GREEN Austin Texas

Pickett Trail Steps

South San Gabriel as seen from the Pickett Trail

Georgetown Texas Pickett Trail

I led a MeetUp group hike yesterday in an area that feels very sacred to me. I love the area because it feels to me like a sanctuary, private, pristine and peaceful. Georgetown Texas’ Pickett Trail is a small trail both in width and length compared to many, with beautiful vistas from rock cliffs overlooking the South San Gabriel River. According to the Georgetown, Texas Parks and Recreation Department, it was named after a rodeo cowboy who was of American Indian and black heritage named Bill Pickett. Pickett was from Taylor, Texas, in Williamson County. Bill Pickett was born December 5, 1870 and passed away in 1932 from injuries sustained from a stallion in Oklahoma. Pickett Elementary School in Georgetown is named after him. Bill Pickett was the very first black cowboy ever to be inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame and was the inventor of bulldogging, also known as steer wrestling.

A Great Hike and Enjoyable Evening

Pickett Trail is an unmarked trail that many people may not know about. We met up at 6:00 pm at the Blue Hole parking lot. We started our hike walking beside Blue Hole and then went into the Pickett Trail. It was so fun. It’s a short trail compared to many and I have hiked it so many times in my life that I hardly have to look down at the path except for those steep stair steps. After our hike three of us swam at Blue Hole and visited. Among our trio was a lady who moved here two years ago from CA.

Georgetown and Central Texas Consequences of Growth

We have so many people moving here to Texas and the Austin, Texas as well as Georgetown, Texas area. I welcome all to our state as a Native Texan. I just worry about the population growth’s effect on the environment, both from people migrating here as well as our native Texas population’s growth. I saw trash on the trail at a few spots and this horrifies and saddens me. Normally it is so pristine and that is part of what I love.

Pickett Trail Signs

There is no sign making the trail, nor any signage along the trail. I would hate to have to put signs that read “No Littering $500. Fine”. What can one do? So I blog, hoping somehow, someway consciousness will be raised. Besides the no littering signs that I hope never need to be posted, I want a sign showing that the trail is named after Bill Pickett, to honor the memory of him. After all, it is named after him and he was a famous rodeo cowboy and Texan.

Pickett Trail Invasive Species

There are some areas of the Pickett Trail almost totally taken over by invasive plant species. Among the worst there is ligustrum but there is also a lot of nandina. Invasive species gradually take over the landscape and may choke out existing species. The existing native species belong in the natural ecosystem which provides food and habitat for native animal life. The City of Georgetown, and or volunteers need to clean the invasive species out of Pickett Trail and Blue Hole Park. Perhaps the Williamson County Chapter of the Native Plant Society, Texas Master Gardeners or Texas Master Naturalists will take interest in this area.

Resources:

Books

Land of Good Water: A Williamson County Texas History by Clara Stearns Scarbrough
Guts: Legendary Black Rodeo Cowboy Bill Pickett by Cecil Johnson

Williamson County Chapter of the Native Plant Society The Williamson County NPSOT is very active. I have been to some meetings and events. NPSOT does research and works in conservation of native plants and their habitats. The group meets on the second Thursday of every month at 7:00pm at the Georgetown, TX Public Library second floor meeting room.

Texas Master GardenersThere is a Williamson County Texas Master Gardener program that meets monthly at 6:30pm at the Williamson County Extension Service Office, 3151 SE Innerloop Road, Ste. A in Georgetown, Texas. The meetings are open to the public.

Texas Master Naturalists learn about natural resource conservation and provide leadership in management of natural resources and natural areas. Texas Master Naturalists volunteer teaching the public, removing invasive species and other activities.

Keep Austin Beautiful is a very active non-profit in the Austin, TX area. (512) 391-0621
Keep Texas Beautiful is the statewide organization
Keep America Beautiful is the nation wide non-profit program that ran the television ad campaign above.

Contact Betty Saenz  REALTOR SRES, GRI, EcoBroker to see homes or other real estate in the Georgetown, TX area or anywhere in the Austin Metro Area. (512) 785-5050

Friday, March 12th, 2010 from 4:30 to 6:30pm there will be a tour of GREEN buildings at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. The Double LEED® Building Tour Higher Education Institution Facilities is being held by the Central Texas Balcones Chapter of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC-CTB). The Admissions Center building is LEED-NC Gold Certified and the Center for Lifelong Learning is LEED-NC Silver Registered. Parking is available on campus.

Register at http://doublegreenbuildingtours.eventbrite.com/

I just love Tail Waggins Dog Bakery in Georgetown;  my two mini schnauzers, Phatti Patti and Baby Girl, love it too.

It’s where I get fresh baked dog treats with fun names like Snicker Doodles, Cream Cheese Danishes and Monkeynut Blossoms.  I personally have never tried them but my 17 year old son has and according to him they are good.  If begging dogs is a way of rating the taste – they must be the best!

My minis also get groomed at Tail Waggins Dog Bakery by Kenny – we have standing 6 week appointments and I don’t stress about leaving my girls in his care.  He does an awesome job.

I’ve taken classes for dog obedience, learned a ton about raw food diets for dogs, what’s really in dog food (Don’t ask unless you REALLY want to know), what table foods dogs can and can’t eat and made friends with the ladies that run the store.  They care about my dogs and are willing to listen to my dog stories – no matter how corny they may be.

If you are looking for a dog bakery try Tail Waggins Dog Bakery in Georgetown – Your dog will be glad you did!

With record setting high heat, drought, and lake levels getting lower and lower it seems that xeriscaping would be all the rage in Central & South Texas but it’s not. Who started the fad of growing these expansive water hogging St. Augustine (“carpet” grass) lawns anyway? I have yet to know the full history behind this ecological disaster.  However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, there is a way out, and it is called xeriscaping.  Not “zero scaping ” as it often is miscalled, implying that xeriscapes can’t be beautiful when they can be colorful & artistic when well designed.  Xeriscaping is landscaping that is designed for drought and water conservation to protect our water supply and environment.  A xeriscaped yard is not only beautiful, but uses less water, requires less maintenance and the native plants and flowers attract & provide habitat for native species of birds, butterflies & other living things. 
 
Getting Started

One of the first steps in a xeriscape landscape plan is to reduce or eliminate the lawngrass.  Another alternative is to replace the existing lawn with a grass that needs little water to live like zoysia or buffalograss.  I look at many homes and landscapes in the Austin, Texas Metro area.  Right now so many lawns are that sickly, depressing shade of yellowish brown.  If left on their own, lawn grasses may die and weeds fill in.  The next year I see people trying to re-sod with St. Augustine only to start this cycle again.

Learning More about What and How To Plant

Some great ways to learn about xeriscape plants are through the Native Plant Society of Texas, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, and local nurseries.  The “big box” store nurseries still carry invasives, and plants that “look pretty” but are not good for conserving water.  Some cities such as Leander, Texas and Austin, Texas have recommended plant lists.  Leander’s is on the City of Leander website- search for Preferred plant list.doc and the City of Austin has a Grow Green section on their website.  Go to the Plant Guide section.  There is also a Grow Green booklet free of charge at the City or many Austin area nurseries.  The City of Austin also has a Xeriscape Advisory Board to help homeowners design these water-wise gardens.  Texas A & M Horticulture has some great information.  The Williamson County Extension Office at 3151 Inner Loop Rd. in Georgetown, Texas has local demonstration plots at to see xeriscape plants & grasses growing.  There is a map in the Extension Office & plants & trees are labeled & staked.  The Wilco Master Gardeners maintain the xeriscaping gardens.

Professional Advice and Installation

You may choose to hire a professional landscape architect or designer to design a custom plan for your yard.  The Austin Area has many experienced and knowledgeable professionals with many completed projects on the ground (or should I say “in” the ground!  LOL).  Many will design the landscape plan, giving you a drawing of where to plant what and a list of desired specimens but allow you to carry out your plan thus saving you money.  Or, you may choose to have the entire design implemented completely by professionals while you relax in the air conditioning watching through the window!  You avoid heatstroke that way! 

Enjoying Your Xeriscape

Now that your own yard is a Texas Hill Country heat lovin’, water shruggin’ paradise, you may want to take a further step and get your home Certified as a Wildlife Habitat through the National Wildlife Federation or the Texas Parks and Wildlife Texas Wildscapes or Best of Texas Backyard Habitat programs.  Get a cool glass of fresh- squeezed lemonade, hibiscus tea or other cold beverage and go hand with your butterflies and birds, relishing in the thought that you are having a share in conserving water and our wonderful state.