Every spring, Central Texas puts on one of nature's most spectacular shows — roadsides blaze with bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush, and Mexican hat, and meadows ripple with little bluestem and sideoats grama catching the breeze. It's beautiful, sure, but the story underneath that beauty is even more remarkable. These plants aren't just pretty. They're quietly doing some of the most important ecological work in our region — and they need our help to keep doing it.

I remember the first time I visited the Barton Creek Greenbelt and the lasting impression it left on me. I grew up in a small town in Iowa, AKA “God’s Country”, our home engulfed by a forest with a small creek winding through it. It’s where I learned to love nature, and the unimaginable possibilities it opens up. My brothers and I spent hours back there, and it left me equating home, and belonging, with the woods.

The new Violet Crown Trail Mile Zero Trailhead and Education Pavilion opens on November 15, 2025. Learn more about it’s journey from concept to completion here.

Zilker Park belongs to all the people of Austin. And every memory made and every story told contributes to its legacy. To celebrate the many voices that make Zilker Park so special, Zilker 351 is launching a Guest Blogger Series. We begin with Holly Hawk, Executive Director of the Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy, whose story reflects the deep connection so many of us feel for Austin’s most beloved park.