen.

Lorraine mixing concrete slurry for setting fence posts. Photo by Jim Dunn.

The crew that filled the dump truck with brush and deadfall debris. Photo by Carl Christensen.

The hungry volunteers enjoying the brats and sides. Photo by Dan Moyer.

See all the workday photos here.

2020 Annual Membership Meeting

Sixty two members attended the meeting. A wonderful meal was served along with desserts. Our meal assistance provided by Cindy & Marty Berdan, Kathleen Christensen, Debbie Caporal, Jerry Cooper, Coral Ferree, Donna Ferrie, Judy & Fred Hazen, Sheryl Kelly, Doris & Pat McDermott, Sondra Morton, Carlisle Pearson and Elmer Tyler.

A short business meeting was called to order after the meal. A moment of silence was held for three FOP members whose work was completed in 2019. They were Wayne King, Bob Sauerman and Michael Miller. The 2019 meeting minutes and treasurer's reports were approved by the membership. Chairman Jim Dunn reviewed the 2019 workday activities while Carl Christensen spoke on our Purple Martin housing project, Sheryl Kelly recapped the 2019 Wilderness Run and presented plans for a revamped 2020 Run in April. Dar Moneyhon provided an update on our blue ribbon 4th of July Parade float and our successful Volksmarch through the Canyonlands in November. Volunteers of the year Carlisle Pearson and David Cross were recognized by Jim Dunn. A plaque was awarded to Judy Hazen for seventeen years of service to our organization.

Event photos are here

New slate of Board members and officers were approved by the membership. They are
Chair Carl Christensen
Vice-Chair Dar Moneyhon
Secretary Dan Moyer
Treasurer Sondra Morton
Past-Chair Jim Dunn
Director Pat McDermott
Director Bill Freas
Director Bernie Reding
Director Carol Linn
Director Larry Yancey

After the business meeting was adjourned, Leslie Lilly of The Trail Foundation gave a presentation on the Butler trail system around Lady Bird Lake. The presentation is available by clicking here. This is a very large PDF file and will take many seconds to download.

Please plan on attending our annual membership meeting on Thursday, Jan. 30th starting at 6PM at the Lakeway Activity Center. The meeting is open to the public. We will have a meal at 6:30PM for the membership, a short business meeting at 7PM and then a presentation titled "Natural Areas Management and Urban Forestry in Downtown Austin, Tx" from our guest speaker, Leslie Lilly, from The Trail Foundation (TTF) of Austin at 7:30PM. She is the Conservation Director for TTF which works to protect, enhance, and connect the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake.

Reservations for the BBQ meal are closed but all are welcome to attend the business meeting at 7PM and/or hear the Guest Speaker at 7:30PM.

Bio: With more than 10 years of academic and professional experience, Leslie Lilly has extensive knowledge of native Texas plants, Texas ecosystems and sustainable landscape design. Her past work and research have focused on everything from fire ecology and invasive species GIS (Geographic Information Systems) modeling to wetland plant communities and symbiotic relationships. Leslie formerly worked for US Fish and Wildlife as a GIS analyst and wildland firefighter, working on the restoration and management of endangered bird habitats. As the Conservation Director for The Trail Foundation, Leslie oversees and implements all of the ecological restoration programs and projects for the over 200 acres of Town Lake Metro Park and wetland restoration projects on Lady Bird Lake. She is also a proud Texas Master Naturalist.

The meal will once again be from It's All Good BBQ to be served at 6:30PM. The meal is free to all current 2020 FOP family members or $15 per person if you are not a member of FOP. You can pay your 2020 FOP dues at the registration desk starting at 6PM. You can print out a form and fill it out before the meeting by clicking here.

In order to use the meeting room in the Lakeway Activity Center, we have been requested to have our FOP members join the Lakeway Activity Center as members. Residents of Lakeway are asked to pay $30 per household to join. Please consider joining the LAC for beneficial access to the Center and the activities that go on all year long that are not FOP related. Visit www.lakeway-tx.gov for more information or call 512-261-1010 for more information. You are also welcome to drop by their front desk anytime they are open.

Registration table manned by Sheryl, Sondra and Bernie. Photo by Jim Dunn.

FOP membership meeting. Photo by Dan Moyer.

Jim reviewing 2019 activities (click to enlarge)

Jim reviewing 2019 activities. Photo by Dan Moyer.

Leslie Lilly, guest speaker (click to enlarge)

Leslie Lilly from The Trail Foundation will be our guest speaker at our Thu. 1/30 annual business meeting.

January 2019

Upcoming Events

~~January Board meeting will be Mon. 1/6 6:30PM at the LAC.~~
~~January workday will be Sat. 1/11 starting at 8AM at the Pavilion in City Park.~~
~~The Wild Bird Center of Lakeway will be hosting a program about the Purple Martin colony on Sat. Jan 18 at 2PM. It will be presented by Carl Christensen and Gary Cobb.~~
Save the DATE : Thursday Jan. 30th, General Membership Meeting
February Board meeting will be Mon. 2/3 6:30PM at the LAC.
February workday will be Sat. 2/8 starting at 8AM at the Pavilion in City Park.
Save the DATE : Sat. Apr. 18th, Wilderness Run
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 2020, pay by mail, click here or pay in person at our workday, contact our Treasurer Bernie.
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.
See all the workday photos here.

Andy Balinsky takes questions (click to enlarge)

Andy Balinsky takes questions at the 2019 Annual Membership Meeting. Photo by Jim Dunn

Workday Projects
All volunteers on Sat. 1/11, starting at 8AM, meet at upper parking lot (Pavilion) of City Park for volunteer opportunties. Bring gloves and drinking water.

City Park

o Mowing, weeding, trimming
o Trail improvement from Pavilion to asphalt trail
o Debris removal on upper Challenge Trail.

Canyonlands

o Complete repair of the Exxon-Mobil bridge on Serene Loop trail - bring battery powered drills to install decking screws.

Lunch @ 11:45

o Chili, cornbread, veggies and dessert

Workday Report

It was a cold and windy start with temperatures in the mid-40s but we had twenty volunteers at 8AM. We worked on the following projects. We had twenty-three volunteers by the end of the workday. See all the workday photos here.

Dar Moneyhon	Jim Dunn	David Conner
Mike Light	Elmer Tyler	Dave Cross
Larry Yancey	John Caporal	Debbie Caporal
Bill Freas	Allison Winchester	Carol Linn
Bernie Reding	Ginger Abbott	Brooke Abbott
Terry Sears	Elaine Riggs	Mike Riggs
Linda Mackie	Dennis Gans	Emily Haeussler
Carol Ferree	Judy Hazen

City Park

o Mowing, weeding, trimming
This City Park crew had a very successful workday trimming around trees and rocks in the south end of City Park. After completing the trimming task, the remainder of the time was spent picking up loose rocks, dead wood on the ground and trash which was hauled to the dumpster. Thanks go to City for mowing the large open areas prior to trimming. The crew was Dennis Gan, new members Elaine and Mike Riggs, John Caporal, David Conner and Bernie Reding.
submitted by Bernie Reding

o Trail improvement from Pavilion to asphalt trail
Bill Freas, Terry Sears, Jim Dunn, Ginger Abbott and Brooke Abbott repaired the two sections of native cedar fence on the trail from the Pavilion down to the asphalt trail. In addition we installed cedar rail steps. Since we forgot to ask for fill material, we raked up some old mulch from an old pile north of Ranger Field and put the mulch in the repaired section of the trail. We can replace the mulch with fill material (road base or decomposed granite) at our next workday.
submitted by Jim Dunn

o Debris removal on upper Challenge Trail.
Elmer Tyler, Allison Winchester, Carol Linn, Linda Mackie and Carol Ferree filled up the dumpster by the FOP shed with debris collected all around the park such as road side trash, construction material, fallen branches and deadfall.
submitted by Jim Dunn

Canyonlands

o Complete repair of the Exxon-Mobil bridge on Serene Loop trail
Emily Haeussler, Larry Yancey, Dave Cross, Mike Light and Dar Moneyhon completed the repair of the Exxon-Mobil Serene Hills Loop Bridge that began with disassembly on the Dec 2019 workday. New supporting cross members were installed, reinforcing spacers were secured and decking removed in Dec was reinstalled. Mike cleaned, refinished and reattached the original Exxon Mobil plaque. Cost for materials to repair came in just under $200. Bernie Reding and Dar Moneyhon procurred the new lumber and supplies earlier in the week, cut the four new joists and installed at the bridge site prior to the workday.
submitted by Dar Moneyhon

Lunch @ 11:45

o Chili, cornbread, veggies and dessert
Judy Hazen provided hot chili for us, she was bundled up in a parka and she had to wrap the cooker up in a towel! We had jalapeno and regular cornbread from Doris McDermott and Ximena Sauerman plus veggies from Clare Freas, fruits from Carol Ferree and cookies from Debbie Caporal. Fred Hazen help Judy setup and Carol helped with serving and clean-up.
submitted by Judy Hazen

John, David, Elaine and Mike (click to enlarge)

John Caporal, David Conner, Elaine Riggs and Mike Riggs. Photo by Bernie Reding

Terry and Bill replacing rail in native cedar fence (click to enlarge)

Terry Sears and Bill Freas replacing rail in native cedar fence. Photo by Jim Dunn

Mike Light, Dave Cross and Emily Haeussler rebuilding the Exxon-Mobil bridge on the Serene Loop trail in the Canyonlands. Photo by Dar Moneyhon

Judy Hazen attending the electric food warmer, it was hard to keep the chili warm. Photo by Jim Dunn.

See all the workday photos here.

December 2019

Upcoming Events

December workday will be Sat. 12/14 starting at 8AM at the Pavilion in City Park.
January Board meeting will be Mon. 1/6 6:30PM at the LAC.
January workday will be Sat. 1/11 starting at 8AM at the Pavilion in City Park.
Save the DATE : Thursday Jan. 30th, General Membership Meeting
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 2020, pay by mail, click here or pay in person at our workday, contact our Treasurer Bernie.
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.

View the Dec. workday Photos.

HGB entrance pond. Photo by Jim Dunn

All volunteers on Sat. 12/14, starting at 8AM, meet at upper parking lot (Pavilion) of City Park for volunteer opportunties. Bring gloves and drinking water.

City Park

o Mowing, weeding, trimming
o Move small rocks near Wildflower Meadow
o Retrieve decorative pavers/rocks from Butterfly Garden
o Purple Martin houses maintenance
o Cedar sapling removal

Hamilton Greenbelt

o Entrance garden maintenance
o Plant flame acanthuses

Canyonlands

o Repair of the Exxon-Mobil bridge on Serene Loop trail - bring battery powered drills to remove decking screws.

Lunch @ 11:45

o Sloppy Joes, veggies, chips and dessert

We had 27 volunteers working on the various projects at City Park, Hamilton Greenbelt and Canyonlands. They were

Dar Moneyhon	Rick Morrison	Luke Morrison
Carl Christensen	Elmer Tyler	Shirley Tyler
Mireille Kirmse	Bob Kirmse	Dave Cross
Jay Beard	Lorraine Tallent	Larry Yancey
Bernie Reding	Gary Cobb	Mandy Vogt
Olivia St. Peter	McKenna Vogt	Kathleen Christensen
Shirley Tyler	Ardelle Bahl	Bob Schooler
Sondra Morton	Pat McDermott	Doris McDermott
Mike Light	Kathie King	Tony Mataya

Workday report

Bernie Reding, Kathy King, Shirley Tyler, Luke Morrison, Rick Morrison, Mirelle Kirmse, Lorraine Tallent and Jay Beard spent the workday picking up large and small rocks from the south end of the City Park and relocating them to a deep ravine near the lower parking lot. Mowing and trimming will now be much easier with with the rocks relocated. A walk-behind Bob Cat and a Kubota on loan from the City made the task much easier.
submitted by Bernie Reding

City Park Purple Martin houses clean out crew was Carl Christensen, Gary Cobb and Bob Kirmse. We then joined Bernie's crew for rock cleanup. It was a beautiful day
submitted by Carl Christensen

Pat McDermott and four volunteers removed cedar saplings in the north end of City Park near the George Blume plaque. They also worked on a cedar fence repair project near the Pavilion.

Bob Schooler and two volunteers planted four Flame Acanthuses along the main HGB I trail near the Blue Hole.

Four volunteers continued the cleaned-up of old or dying plants at the HGB entrance at Lohmann Crossing. They also "deadhead"ed vigorous plants and trimmed ivy off landscaping rocks.

Mike Light, Dave Cross, Elmer Tyler, Larry Yancy and Dar Moneyhon removed all the slats from the Exxon Mobil Serene Loop bridge and stored them in the FOP Public Works shed. Dismantled the rotten wooden support structure and dumped at Public Works.
submitted by Dar Moneyhon

View the workday Photos.

Purple Martin house maintenance being done by Carl and Gary at City Park. Photo by Carl Christensen

City Park rock movers (click to enlarge)

City Park rock movers Bernie, Kathy, Shirley, Luke, Rick, Mirelle, Lorraine and Jay. Photo by Carl Christensen

Canyonlands bridge deconstruction (click to enlarge)

Canyonlands Serene Loop (Exxon-Mobil) bridge deconstruction featuring Larry, Elmer, Dave and Mike. Photo by Dar Moneyhon

November 16, 2019

Volksmarch

The 2nd annual Volksmarch was held Sat. 11/16 starting at Noon.
Registration at the table/tent at the parking lot of the Lakeway Swim Center.
Three mile self-guided hike in the Canyonland proper, will take at least one hour.
Six mile guided hike up to Mt. Lakeway and back, will take at least three hours.
See the fall foliage on a sunny mild day.
Live music was be provided by the "Just for Fun Bunch" from 2PM to 3:30PM at the registration area.
Pretzels, beer or sparkling water were available upon completion of the hikes.
Click on the announcement to the right for more details!

View event Photos.

We had about 170 people participate in the Volksmarch into the Canyonlands or up Mt. Lakeway. The weather was perfect. We had a great mix of young people, parents and mature walkers along with a multitude of dogs. All of the liquid refreshments and the pretzels were consumed after people returned from their hike. They were then able to relax to the tunes played by the "Just for Fun Bunch" band. We would like to thank Josh Horowitz of Infamous Brewing for the beer, Lisa Clover for the Fat Belly Pretzels, Sheila Mangan for the Hippeas and Eric Mangan for Spindrift Sparkling Water. Thanks to the City of Lakeway for co-sponsoring the event, LAME for mountain bike riders and to numerous FOP volunteers for doing the many tasks associated with setup, registration and guiding hikers on the trails.

See the Photos here.

Volksmarch announcement (click to enlarge)

Volksmarch announcement, view the flyer (PDF).
View the media release (DOCX).

November 2019

Upcoming Events

~~November Board meeting will be Mon. 11/4 6:30PM at the LAC.~~
~~November workday will be Sat. 11/9 starting at 8AM at the Pavilion in City Park.~~
The 2nd annual Volksmarch will be Sat. 11/16
December Board meeting will be Mon. 12/2 6:30PM at the LAC.
December workday will be Sat. 12/14 starting at 8AM at the Pavilion in City Park.
Save the DATE : Thursday Jan. 30th, General Membership Meeting
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 2020, pay by mail, click here or pay in person at our workday, contact our Treasurer Bernie.

View the workday Photos.

2018 Volksmarch banner

Workday Projects

Meet at the upper parking lot near the Pavilion of City Park at 8AM on Sat. Nov. 9. The weather forecast looks good!. Bring work gloves and drinking water.

Our volunteer opportunities are
o City Park - Mowing and weeding - Bernie
o Canyonlands - Trail outlining, some weed trimming - Dan
       - trail guide training - Dar
o HGB - wildflower sowing - Bob
       - trail repair/erosion control - Bill
       - entrance garden upkeep - Sondra
       - photo rock trails, trail erosion repair - Jim
o Pavilion - Lunch at 11:30 - Brats, sauerkraut, baked beans, desserts - Food committee

One of the monarch butterflies that visited Lakeway in October. Photo by Jim Dunn

We had 23 volunteers working on the various projects at City Park, Hamilton Greenbelt and Canyonlands. They were

Bernie Reding	Lynne LeMon	Bob Schooler
Jim Dunn	Mary Ann Kendall	Sondra Morton
John Wilkins	Dar Moneyhon	Ardelle Bahl
Judy Hazen	Carlisle Pearson	Bill Freas
Clare Freas	Pat Wisnoski	Mike Light
Taylor White	Samuel White	Bob Sauerman
Linda Mackie	Lorraine Tallent	Archie Ruatto
Donna Ferrie	Fred Hazen

Workday report

It was a foggy start in the morning as the volunteers were assembling, however; the temperature in 40s quickly warmed up to 60s by noon with plenty of sunshine.

Bernie Reding and John Wilkins worked in City Park, leveling soil where big rocks were removed by fence plus minor mowing/trimming by wildflower meadow. They then spread some leftover blue bonnet seeds at HGB entrance.

Dar Moneyhon trained NCL mother/daughters and Boy Scouts to be guides on the trails of Canyonlands for the upcoming volksmarch event.

Bob Schooler, Pat Wisnoski and Mary Ann Kendall mixed up 4.5 pounds of wildflower seeds in a wheelbarrow of sand and sowed the seeds along the HGB I trail from the entrance to the RainbowBridge. Pat and Mary Ann then assisted in transplanting yuccas to a revegetation zone.

Bill Freas, Mike Light, Samuel and Taylor White did repairs on the HGB trail. They cleaned out culverts, enlarged channels for run-off rain water and repaired straw waddle regions. Thanks to the City of Lakeway for the Kubota and a load of decomposed granite.

Sondra Morton, Ardelle Bahl, Bob Sauerman, Linda Mackie and Lorraine Tallent cleaned-up old or dying plants at the HGB entrance at Lohmann Crossing. They also "deadhead" vigorous plants. The entrance is looking good.

Jim Dunn, Archie Ruatto and Lynne LeMon spread City supplied decomposed granite at eight photo rock locations on HGB I trail.

Judy Hazen, Ximena Sauerman, Sondra Morton, Donna Ferrie, Carlisle Pearson and Debbie Caporal provided hot brats on buns with sauerkraut, baked beans, veggie trays and yummy desserts.

View the workday Photos.

Sondra, Linda and Lorraine at the HGB Entrance garden. Photo by Jim Dunn

Lynne, Archie, Bob, Mary Ann and Pat (click to enlarge)

Lynne, Archie, Bob, Mary Ann and Pat worked along the trails of HGB. Photo by Jim Dunn

Taylor, Samuel, Mike and Bill (click to enlarge)

Taylor, Samuel, Mike and Bill repaired erosion on the main trail of HGB. Photo by Mary Ann Kendall

Delicious desserts provided by our food committee. Photo by Jim Dunn

New Trail Maps for the Parks of Lakeway

Friends of the Parks is a group of citizens who enjoy the rewards of volunteer service in the parks and greenbelts areas of Lakeway. Monthly Saturday morning work sessions provide opportunities for all levels of service, whether it is tree maintenance, general cleanup or tending memorial gardens at City Park. A few of the hardier members help build and maintain hiking/biking trails in the Hamilton Greenbelts and the Canyonlands Natural Area. Still others provide food for our workday picnics. For information contact Bernie Reding 512-261-5633 or email Bernie

Friends of the Parks sponsors one annual community event which is the annual Wilderness Run/Walk event on the Hamilton Greenbelt trails on the third Saturday of April. The goal of this event is to encourage citizens to get out and enjoy the beauty of the greenbelts and parks of the City of Lakeway.

Friends of the Parks of Lakeway is a 501 (c) 3, Federal Tax Exempt Organization. Donations made to this organization may be tax deductible; check with your tax advisor.

March 2019 Purple Martins have arrived at City Park. Blue bonnets and other wildflowers are starting to bloom!
Upcoming Events March workday CANCELLED. April Board meeting CANCELLED. April workday CANCELLED Wilderness Run to be RESCHEDULED 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 2020, pay by mail, click here or pay in person at our workday, 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. Photos of Birds, flowers, waterfalls and brush cutting	Purple Martins arrive at City Park! Photo by Carl Christensen.
March 14th Work Day Cancelled Message from FOP Chair Carl Christensen I am announcing cancellation of this Sat. Mar. 14th workday due to rain threat and concerns over COVID-19.	March blooms! Photo by Jim Dunn.

News April message from Carl, read here. Feb. workday was Sat. Feb. 8th @ 8AM Details here. Annual Business Meeting details. Jan. workday was Sat. Jan. 11th 8AM Details here. Dec. workday was Sat. Dec. 14th 8AM Details here. Renew your membership for 2020, click here !!! Contact FOP Treasurer Sondra Morton 713-870-5462 or email Skmgran@gmail.com Submit your photos and volunteer stories ! ! !

Lakeway Area Parks Map Lakeway City Park Map Lakeway City Park Map (older version) Lakeway City Park Map Interactive Version Hamilton Greenbelt Trails Map Updated 12/30/2010 Canyonland Trails Map (pdf) Updated 2016 Canyonlands Interactive Map Link. Mt Lakeway Trails Map Sep 2012 Rough Hollow Trails Map Apr 2018 (pdf). Lakeway Weather Forecast

Lakeway, Texas

Message from Carl

Messages from other Board members

Dar Moneyhon

Bill Freas

Larry Yancey

March 2019

March 14th Work Day Cancelled

Wilderness Run 2020

February 2019

City Park

Lunch @ 11:45

2020 Annual Membership Meeting

January 2019

City Park

Canyonlands

Lunch @ 11:45

City Park

Canyonlands

Lunch @ 11:45

December 2019

City Park

Hamilton Greenbelt

Canyonlands

Lunch @ 11:45

Workday report

Bob Sauerman

November 16, 2019

November 2019

Workday report

New Trail Maps for the Parks of Lakeway