Home Page for Friends of the Parks

July 2023
Calling volunteers for the 4th of July ! ! ! Howdy All, Friends of the Parks is hoping to put together a group to participate in Lakeway's 4th of July parade this summer. The theme for this year is "63 and Free", marking the 60th anniversary of Lakeway's establishment in 1963. Please let Dan know if you'd be interested in participating, either in prep for the event or to participate in the parade itself. Thanks! Dan's email is DanAg04@gmail.com . Visit the official Lakeway website click here.	FOP's award winning 2019 parade entry. More FOP 2019 parade photos here.
Upcoming Events City of Lakeway 4th of July Parade. Summer break for FOP during the months of June, July and August We have a Facebook page being administered by Dan Moyer Lakeway Friends of the Parks Family membership dues for 2023, 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. Renew here.

May 2023
Our May Workday report for the Saturday 20th event Twenty eight people signed in for the May 20th workday. As usual, we gathered at the City Park Pavilion at 8AM before splitting into work groups. Three projects for this workday include the following: o City Park - most of the volunteers worked on hauling broken trees and limbs at City Park following the February ice storm. o Hamilton Greenbelt - general maintenance at the bird blind. Bernie Reding, John Carparal, Lorraine Tallent and Jim Dunn stained the two benches and the exterior and interior of the bird blind structure. Working on water feature was Mike Light, Tom Sidwa and Dave Cross. o Hamilton Greenbelt Butterfly Garden -one group of volunteers planted flowers, grasses at the Swim Center, HGB I entrance (including new butterfly garden) and Barnes Garden in City Park. Lunch was Subway sandwiches, chips and pasta. Dessert was rhubard/strawberry pie, ice cream, brownies and cookies. Kathleen did the food committee coordinating. Judy brought the pasta, Kathleen, Jerry, Allison and others brought desserts. Thanks lunch crew!	Jerry Cooper planting flowers in the Barnes Garden located in City Park. Lorraine Tallent staining bird blind bench located in Hamilton Greenbelt II. Bernie Reding staining the interior wall of the bird blind located in Hamilton Greenbelt II. Tom Sidwa and Mike Light repairing the water feature of the bird blind located in Hamilton Greenbelt II. Some of the people responsible for the great lunch at the Pavilion.
Our May Workday has been RESCHEDULED to Saturday (5/20th) starting at 8AM!!! Howdy All, The May workday will be Saturday May 20th!!! As usual, we will meet at the City Park Pavilion at 8AM before splitting into work groups. Three projects for this workday include the following: o City Park - Finishing up tree hauling at City Park following the February ice storm. o Hamilton Greenbelt - general maintenance at the bird blind. This will include staining/sealing, burying some infrastructure and other general maintenance. o Hamilton Greenbelt Butterfly Garden - We will also be planting a few more plants at the new butterfly garden at HGB. If anyone would like to contribute plants to that effort, we could still use native milkweed, turks cap, lantana and salvias. Lunch this week is build your own Italian sub, sides, and desserts!!!! Thanks lunch crew! Hope to see everyone there! ~ FoP PS - Looking for volunteers for the FOP entry in the 2023 4th of July parade, theme is "63 and Free".	Visiting the Bird Blind in Hamilton Greenbelt in 2020, needs some maintenance in 2023.
Upcoming Events May workday Sat. 5/20 starting at 8AM. Summer break for FOP during the months of June, July and August City of Lakeway 4th of July Parade. We have a Facebook page being administered by Dan Moyer Lakeway Friends of the Parks Family membership dues for 2023, 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. Renew here.

April Workday Announcement
Workday has been rescheduled to Saturday April 15th. As usual, we will meet at the City Park pavilion at 8AM before splitting into work groups. It appears it may be warm on Saturday, so you may want to bring some extra water. We will have two main projects this month. One effort will be continuing to get plants in the ground at various spots at the Hamilton Greenbelt Trailhead. The second project will be performing a general cleanout of Smith Greenbelt. This will include hauling downed cedar limbs, potentially some ligustrum removal, and other general trail maintenance. Lunch this week is sloppy joes and sides!!!! Thanks lunch crew!! Hope to see everyone there! ~FoP Also check our Lakeway Friends of the Parks Facebook page. Call for plants!!! FoP is currently planting a garden to assist in propagation of butterflies and other pollinators. The only requirement for the garden is that the plants be Texas natives. If you have any of these that you'd like to contribute, maybe from propagating from your own garden, or by just purchasing and donating, please let us know! Contact Dan via email at DanAg04@gmail.com Plants we're looking for include, but are not limited to the list below: o Common milkweed or antelope horn or green milkweed o Passion Vine o Lantana o Blue Mist Flower o Golden Eye o Aster o Sunflower o Mealy Blue Sage o Shrubby Bonnet o Damianita o Goldenrod o Frostweed Regards, ~FoP	Pat at the HGB I entrance garden. Photo by Dan Moyer. Volunteers renovating the HGB I entrance garden. Photo by Dan Moyer.
Upcoming Events Apr. Board meeting Monday 4/3 at 6:30PM. Apr. workday Sat. 4/15 starting at 8AM. We have a Facebook page being administered by Dan Moyer Lakeway Friends of the Parks Family membership dues for 2023, 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.

March Workday Announcement
Howdy All, Our March workday is this Saturday March 11th. We will meet at the parking lot by the City Park Pavilion at 8AM and split into a few groups from there. Activities include: hauling tree limbs, removing invasive trees and/or shrubs (ligustrum and nandina), a new butterfly garden soil preparation at the entrance to Hamilton Greenbelt main entrance and ..... more hauling of tree limbs. Lunch will be fried chicken, sides and desserts! Workday photos are here.	One of the limb hauling groups working in City Park. Photo by Dar Moneyhon. Volunteers gather at parking lot at 8AM. Photo by Jim Dunn.
Upcoming Events Mar. workday Sat. 3/11 starting at 8AM. Mar. hike Sun. 3/12 starting at 1PM. Registration required, see below article. Apr. Board meeting Monday 4/3 at 6:30PM. Apr. workday Sat. 4/8 starting at 8AM. We have a Facebook page being administered by Dan Moyer Lakeway Friends of the Parks Family membership dues for 2023, 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.

March Hike

We're currently booked for a group hike on Sunday March 12th at 1PM at the Balcones Canyonland Preserve land off Ladera Blvd. This is the land across 620 from the Bee Cave Home Depot and Target. The group will follow a nature trail through BCP lands towards Lake Austin. There is a steep descent, from the Reicher Headquarters to Lake Austin, of 350 feet (but the group could stop at 250 feet), then a hike back up. The return hike is often up an abandoned road, which is also very steep, but it has an asphalt surface, for good footing. The entire loop is either 0.7 mile or 1 mile, depending upon whether the group goes all the way to Lake Austin. The hike will take between 2 to 3 hours. There is limited availability for this hike, so please let us know if you're interested so we can get you on the list.

Please register with Carol at carolmlinn@outlook.com .

Guide Bill Reiner explains BCP feature (click to enlarge)

Guide Bill Reiner explains Balcones Canyonland Preserve (BCP) feature. Photo by Dan Moyer.

BCP Hike was Great!

3/12 - Thanks to all who joined the nature hike in the BCP, and a big thanks to our guide, Bill Reiner! He was incredibly knowledgeable on every plant, flower, bush, tree, etc. in the preserve and made the trip very educational. More hike photos are here towards the bottom of the index page.

submitted by Dan Moyer.

Group with Lake Austin in background (click to enlarge)

Group with Lake Austin in background. Photo by Dan Moyer.

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 Sondra Morton 713-870-5462 or email Skmgran@gmail.com.

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.

News July 4th volunteers needed details here. Summer break June, July and August, next workday September. May workday was held 5/20 details here. Apr workday was held 4/15 details here. Mar workday was held 3/11. details here. Renew your membership for 2023, 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

July 2023

May 2023

March Hike

BCP Hike was Great!

Trail Maps for the Parks of Lakeway