Restoration Work
Thanks to generous donors and volunteers, The Trail Conservancy facilitates many restoration and preservation projects throughout the year.
Restoration efforts like installing green infrastructure, building rain gardens, and maintaining wildflower diversity keep the Trail healthy and pristine.
Thanks to strong partnerships with donors and volunteers, as well as the City of Austin, extensive work has been done to improve the Trail, minimize human impact, and keep it as an essential natural refuge within the city.
Protect and enhance plant communities
Protect and enhance ecological function
Enhance resiliency
Connect and enhance the user experience
Connect and enhance stewardship
Ecological restoration is our most important role as the primary stewards of the 10-mile Ann & Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail and the almost 300 acres of parkland surrounding Lady Bird Lake. Our team works daily to improve the natural ecosystem around the Trail removing invasive species and re-planting areas with native plants, reinforcing the shoreline by incorporating native plants that reduce erosion and improve wildlife habitats, improving soil conditions with regular mulching, seeding wildflower meadows, creating new shade canopies, and so much more.
Goats on the Trail
Volunteer on the Trail
Eco Projects
As the canopy expansion areas are generally within the Colorado River floodplain, this work also improves floodplain health and function around the lake. In addition to increasing canopy cover, TTC manages greenhouse operations and propagates/grows commercially unavailable native plants for its restoration projects.
The natural areas around Lady Bird Lake provide an important refuge for wildlife within the City and connect riparian corridors as well as numerous protected areas up- and downstream. Wildlife comes to the site for food, water, and shelter provided by the Lake and the surrounding natural areas. The natural areas serve both resident wildlife and numerous migratory birds and butterflies.
Our work has resulted in improved floodplain health and function around the lake, the managing of greenhouse operations, and the growing of commercially unavailable native plants for restoration projects.
The Lake and the nearby natural areas attract migratory birds, resident wildlife and butterflies due to the abundance of food, water and shelter they offer. Without effective conservation practices, Austin may lose creatures vital to our ecosystem.
Trees
Koelreuteria paniculata is a species of flowering plant in the family Sapindaceae, It was introduced to America in 1763, and has become a popular landscape tree worldwide.
Reptiles
Resting on logs and peeking from the Lake surface you can find Red-eared Slider turtles, Spiny Softshell turtles. Remember to give Cottonmouth Snakes a wide berth, and listen for Gulf Coast Toads.
Plants
Correll's false dragonhead (Physostegia correllii) is a rare, flowering plant characterized by purple-pink flowers and dark green leaves. It belongs to the mint family and is found in forested and herbaceous wetland habitats.
Birds
The pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) is a species of the grebe family of water birds. The pied-billed grebe is primarily found in ponds throughout the Americas.
Every dollar given to The Trail Conservancy provides the critical funds needed for our organization to continue to protect, enhance, and connect our beloved Butler Trail. Your support ensures that the Trail will remain a reprieve in the heart of Austin for generations to come.
Donate to our Ecological Restoration work today, or learn more about opportunities for corporate volunteering or project sponsorship.
Nature &
Conservation
Protect, Connect, & Enhance.
Nature and conservation programs connect riparian corridors and preserve numerous protected areas along the lake. Learn how we are protecting the ecosystem along the trail.
Natural Area Management
Protect, Enhance, and Connect
Ecological restoration is our most important role as the primary stewards of the 10-mile Ann & Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail and the almost 300 acres of parkland surrounding Lady Bird Lake. Our team works daily to improve the natural ecosystem around the Trail removing invasive species and re-planting areas with native plants, reinforcing the shoreline by incorporating native plants that reduce erosion and improve wildlife habitats, improving soil conditions with regular mulching, seeding wildflower meadows, creating new shade canopies, and so much more.
Goats
on the Traiil
The Real Trail Heroes
One of the most loved visitors to the Trail is our goats! Goats eat noxious and invasive plants, making it safer and easier for contractors and volunteers to go into areas to stabilize the soil and restore native plantings.Â
Eco Projects
In areas with well-developed canopies, extensive work has been done to improve ground cover and understory and to minimize the impacts of invasive trees and aggressive vines. This work has improved shoreline and floodplain health along the lake while still addressing the aesthetic concerns of Trail users. TTC is also working on expanding the woodland canopy around the lake following the Urban Forestry and Natural Areas Management Guidelines.
As the canopy expansion areas are generally within the Colorado River floodplain, this work also improves floodplain health and function around the lake. In addition to increasing canopy cover, TTC manages greenhouse operations and propagates/grows commercially unavailable native plants for its restoration projects.
Trail
Programs
Experience The Butler Trail
The Trail Conservancy provides free and engaging programming that connects individuals of every age to the Butler Trail. Many programs have ongoing installations for you to revisit on the trail.
Thank you to our Ecological Supporters
