North Shoal Creek’s low tree canopy (20%) combined with the recent adoption of its neighborhood plan recently resulted in 173 free trees being distributed to North Shoal Creek residents who requested them via ACT’s 2018 program. Residents could select from three kinds of shade trees — Lacy Oak, Mexican Sycamore, or Mexican White Oak – and three kinds of understory trees — Mexican Buckeye, Texas Mountain Laurel, or Mexican Plum. Community volunteers along with Austin Development Services staff and staff from the Austin Parks and Recreation Department also planted 30 of the trees.
ACT volunteers canvassed our neighborhood on Sept. 29, 2018 hanging information about the program on doorknobs of residences that volunteers identified as needing additional sidewalk and street shade. In response to the canvassing – which offered a total of 615 trees — residents requested 173 trees via ACT’s online registration form.
ACT worked with the North Shoal Creek Neighborhood Association (NSCNA) to promote the program, recruit volunteers and provide food for volunteers at each of the three event days: the block walk on September 29, followed by the tree staging on October 26 and delivery day on October 27. NSCNA offers special thanks to Margaret Valenti, Senior Planner in the Community Tree Preservation Division of Austin’s Development Services Department, and NSCNA board member Jon Menegay, who served as co-coordinators of the project.
The ACT 2018 program succeeded in helping grow the urban forest in the North Shoal Creek Neighborhood, and it also helped activate and educate community volunteers on the importance of the urban forest and proper tree planting procedures. The effects of the program will be seen for years to come as the trees mature and become part of the neighborhood and the urban forest throughout the city.
This is the 12th year of the Austin Community Tree Program, which has delivered over 6,300 trees throughout the Austin community.
Here is a breakdown of North Shoal Creek’s new trees:
| Shade | |
| Lacy Oak | 15 |
| Mexican Sycamore | 19 |
| Mexican White Oak | 47 |
| Subtotal | 81 |
| Understory | |
| Mexican Buckeye | 24 |
| Texas Mountain Laurel | 36 |
| Mexican Plum | 32 |
| Subtotal | 92 |
| Total Trees | 173 |
