HELP SAVE THE 130 YEAR OLD HERITAGE TREE IN OAK HILL

The Oak Hill Gazette recently published an article on the expansion of Highway 290/71 through the Y and its effect on a 130 year old heritage tree. (http://oakhillgazette.com/featured/2013/10/130-year-old-heritage-oak-tree-could-be-cut-down-soon/)

The tree is scheduled to be removed as soon as early November. According to the Austin Heritage Tree Foundation (AHTF) (http://www.austinheritagetreefoundation.com/Home.html), “We need to raise $3,000 within the next 3 weeks to do a feasibility study (hire certified arborist) to determine if the tree can be transplanted since the root crown (the base of the tree) is below grade, buried in soil and gravel, and to prune the tree before the end of October.” TxDOT is willing to transplant the tree, but the problem is funding. The AHTF has already applied for grants from the city. If they are approved for the grants, the community will have to raise about $18,000 to cover the remaining cost of transplanting the tree. We are trying to petition the City and the Heritage Foundation to consider Small Middle School Green Academy (www.insmallgardens.blogspot.com) as the new location of the tree. Michael Fossum, executive director for the AHTF, says “live oaks have historically had a high success rate when it comes to relocation…a survival rate of 98 percent. However, the health of a transplanted tree is dependent on the aftercare it receives in its new home.”

 “You have to water it and make sure it has mulch and doesn’t get diseased,” Fossum said. “You have about a five year aftercare period where you let it reestablish its roots and acclimate to its new area. After that, it should survive on its own.” With the strong support of the community and the student body, Small Middle School would be the perfect home. The Small Green Academy has over 800 students each year who are dedicated to preserving the natural habitat surrounding the school. The tree would receive tender love and care for the life of the tree. We are less than 2 miles away from the tree, and we have a similar soil composition to the current location.

We are currently in works with the district to help set up accounts to allow for us to directly fund raise for this effort. Until we are approved and the accounts are set up, please follow these directions to donate:

The Austin Parks Foundation manages the fund for the Austin Heritage Tree Foundation. Donations are tax-deductible because the Austin Parks Foundation is a 503c non-profit organization and the Austin Heritage Tree Foundation operates under their umbrella. The Austin Parks Foundation charges a 2% fee of every donation, to a maximum of $100 per donation.

Send a check to the Austin Parks Foundation, 507 Calles Street, Ste. 116, Austin, TX 78702. Please, make sure to write “Austin Heritage Tree Foundation- Taco Bell Tree” on the memo line. Please, email mfossum@austin.rr.com with the name of donor and donation amount so that we can confirm your donation.

Call the Austin Parks Foundation at 512-477-1566 ext. 1 to donate by phone. Please, make sure to specify that your donation is for the “Austin Heritage Tree Foundation- Taco Bell Tree”. Please, email mfossum@austin.rr.com with the name of donor and donation amount so that we can confirm your donation.

Donate with a credit card at this link: https://www.austinparks.org/adopter-donations.html

Make sure to click on the Austin Heritage Tree Foundation box (6th from the top). Please, email mfossum@austin.rr.com with the amount and donor’s name so that we know that the donation was for the Taco Bell tree.

We appreciate any support you can offer. Please also email Michael Fossum if you also believe Small Middle School would be the perfect home for the “Taco Bell” Tree.

2013 1st 6 Weeks Recap –by Kasi M. and Julia M.

 (Some images have been borrowed from other sites due to technical dificulties)

This year has started off great! The students have already worked on many projects to benefit our school.

A salad bar has been added to our cafeteria. Adding more healthy options in the cafeteria is always a goal of our program. Soon the food in the salad bar will hopefully all be grown in our vegetable gardens. We have expanded our beds to begin this process. Prior to Green Fest we constructed more keyhole gardens. Keyhole gardens allow one person to work a garden more efficiently by allowing them to reach the whole garden without moving. They also have compost added right into the soil, through the middle mesh tube.

Our students raise chickens each year. In previous years we have raised the chicks from only a few days old to egg laying years all in class. This year we purchased chicks from Callahan’s. Ms. Dunaway has taken care of the chicks up to this point at her home. They have recently been brought back to school to get taken care of by students and live in our chicken coup.

We have installed a new rainwater garden. This garden helps catch rain to make sure it is absorbed by the plants instead of the water becoming runoff. Runoff leads to erosion and the loss of valuable topsoil. It has held up to our "mosoonal" downpours.

The north pond that was started last year was finished this year. It has native plants like pink Turk’s cap and has a waterfall. It is also home to  mosquito fish, red eared sliders, and a plethora of insects.

The gardens that were built three years ago using a National Wildlife Foundation grant always need maintenance. This year our benches were beginning to look like they needed some help. We replaced some boards. and we have them a new coat of  green ­­ and purple paint. Go Cougars and Green Tech!

Green Fest was a great success! This festival raised money for upcoming projects by selling native plants, t-shirts, entry fees for all of our awesome activites, and from donations from vendors.  We are going to sell the remaining plants throughout this week ending this Friday, 10/18, at our school.

We are also still selling mulch and Green Fest shirts. Mulch is $4 a yard. Shirts are $10. You can also contact Mr. Rosenberg, nate.rosenberg@austinisd.org, if you would like to come out any purchase any items throughout the week.

Some of the plants we still have are:

·         Esperanza (yellow Bells)

·         Mexican Feather grass (wire grass)

·         Bulbine

·         Red Shrimp Plant

·         Mexican Plum

·         Conoclinium Gregg (small, grey)

·         Black Foot Daisy

·         Palm Lady Tree

·         4 Nerve Daisy

·         Mexican Bush sage (purple)

·         Desert Willow

·         Star Tree Ivy

·         Fall Aster

·         American Beauty Berry

·         Mexican Beauty Berry

·         Mountain Laurel

·         Oxford Pink Salvia

·         Salvia greggi

·         Turks Cap

·         Texas Rock Rose