Wildland Volunteer Outreach SuccessesFiscal Year 2014

FY14 By the Numbers 201 Total Events

Averages to about three a week

Reached Over 5,000 people

FY 14 BCP Guided Hikes26 BCP guided hikes with 346

participants

An increase of 46% of participants from FY13 FY13-16 guided hikes with 236 participants

FY14 WQPL Guided Hikes28 WQPL guided hikes with 405 participants

A 38% increase of participants from FY13

FY13-23 hikes with 293 participants

BUT Numbers Don’t Tell The Entire Story

What people had to say….

Potential UFO sighting at Vireo Preserve’s night hike for July’s super moon.

Jim built steps for one of the best views in Austin.

"Excellent outing!! Thank you to all the organizers. We really enjoyed all the stories, plant and bird identification, info on restoration, the tea and watermelon, the view and the UFO?? sighting in addition to the super moon. Thank you!

Guided Hike Highlights

What people had to say….

New night hikes at Slaughter Creek

Wanted to contact our (2) leaders of this trip (Tom and Toni Guckert)…And thank them as Steve and I enjoyed the trip, the stars and the trail.

I also wanted to let them know I took home a stray by accident.  A mature scorpion must have been joy riding on my pants or socks – Next trip I’ll secure the bottom of pants with rubber bands or “gators” to leave these critters where they belong…in the wilderness.

Guided Hike Highlights

What people had to say…. Mark did a great

job as usual. It was hot. The

mosquitos ate me alive. Lightening threatened our mortality. In short, I had a great time!

Birding Training SeriesWhat people had to say….

Thanks to all the knowledgeable and helpful birders. Thoroughly enjoyed my first official birding experience. Loved that American Kestrel.

Trail Accolades Austin Fit

Magazine March 2014 Reviewed Slaughter Creek Trail as a great place to get outside and get fit.

Austin American Statesman Names Slaughter Creek Trail One of Austin’s Hidden Gems.

Thanks to a partnership with AISD and staff support additional school groups visited Wildlands in FY14.

We provided 28 school presentations or field trips and reached over 2,000 students!-A 39% increase from FY13

Thank you Matt, Devin, Kevin, Sherri, Rick, Jim, Cindy, Luke, Louise, and DG

Partnerships with Senior Centers and Recreation Centers helped reach new audiences.

Continued and Strengthened Partnerships

Watershed Protection and Keep Austin Beautiful-Clean Creeks Campus Kiker Field Trips to Slaughter Creek continued.

Boy Scouts continued to help with seeding.

Helping Hands Home for Foster Children visited Wildlands 5 times in FY14.

-Thank you Kevin, Matt, Devin, Jim, and Louise.

American Youth Works Partnership Friday Education/Workdays

One project was to build a simple rainwater catchment system for Vireo Preserve.

Thanks to Hunter for the system design and materials.

We Reached Out to Fellow City Departments and Partners

UT Birding 101 with BillLaw Department Pre-Presentation and Tour

Waller Creek WildlandDemonstration Area

Planted over 200 native plants.Worked with facilities staff.Thanks to Mark and John. Volunteer now monitors the area.

Wildlands, Wildfire and You!

This event was more than a chance to get your photo with Smokey.

Although Smokey was very popular. (thanks to TFS

and DG)Thanks to Luke for organizing, Louise, Matt, Willy, Brooks,

Bull Creek Trail User Survey 40 hours of data collection; 38 responded to the survey-trail use is minimal from the 360 entrance -consider focusing on Jester entrance for next survey

Volunteers and All That They Do

FY14-More than 4,000 volunteer service hours~2 Full Time Employees

Jim O’Donnel’s Efforts Vireo Preserve

Jim has led over 20 volunteer workdays (most of these as a volunteer!) Currently hosts workdays every Tuesday and Sunday.

Devin’s Land Stewards

Hosted Land Steward TrainingOver 10 Land Steward Workdays

One Volunteer Organized Tens of Thousands of Photos From Game Cameras

CPR/First Aid Policy for Volunteers

In an effort to improve safety, volunteers that lead independent projects or groups on Wildlands are now trained in CPR and First Aid. Two trainings were held in FY14.

Thanks to Louise for drafting this policy and organizing the volunteers.

Trained 10 New Hike Guides

WCD Staff Workday

Thank you to Louise for organizing.

Austin Youth River Watch At Turkey Creek

Thanks to John and Jonny

Tom WatsonHas now volunteered more than 2000 hours with Wildlands.

Louise’s New Little Guy-born with a lot of volunteer hours

Volunteers & Arc GIS Online=

LOVE

FY 14 Volunteers Used Arc GIS Online To

• Complete sign surveys• Monitor property

boundaries• Follow guided hike path

Thanks to Kimberlee and DG, we offered several trainings to volunteers on Arc GIS Online.

New Interactive Online Trail Map

http://www.austintexas.gov/department/wildland-mapsThanks Kimberlee and DG!

Website Improvements Custom Menu Flickr Title Photos Photo Links

A volunteer with design experience provided guidance and ideas to improve our webpage.

Take Note of Some Quick Web Links

www.balconescanyonlands.org www.austintexas.gov/wqpl www.austinexas.gov/wildlandevent

s www.austintexas.gov/rxfire

Social Media-Consider liking, joining, following, sharing, etc.

Facebook facebook.com/AustinWater

Twitter twitter.comAustinWater

Slideshare BCP Meetup

Almost 600 meetup members meetup.com/bcpfriends/

Prescribed Fire Social Media-allows for continual fire updates and direct, immediate feedback from the public

Retweets by Mark Murray KVUE KXAN Travis County Hays County ATX Weather Girl Laura Rice at KUT Circle C Neighborhood AFD Wildfire Division

This tweet reached up to 100,000 people Today’s successful

prescribed burn safely mimics a natural fire-cycle. Soon native grasses will thrive. #atxgoodfire

Bill’s Presentation Bill presented to 15

people about golden-cheeked warbler research

Presentation was shared on slideshare and retweeted by someone in Canada with 3000 followers!

Wildland Email List Monthly to bi-monthly updates

Over 1800 people receive emails.

Typical open rates hover around 40% (~700 emails open email) Industry standard open rates closer to 20%.

Approximately 100 people click on links sent in each email.

Most popular email in 2014? new online interactive trail map 300 clicks; 840 opens

Consider subscribing: www.austintexas.gov/wildlandevents

Wildland’s Flickr Group https://www.flickr.com/groups/austinwildlands/ Consider joining Encourage people taking pictures at activities or events to post

photos

AdvertisementsQuarterly in Community Impact Fall 2014 in the Austin Chronicle

Installed “Branded” Trail Stickers Along 14 Miles of BCP Trails

Sherri hiked a lot of these miles with us.

Publications-Factsheets, Articles, Newsletters

Article on WQPL in TX H2O (thanks to Kevin)

State Impact Texas prescribed fire (articles and radio)

Coyote Factsheet (thanks to Lisa)

Planning Drafted three year marketing plan with

Austin Water’s Public Information Office to guide branding and outreach efforts

Drafted Wildland Division sign plan to help with consistent sign design and implementation. PIO is currently working on graphic standards.

Next Year? FY14 saw the start of the online

database for volunteers. FY15 beta test will start.

Notes from the field.

Increase social media presence.

Ideas/Needs?