Zilker Park Woodland Tree Canopy Project
The Zilker Tree Canopy is in need of invasive species removal and plantings of native species.
Imagine a Zilker Park where native trees and plants help rainwater soak into the ground, stabilize the soil, and safeguard Barton Springs for future generations. Today, many wild areas in the park are dominated by invasive species that do the opposite — degrading habitat and disrupting natural systems. Replacing invasive trees with native species, expanding shade cover, and restoring the park’s ecological health is the vision behind the Woodland Tree Canopy Project — Zilker 351’s first ecological improvement initiative.
This project will add tree canopy mottes in four areas throughout the park to create a shadier, cooler, and more enjoyable environment for park goers—while also enhancing and protecting Zilker Park’s environmental integrity.
These locations were carefully chosen because they will greatly benefit the parks ecology with out disrupting existing park use. Each is either near Barton Creek or located upslope from it, meaning the new plantings will help stabilize soil, reduce and filter runoff, and benefit our water quality. Native plants play a vital role in maintaining our water supply—their deep roots filter and absorb rainwater to mitigate the effects of flooding and extreme drought while also improving groundwater infiltration which recharges our aquifers. In contrast, invasive species degrade habitats and disrupt this delicate balance, threatening the health of our springs and waterways.
Project Area 1: Pecan Grove Picnic Area
Our first improvement site is the Pecan Grove Picnic Area, where runoff from a nearby parking lot currently flows directly into Barton Creek—polluting Barking Springs, one of Austin’s most beloved free swimming spots. Zilker 351 identified this problem and brought it to the attention of the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD). To their credit, PARD staff agreed with our assessment and acted quickly.
They’re now replenishing the tree canopy in the area to absorb and filter runoff, and are implementing drainage improvements to capture and slow rainwater. Construction is already underway. You can find more about the project here.
Project Area 4 (not shown below): Columbus Drive
Our second tree planting project is located along Columbus Drive. This site was originally identified by Austin Parks Foundation and approved through the City’s Community Activated Park Projects (CAPP) process, but funding for the project proved hard to come by.
Since this area is both upslope of Barton Creek and overrun with invasive species, it aligned perfectly with Zilker 351’s prioritization areas. We teamed up with Austin Parks Foundation to fund the project—and we’re thrilled to say it’s now fully funded. While we missed the spring planting season, this project has the green light for planting this fall!
Zilker 351 is working diligently to secure funding for the remaining planting areas in time for the fall season. With one project under construction and another fully funded, we’re proud of the momentum we’ve built—and we’re just getting started!!!
